Coast Guard Vessel Tracking Station, California

Yerba Buena Island is used nearly entirely by the Coast Guard. At the high point of Yerba Buena Island is the traffic control center for all maritime vessels moving about the bay area. A Coast Guard building at the base of a tower houses radar displays with all vessels tagged and labeled on the screens. Voice communication is also made to ships from this building. On the shore of the island are several other regional Coast Guard facilities. Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) San Francisco was originally established in 1973. By no means limited to vessel movement in San Francisco Bay alone, its jurisdiction extends as far as the ports of Stockton and Sacramento.