Colma, California

Colma, California
Holy Cross Cemetery
Flag of Colma, California
Official seal of Colma, California
Motto: 
"It's great to be alive in Colma"
Location of Colma in San Mateo County, California
Location of Colma in San Mateo County, California
Colma, California is located in San Francisco
Colma, California
Colma, California
Location of Colma
Colma, California is located in San Francisco Bay Area
Colma, California
Colma, California
Colma, California (San Francisco Bay Area)
Colma, California is located in California
Colma, California
Colma, California
Colma, California (California)
Colma, California is located in the United States
Colma, California
Colma, California
Colma, California (the United States)
Coordinates: 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]John Goodwin
 • City Manager[3]Brian Dossey
Area
 • Total1.89 sq mi (4.90 km2)
 • Land1.89 sq mi (4.90 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation
121 ft (37 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,507
 • Density796.93/sq mi (307.78/km2)
 United States Census Bureau
Time zoneUTC−8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
94014
Area code650
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]

  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. ^ [1]. Colma.ca.gov. Retrieved on January 20, 2019.
  3. ^ City Manager Home. Colma.ca.gov. Retrieved on July 21, 2013.
  4. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  5. ^ City of Colma - History
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Colma Historical Association was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b 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.