What is the actual color of the Golden Gate Bridge?

The Golden Gate Bridge is painted Golden Gate Bridge International Orange which was selected by Consulting Architect Irving F. Morrow.



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The Golden Gate Bridge has always been painted orange vermilion, deemed International Orange. Rejecting carbon black and steel gray, Consulting Architect Irving Morrow selected the distinctive orange color because it blends well with the span's natural setting as it is a warm color consistent with the warm colors of ...

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The Golden Gate Bridge has always been painted orange vermilion, deemed International Orange. Rejecting carbon black and steel gray, Consulting Architect Irving Morrow selected the distinctive orange color because it blends well with the span's natural setting as it is a warm color consistent with the warm colors of ...

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Some visitors wonder why the bridge isn't gold, like made from actual gold (or at least gold painted). Others, like me, have long mistaken it for red. The color is actually called 'international orange' - a variation on the color used now for many astronaut jumpsuits. It was a beautiful accident.

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The Golden Gate Bridge is painted Golden Gate Bridge International Orange which was selected by Consulting Architect Irving F. Morrow.

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5 Fun Facts About the Golden Gate Bridge
  • The bridge is actually not golden at all! It's a bright red-orange.
  • It was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
  • It took four years to build.
  • There are approximately 600,000 rivets in each of the bridge's towers.
  • It's the most photographed bridge in the world.


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For example, a project to paint the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco took four years to complete and involved a team of up to 40 painters at a time. The total labor cost for the project was approximately $60 million.

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Want to swim over the deepest part of the bay? Maybe you've already done it and had no idea - you'll find the deepest water in our Golden Gate Bridge race just under the bridge at over 370 feet.

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There are a couple of misconceptions about how often the Bridge is painted. Some say once every seven years, others say from end to end each year. The truth is that the Bridge is painted continuously. Painting the Bridge is an ongoing task and a primary maintenance job.

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The name has nothing to do with its color While it's obvious today that the name isn't related to its color, many tourists assume that it was once gold. In fact, according to the website, “The term Golden Gate refers to the Golden Gate Strait which is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean.

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According to the book The World Without Us by Alan Weisman, suspension and truss bridges would collapse after two or three centuries without maintenance. The cause would be rust eventually filling the expansion joints, causing damage during hot weather.

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Local citizens put their own properties up as collateral to finance construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Little federal or state money was used to build the bridge. Most of the financing came from bonds sold by the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District.

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First the cables are washed and the old paint removed. Then the cables are lightly sanded before two coats of elastic paint are applied. Finally an acrylic coat is painted on. Painting the bridge is a full-time job and a long one: this paint job is expected to take four years.

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You can walk or bike across the 1.5 mile art deco-inspired bridge and enjoy sweeping panoramic views to the Pacific, Marin Headlands, San Francisco Bay to the sparkling lights of the city. It's a unique way to experience San Francisco — and best of all, it's absolutely free!

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With the earlier phases of the retrofit complete, the bridge can safely withstand an earthquake over 7.0 in magnitude, but it may experience damage that requires closure after a major seismic event.

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The cost to construct a new Golden Gate Bridge would be approximately $1.64 billion in 2019 dollars. The total price depends on a many factors including the extent of the environmental reviews and the cost of labor and materials.

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