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Colma, California

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Colma, California
Town
Error creating thumbnail:
Holy Cross Cemetery
Template:Infobox settlement/columns
Motto(s): 
"It's great to be alive in Colma"
Template:Location map
Coordinates: 37°40′44″N 122°27′20″W / 37.67889°N 122.45556°W / 37.67889; -122.45556Coordinates: 37°40′44″N 122°27′20″W / 37.67889°N 122.45556°W / 37.67889; -122.45556
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountySan Mateo
Incorporated as "Lawndale"August 5, 1924[1]
Name changed to "Colma"November 17, 1941
Government
 • Mayor[2]Joanne del Rosario
 • City Manager[3]Daniel Barros
Area
[4]
 • TotalTemplate:Infobox settlement/areadisp
 • LandTemplate:Infobox settlement/areadisp
 • WaterTemplate:Infobox settlement/areadisp  0%
Elevation
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Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,507
 • DensityTemplate:Infobox settlement/densdisp
 United States Census Bureau
Time zoneUTC−8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
94014
Area code(s)650
FIPS code06-14736
GNIS feature ID1658303
Websitewww.colma.ca.gov

Colma (Ohlone for 'springs')[5][6] is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 1,507 at the 2020 census. The town was founded as a necropolis in 1924.[7]

With most of Colma's land dedicated to cemeteries, the population of the dead—not specifically known but speculated to be around 1.5 million[8]—outnumbers that of the living by a ratio of nearly a thousand to one. This has led to Colma being called "the City of the Silent" and has given rise to a humorous motto, formerly featured on the city's website: "It's great to be alive in Colma".[7][9]

Etymology

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The most commonly proposed origin of the name "Colma" is the Ohlone word meaning "springs" or "many springs".[10][5][6]

There are several other proposed origins of Colma. Erwin Gudde's California Place Names states seven possible sources of the town's being called Colma:[11] William T. Coleman (a local landowner), Thomas Coleman (a local resident), misspelling of Colmar in France, misspelling of Colima in Mexico, a re-spelling of an ancient Uralic word meaning death, a reference to James Macpherson's Songs of Selma, and two Ohlone possibilities, one meaning "moon" and one meaning "springs".

Before 1872, Colma was designated as "Station" or "School House Station", the name of its post office in 1869.

History

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The community of Colma was formed in the 19th century as a collection of homes and small businesses along El Camino Real and the adjacent San Francisco and San Jose Railroad line. Several churches, including Holy Angels Catholic Church, were founded in these early years. The community founded its own fire district, which serves the unincorporated area of Colma north of the town limits, as well as the area that became a town in 1924.

Heinrich (Henry) von Kempf moved his wholesale nursery here in the early part of the 20th century, from the land where the Palace of Fine Arts currently sits. The business was growing, and thus required more space for von Kempf's plants and trees. Von Kempf then began petitioning to turn the Colma community into an agricultural township. He succeeded and became the town of Colma's first treasurer.

In the early 20th century, Colma was the site of many major boxing events. Middleweight world champion Stanley Ketchel fought six bouts at the Mission Street Arena in Colma, including two world middleweight title bouts against Billy Papke and a world heavyweight title bout against Jack Johnson.[12]

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A panoramic view of Colma, California, looking down from San Bruno Mountain

San Francisco cemetery relocations

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Colma became the site for numerous cemeteries after San Francisco outlawed new interments within its city limits in 1900, then evicted most existing cemeteries in 1912. In the 1910s, many of the roads to Colma were not maintained.[13] Bodies were transported by street cars in San Francisco down Valencia Street in the Mission District; which resulted in many mortuaries and funeral homes in this location for quick access to Colma.[13] Approximately 150,000 bodies were moved between 1920 and 1941, at a cost of $10 per grave and marker. Many of the remains in Colma came from the Lone Mountain Cemetery complex. Those for whom no one paid the fee were reburied in mass graves, and the markers were recycled in various San Francisco public works.[14] Some examples include drain gutters at Buena Vista Park and bolstering breakwater near the St. Francis Yacht Club. They can be seen at low tide on Ocean Beach.[14] The completion of the relocation was delayed until after World War II. The main rail line between San Francisco and San Jose running through Colma had been bypassed by the Bayshore Cutoff, completed in 1907 and providing a route closer to the San Francisco Bay shoreline, and the former main line was repurposed as a branch line to move coffins to Colma. Decades later, the right-of-way for the branch line through Colma was purchased by BART for use in the San Francisco International Airport extension project.[14]

An early effort to incorporate in 1903 was condemned by the San Francisco Call as "a scheme whereby the town of Colma is to be made a plague spot of vice" to benefit gamblers and crooked politicians.[15] The Town of Lawndale was incorporated in 1924,[14][16] primarily at the behest of the cemetery owners with the cooperation of the handful of residents who lived closest to the cemeteries. The residential and business areas immediately to the north continued to be known as Colma. As another California city named Lawndale already existed, in Los Angeles County, the post office retained the Colma designation, and the town changed its name back to Colma in 1941.[14]

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Aerial view of Colma, from the south; San Francisco is visible in the distance at upper right and I-280 runs north in the lower left corner. The prominent rectangular green space in the foreground is the western campus of Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, acquired in the early 1900s.

Notable interments

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Template:OSM Location map Many, if not most, of the well-known people who died in San Francisco since the first cemeteries opened there have been buried or reburied in Colma, with an additional large number of such burials in Oakland's Mountain View Cemetery. Some notable people interred in Colma include:

Businesses

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Aerial view of Colma, facing north; 280 Metro Center is in the lower center, adjacent to Woodlawn (to the north) and Greenlawn (to the east)

Originally, Colma's residents were primarily employed in occupations related to the many cemeteries in the town. Since the 1980s, however, Colma has become more diversified, and a variety of retail businesses and automobile dealerships has brought more sales tax revenue to the town government.[7][19] In 1986, 280 Metro Center opened for business in Colma; it is now recognized as the world's first power center.[20][21]

Cemeteries in Colma[22]
Name Image Founded Community Size Notes
Tung Sen ? Chinese ? These four cemeteries are within the city limits of Daly City, separated from the western campus of Cypress Lawn by Junipero Serra Boulevard.
Hoy Sun Error creating thumbnail: ? Chinese ?
Chinese Christian Error creating thumbnail: ? Chinese ?
Russian Sectarian ? Russian ?
Holy Cross Error creating thumbnail: Jun 3, 1887 Roman Catholic ? Holy Cross Mausoleum, designed by John McQuarrie, is the resting site for the men who have served as Archbishop of San Francisco, including Joseph Sadoc Alemany, Patrick William Riordan, Edward Joseph Hanna, John Joseph Mitty, and Joseph Thomas McGucken.[22]: 63 
Home of Peace Error creating thumbnail: Jan 1, 1889 Jewish Template:Cvt Occupies the northern half of the site
Hills of Eternity Error creating thumbnail: Template:Cvt Occupies the southern half of the site
Salem Error creating thumbnail: Dec 20, 1891 Template:Cvt
Cypress Lawn Error creating thumbnail: 1892 Non-sectarian Template:Cvt Split into two campuses straddling El Camino Real: the Template:Cvt eastern (1892) and the Template:Cvt western (1901).
Mount Olivet Error creating thumbnail: 1896 Template:Cvt Renamed to Olivet Memorial Park. Acquired by Cypress Lawn in 2020.
Italian File:Italian Cemetery, Colma, California.jpg 1899 Italian Template:Cvt
Serbian File:Serbian Cemetery, Colma, California.jpg 1901 Christian Orthodox Template:Cvt
Japanese File:Japanese Cemetery, Colma, California 3.jpg Jun 1901 Japanese Template:Cvt
Eternal Home File:Eternal Home Cemetery, Colma California 3.jpg Jul 1901 Jewish Template:Cvt Also hosts the Jewish Community Memory Garden, adjacent to the children's section of the cemetery.[23]
Greenlawn File:Green lawn Memorial Park, Colma, California 2.jpg 1903 Non-sectarian Template:Cvt Site purchased in 1903 by the directors of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows cemetery in San Francisco using allegedly embezzled funds, resulting in the disavowal of the site by the IOOF Grand Lodge.[22]: 113 
Woodlawn File:Woodlawn Memorial Park 4.jpg Oct 29, 1904 Non-sectarian Template:Cvt Originally Template:Cvt
Sunset View File:Cypress Golf (Sunset View).jpg 1907 Non-sectarian ? Paupers' burial site; closed in 1951.[24] Site now used for Cypress Hills Golf Course.[22]: 124 
Greek Orthodox File:Greek Orthodox Memorial Park.jpg 1935 Eastern Orthodox Template:Cvt Consecrated April 1936.[22]: 126 
Pets Rest File:Pets Rest Cemetery.jpg 1947 Pet Template:Cvt
Hoy Sun File:Hoy Sun Memorial Cemetery.jpg 1988 Chinese Template:Cvt Acquired from Cypress Hills Golf Course when the course shrank from 18 to 9 holes.
Golden Hills File:Golden Hill Memorial Park.jpg Feb 23, 1994 Chinese Template:Cvt Acquired from Cypress Hills Golf Course when the course shrank from 18 to 9 holes.

Geography and geology

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2), all land. The town's 17 cemeteries comprise approximately 73% of the town's land area.[7] It borders Daly City (to the north and west, separated by Junipero Serra Boulevard), South San Francisco (to the south, separated by Arlington, Mission, and Lawndale), and San Bruno Mountain State Park (to the east).[25]

Colma is situated on the San Francisco Peninsula at the highest point of the Merced Valley, a gap between San Bruno Mountain and the northernmost foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountain Range.[26][27] The foothills and eastern flanks of the range are composed largely of poorly consolidated Pliocene-Quaternary freshwater and shallow marine sediments that include the Colma and Merced Formations, recent slope wash, ravine fill, colluvium, and alluvium. These surficial deposits unconformably overlay the much older Jurassic to Cretaceous-aged Franciscan Assemblage. The Junipero Serra Landfill, which closed in 1983 and extended approximately Template:Cvt deep, was developed and reopened as the 260,000 sq ft (24,000 m2) mixed-use Metro Center.[28]

Colma Creek flows through the city as it makes its way from San Bruno Mountain to San Francisco Bay.

Transportation

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BART has two stations serving Colma: Colma, at the northern border near Daly City, and South San Francisco, just across the southern border. In addition, SamTrans buses serve the city with public transportation.

There are three primary north-south roads for automobile and truck traffic through Colma; from west to east, they are Junipero Serra Boulevard, El Camino Real, and Hillside Boulevard. They are connected approximately through the center of Colma by Serramonte Boulevard.

Government

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File:Town of Colma 3.jpg
Colma Town Hall, at the intersection of El Camino Real and Serramonte Blvd.

In the California State Legislature, Colma is in Template:Representative, and in Template:Representative. In the United States House of Representatives, Colma is in Template:Representative.[29]

Education

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Colma has one private school, Holy Angels School, a Catholic school for preschool through 8th grade.[30]

Colma belongs to the Jefferson Elementary School District, which has two schools in Colma: Garden Village Elementary (grades K–5) and Benjamin Franklin Intermediate (grades 6–8). High school students typically attend Westmoor High School in the Jefferson Union High School District.

Demographics

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Template:US Census population Informally, as of 2006 Colma had "1,500 aboveground residents ... and 1.5 million underground".[7]

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, Colma had a population of 1,507. The population density was 796.9 inhabitants per square mile (307.7/km2). The median age was 41.8 years. The age distribution was 302 people (20.0%) under the age of 18, 116 people (7.7%) aged 18 to 24, 378 people (25.1%) aged 25 to 44, 430 people (28.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 281 people (18.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.8 males.[31][32]

The census reported that 1,450 people (96.2% of the population) lived in households, 26 (1.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 31 (2.1%) were institutionalized. Colma's population was 100.0% urban and 0.0% rural.[31][33]

There were 509 households, out of which 192 (37.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 224 (44.0%) were married-couple households, 32 (6.3%) were cohabiting couple households, 127 (25.0%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 126 (24.8%) had a male householder with no partner present. 110 households (21.6%) were one person, and 49 (9.6%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.85. There were 353 families (69.4% of all households).[31][34]

There were 526 housing units at an average density of 278.2 units per square mile (107.4 units/km2), of which 509 (96.8%) were occupied. Of these, 247 (48.5%) were owner-occupied and 262 (51.5%) were occupied by renters. Of all housing units, 3.2% were vacant; the homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8%, and the rental vacancy rate was 2.2%.[31][32]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[35]
Race Number Percent
White 347 23.0%
Black or African American 60 4.0%
American Indian and Alaska Native 21 1.4%
Asian 460 30.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 6 0.4%
Some other race 368 24.4%
Two or more races 245 16.3%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 621 41.2%

Income and poverty

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In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $121,488, and the per capita income was $49,693. About 8.6% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line.[36]

2010 census

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The 2010 United States census[37] reported that Colma had a population of 1,792. The population density was 938.6 inhabitants per square mile (362.4/km2). The racial makeup of Colma was 620 (34.6%) White, 59 (3.3%) African American, 7 (0.4%) Native American, 619 (34.5%) Asian, 9 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 366 (20.4%) from other races, and 112 (6.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 708 persons (39.5%).

The Census reported that 1,763 people (98.4% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 29 (1.6%) were institutionalized.

There were 564 households, out of which 217 (38.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 271 (48.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 110 (19.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 42 (7.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 44 (7.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 8 (1.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 91 households (16.1%) were made up of individuals, and 31 (5.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.13. There were 423 families (75.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.45.

The population was spread out, with 390 people (21.8%) under the age of 18, 178 people (9.9%) aged 18 to 24, 532 people (29.7%) aged 25 to 44, 488 people (27.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 204 people (11.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

There were 586 housing units at an average density of 306.9 per square mile (118.5/km2), of which 224 (39.7%) were owner-occupied, and 340 (60.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.3%. 738 people (41.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,025 people (57.2%) lived in rental housing units.

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  • Harold and Maude, (1971), a dark comedy about a death-obsessed young man and a vivacious older woman, filmed scenes at Holy Cross Cemetery and elsewhere on the Peninsula.[38]
  • Colma (1998), the fourth studio album released by guitarist Buckethead, makes reference to the town of Colma.
  • Alive in Necropolis (2008), a novel by Doug Dorst.
  • Colma: The Musical (2007) is an American independent film that was shot on location in Colma and Daly City.[39][40]

Further reading

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  • A Second Final Rest: The History of San Francisco's Lost Cemeteries (2005) a documentary about the relocation of cemeteries from San Francisco to Colma.[41]
  • Colma: A Journey of Souls (2014) a documentary film about the history of Colma.[42]

References

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  1. ↑ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Joanne F. del Rosario". Town of Colma. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  3. ↑ "City Manager/City Clerk's Office". Town of Colma. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  4. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 City of Colma - History
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Colma Historical Association - Newsletter #120
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Pogash, Carol (December 3, 2006). "Colma, Calif., Is a Town of 2.2 Square Miles, Most of It 6 Feet Deep". The New York Times. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Why are there so many dead in Colma? And so few living". kqed.org. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  9. ↑ Smookler, Michael (2007). Colma. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 9780738547275. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  10. ↑ "And Just How Are Things in Colma, Calif.? Awfully Quiet, Night and Day". New York Times. April 21, 1996. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  11. ↑ Gudde, Erwin G. California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names (4th ed.). University of California Press. p. 86.
  12. ↑ "Stanley Ketchel - Boxer". Boxrec.com. October 15, 1910. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Wells, Madeline (October 14, 2021). "'Sworn to secrecy': Ex-employees say The Chapel's ghost was real". SFGATE. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Branch, John (February 5, 2016). "The Town of Colma, Where San Francisco's Dead Live". The New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Blacklegs seek to make Town of Colma a plague spot of gambling hells". San Francisco Call. August 12, 1903. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Lawndale will become a city". Daily News Leader. San Mateo. August 2, 1924. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Roisman, Jon (November 6, 2014). "Local Jewish history comes to life at cemetery walk". JWeekly.com.
  18. ↑ Roisman, Jon. "Local Jewish history comes to life at cemetery walk". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2014. Actors, many of them professional, portrayed a number of local Jewish luminaries, such as Levi Strauss, Alice B. Toklas and Joshua Abraham Norton, a late 1800s San Francisco celebrity better known as “Emperor Norton.” [...] notable Jews buried there, including Julie Rosewald (America’s first female cantor) and Josephine Earp (wife of famed lawman Wyatt Earp, who is buried at her side).
  19. ↑ Boudreau, John (June 12, 1994). "Couldn't you just die? Necropolis USA: One town's underground economy". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  20. ↑ Laird, Gordon (2009). The Price of a Bargain: The Quest for Cheap and the Death of Globalization. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart. p. 68. ISBN 9781551993287. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  21. ↑ Pacione, Michael (2009). Urban Geography: A Global Perspective (3rd ed.). Milton Park: Routledge. p. 249. ISBN 9780415462013. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 Svanevik, Michael; Burgett, Shirley (1995). City of Souls: San Francisco's Necropolis at Colma. San Francisco, California: Custom & Limited Editions. ISBN 1-881529-04-5.
  23. ↑ Silvers, Emma (November 9, 2012). "Memory Garden: Soon, a place for mourning parents to reflect and meditate". J. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  24. ↑ Brabec, Russell R. (2015). "Sunset View Cemetery: Cemetery for the Paupers and the Indigent of San Francisco" (PDF). History Guild of Daly City/Colma, San Mateo County Genealogical Society. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Colma Boundary Map". Town of Colma. December 4, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  26. ↑ Colma Cardroom Project, Environmental Impact Report, Environmental Science Associates, prepared for the city of Colma (1993); IV.B. "Geology and Soils" Archived July 25, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
  27. ↑ About the Mountain: Topography and Climate Archived July 25, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, San Bruno Mountain Watch (nd).
  28. ↑ M.Papineau, B.George, J.Buxton et al., Environmental Impact Report for the Metro Center, Colma, California, Earth Metrics report 10062, prepared for the city of Colma and the California State Clearinghouse (1989)
  29. ↑ Template:Cite GovTrack
  30. ↑ "About Us". Holy Angels School. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 "Colma town, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  33. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  34. ↑ "Colma town, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  35. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Colma town, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles". US Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  37. ↑ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Colma town". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  38. ↑ "Harold and Maude Bay Area Filming Locations". Harold and Maude homepage. Archived from the original on September 15, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2018. Bay Area Location: Holy Cross Cemetery on Old Mision[sic] Road in Colma.
  39. ↑ Manohla Dargis (July 6, 2007). "Big Teenage Dreams, Small-Town Doldrums". The New York Times. Retrieved May 28, 2012.
  40. ↑ "Colma: The Musical". GreenRockSolid. July 5, 2007. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2007.
  41. ↑ Bressler, Janice (July 3, 2018). "New film highlights history of Richmond's lost cemeteries". Richmond ReView / Sunset Beacon. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  42. ↑ Livengood, Carolyn (October 30, 2014). "Veterans Day to be observed at Golden Gate National Cemetery". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
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