South San Francisco has temporarily repainted its iconic Sign Hill letters in red, white and blue to commemorate the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.
The hillside concrete letters, which spell out “SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO THE INDUSTRIAL CITY,” were repainted in early June with support from the biotech company Genentech, according to South San Francisco officials.
But some Bay Area residents said the patriotic paint job has obscured most of the words.
The darker shades of blue and red blend into the landscape, according to social media commenters, leaving only the white-letters of “THE INDUSTRIAL CITY” clearly visible.
“Cute idea, but the blue paint is unfortunately unreadable from the road,” one person wrote on Instagram. Others chimed in with similar reactions on Reddit.
The South San Francisco hillside sign on Monday, June 15, 2026. The sign has been repainted red, white and blue for the nation’s semiquincentennial. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle)
In an Instagram comment, the city said it made the strategic decision to paint “SAN FRANCISCO” blue instead of white because “some people confuse us with the city of San Francisco … we figured leaving that part white would only add to the confusion.”
“We’re proud to be SOUTH San Francisco – The Industrial City,” the post said.
The sign is visible to drivers heading north on Highway 101 or passengers flying to and from San Francisco International Airport. Built in the early 1920s, it was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1996.
The city repaints the sign roughly every other year and conducts annual vegetation trimming.
The South San Francisco Planning Commission approved the colorful painting project in late May after determining that it was reversible, considered part of “routine maintenance,” and would not impair the sign, according to the city.
The project was “designed to enhance the visual effect while preserving the integrity of the landmark,” the city said.
The city prohibits unauthorized painting of the sign.
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This article originally published at South San Francisco hillside sign gets patriotic makeover.