The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (informally referred to as the San Francisco Fed) is one of the twelve Federal Reserve Banks of the United States. It is responsible for the Twelfth District of the Federal Reserve System, which encompasses nine western states—Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington—plus the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and Guam. The San Francisco Fed has branch offices in Los Angeles, Portland, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. It also has a cash processing center in Phoenix.
The twelfth district is the nation's largest by area and population, covering 1.3 million sq mi (3.4 million km2), or 36% of the nation's area, and 60 million people. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco is the second-largest by assets held, after New York. In 2004 the San Francisco Fed processed 20.8 billion currency notes and 1.5 billion commercial checks.
The San Francisco Fed's online American Currency Exhibit includes examples ranging from a 1776 Continental one-third-dollar note to a 1914 $10,000 Federal Reserve note.
Mary C. Daly serves as the president and CEO as of October 1, 2018. Notable former Presidents include John C. Williams (2011–2018), who now holds the same role at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and is Vice Chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee, as well as Janet Yellen (2004–2010), who held the role of Chair of the Board of Governors from 2014 to 2018.
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History
The San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank opened for business in rented quarters at the rear of the Merchants National Bank on November 16, 1914, in order to make the reserve provisions of the Federal Reserve Act. In 1924, the San Francisco staff moved out of temporary locations and into the Bank's newly built headquarters at 400 Sansome Street, a location that it would occupy for the next 60 years. In 1983, the bank relocated to 101 Market Street.
Branches
After the bank's creation, a number of branches were opened to provide services across the district.
Spokane branch (opened July 26, 1917; closed 1938)
Seattle branch (opened September 19, 1917)
Portland branch (opened October 1, 1917; ceased cash operations 2005; currently a depot site)
Salt Lake City branch (opened April 1, 1918)
Los Angeles branch (opened January 2, 1920)
Although not a stand-alone branch, the bank opened the Phoenix Cash Processing Center in 2001.
Buildings
The old headquarters building of the bank, designed by George W. Kelham, has an Ionic colonnade that is pure Beaux-Arts, while the upper building is in the new Moderne fashion of 1924. The lobby with murals by Jules Guerin who created the palette for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition. In 1983 the bank relocated to larger and more modern facilities on 101 Market Street as the 400 Sansome Street location was sold to private developers who rented out the space. Prominent law firm Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe was headquartered in the building until 2002 when the firm moved out of the space. The building continues to be owned by private developers and current tenants include the Bar Association of San Francisco. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
The old 1929 Los Angeles branch building is also NRHP-listed. In 1987 the branch relocated to an adjacent new building at the corner of South Grand Ave and Olympic Blvd.
From 1951 to 2008, the Seattle branch was headquartered at the Federal Reserve Bank Building in Downtown Seattle, which had been built in 1951 for the branch and is listed on the NRHP.
Board of directors
The following people serve on the board of directors as of June 2025:
Governors and presidents
The position was installed under the title of "Governor" until the Banking Act of 1935 abolished the dual role of governor and agent and created a single leadership role – president.