Is San Francisco further north than Indianapolis?
No. San Francisco, at 37.8° N, lies about 220 km further south than Indianapolis, at 39.8° N.
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Why it surprises
San Francisco is the city of summer fog and cool breezes, and Indianapolis sits in the American Midwest, so many people put San Francisco further north. It is the other way round. Indianapolis lies at 39.8° N, about 220 km north of San Francisco at 37.8° N. San Francisco is level with Athens and Seoul; Indianapolis with Beijing and Ankara. The cool, foggy summers in San Francisco come from the ocean: the cold California Current runs along the coast, and moist air passing over it forms fog. Indianapolis, far inland, gets alternating surges of cold polar air and warm, humid air from the south, which gives it hot summers and cold winters. San Francisco’s chill is about cold water, not latitude.
Sources for this explanation
- NOAA National Weather Service: weather.gov, checked 25 October 2026
- Encyclopedia of Indianapolis: indyencyclopedia.org, checked 25 October 2026
Where the numbers come from
Each city is placed by Wikidata’s coordinate for its centre, cross-checked with Natural Earth’s populated places. Details: San Francisco and Indianapolis.
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