[7] The racial makeup of Daly City was 57.3% Asian, 11.7% non-Hispanic White and 23.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race in the 2020 census.

[12] Though their territory had been claimed by Spain since the early 16th century, they would have relatively little contact with Europeans until 1769, when, as part of an effort to colonize Alta California, an exploration party led by Don Gaspar de Portolá learned of the existence of San Francisco Bay.

[13] Seven years later, in 1776, an expedition led by Juan Bautista de Anza selected the site for the Presidio of San Francisco, which José Joaquín Moraga would soon establish.

[14] As part of the founding, the priests claimed the land south of the mission for sixteen miles for raising crops and for fodder for cattle and sheep.

[16] Upon independence from Spain, prominent Mexican citizens were granted land parcels to establish large ranches, three of which covered areas now in Daly City and Colma.

[16][17] The third ranch covering parts of the Daly City–Colma area was named Rancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo Viejo and stretched from the Visitacion Valley area in San Francisco, to the city of South San Francisco covering 5,473 acres (22.15 km2).

There was a brief land rush as settlers, mainly Irish established ranches and farms in parts of what is now the neighborhoods of Westlake, Serramonte, and the cities of Colma and Pacifica.

[19] Daly City served as a location where San Franciscans would cross over county lines to gamble and fight.

[20] As tensions built in approach to the American Civil War, California was divided between pro-slavery, and Free Soil advocates.

Quarreling and political fighting between the two eventually led to a duel in the Lake Merced area at which Terry mortally wounded Broderick, who would die three days later.

[21] The site of the duel is marked with two granite shafts where the men stood, and is designated as California Historical Landmark number 19.

[22] On the morning of April 18, 1906, a major earthquake struck just off the coast of Daly City near Mussel Rock.

[23] After the quake and subsequent fire destroyed many San Franciscans' homes, they left for temporary housing on the ranches of the area to the south, including the large one owned by John Daly.

[25] When a flood of refugees from the quake came, Daly and other local farmers donated milk and other food items.

[27] The initial proposal also revealed rifts in the community among the various regions, including the area around the cemeteries, who were excluded from further plans of incorporation.

Beginning in the 1950s Filipino Americans began to purchase homes east of Junipero Serra Boulevard, as they were barred from the Westlake development due to racial covenants.

In October 1984, Taiwanese American writer Henry Liu was assassinated in his garage in Daly City, allegedly by Kuomintang agents.

The museum houses exhibits related to Daly City's history and maintains an archive of photos and documents.

[34][35][36][37] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.7 square miles (20 km2), all land.

It surrounds Broadmoor, and borders San Bruno Mountain State Park, the Olympic Club, Lake Merced, and unincorporated areas near Colma.

Julys and Augusts, on rare occasions, peak over 75 F. Summers are cool and dry, whereas winters are mild and wet.

Among the total population of Daly City, 33.2% were Filipino, 15.4% Chinese, 1.8% Burmese, 1.0% Vietnamese, 0.6% Indian, 0.6% Korean, 0.6% Japanese, 0.2% Indonesian, and 0.2% were Thai.

Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23,929 persons (23.7%); 9.4% of Daly City's population is of Mexican origin; 4.9% is of Salvadoran, 2.7% Nicaraguan, 1.3% Guatemalan, 0.7% Peruvian, 0.7% Puerto Rican, and 0.5% Honduran heritage.

Daly City is home to the only Karaite synagogue in the United States, Congregation B'nai Israel.

Benito M. Vergara Jr. details this history in his ethnography Pinoy Capital: The Filipino Nation in Daly City.

The Cow Palace arena grounds straddle the border with San Francisco and is the home for the annual Grand National Rodeo, Horse & Stock Show.

Century 20 Daly City is a modern megaplex movie theatre opened in 2002 as part of the Pacific Plaza business and retail development.

Daly City and neighboring Colma have emerged as shopping meccas for San Francisco residents.

Many big box retailers that are unable to operate in San Francisco due to real estate prices, space restrictions, or political / community opposition have opened stores in the Serramonte and Westlake neighborhoods.