Yerba Buena Island - Definition and Overview

An aerial view of Yerba Buena Island in the background, with its link to Treasure Island in the foreground. Note the San Francisco Bay Bridge's tunnel.

Yerba Buena Island sits in the San Francisco Bay between San Francisco and Oakland, California. The Yerba Buena Tunnel runs through its center and connects the western and eastern spans of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. It has had several other names over the decades: Sea Bird Island, Wood Island, and Goat Island.

As the natural base for the artificial Treasure Island, Yerba Buena and Treasure Islands formed the Treasure Island Naval Base, beginning during World War II until 1996, when it and the Presidio of San Francisco were decommissioned, and opened to public control, under stipulations.

The first California legislature on February 18, 1850, passed an act establishing the boundaries of San Francisco County and named the island Yerba Buena, after the former name for the city of San Francisco.

Officially, the island was Yerba Buena until 1895, when on a decision by the U.S. Geographic Board, it was changed to "Goat Island." It was changed back to "Yerba Buena" on June 3, 1931.

The island is currently part of District 6 of the City and County of San Francisco.

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