It is one of the longest streets in San Francisco, and includes a number of important landmarks.

It runs in an approximately straight 5.2 mi (8.4 km) east–west line from the Financial District to Lincoln Park in the far northwest corner of the city.

The street makes a slight bend at 8th Avenue, then parallels the edge of the Presidio of San Francisco through the Richmond District until its dead end terminus just west of 32nd Avenue, at Lincoln Park.

Fifty-four blocks of California Street, from Van Ness Avenue westward to the dead end past 32nd Avenue, comprised the last major leg of the final 1928 alignment of the Lincoln Highway, the first road across America, leading out to the highway's western terminus in Lincoln Park.

A cable car line runs on the eastern portion from Market to Van Ness Avenue and a trolleybus line runs on the western portion between Steiner and 32nd Avenue.