Eagle-eyed drivers notice glaring mistake on patriotic makeover of iconic San Francisco hillside sign

Published: 22:13, 16 June 2026 | Updated: 22:16, 16 June 2026 Drivers have noticed a glaring error on a patriotic update of the iconic South San Francisco hillside sign - but the city claims it was on purpose. On June 2, about 75 volunteers gathered on Sign Hill to update the white letters that read: 'SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO THE INDUSTRIAL CITY,' with the goal of commemorating the country's 250th anniversary. The sign has been on display for drivers heading north on Highway 101 for over one hundred years, having been built in the early 1920s and later added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1966. While many appreciate the community involvement and patriotic effort of the city, viewers have quickly observed a noticeable mistake in the color of the words. 'What flag colors are Red, Blue and White?' commented Maureen Bradley Lynch on a Facebook post about the makeover. The sign was painted with 'SOUTH' in red, 'SAN FRANCISCO' in blue, and 'THE INDUSTRIAL CITY' in white. Many have questioned the decision to not make the sign in traditional red, white, and blue order.   The city claims it was an intentional and 'strategic' choice to avoid keeping 'SAN FRANCISCO' white. The iconic South San Francisco Sign Hill letters were painted patriotic colors to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary The updated sign has had many mixed and negative reactions on social media and online forums for various reasons The official City of South San Francisco Instagram account responded to a comment inquiring about the colors not following traditional red, white, and blue order, saying it was a 'strategic decision' 'Some people confuse us with the city of San Francisco…we figured leaving that part white would only add to the confusion,' said the city's official Instagram account in response to an inquiring comment. They believe the white would draw more attention to 'San Francisco' and wanted to switch the order to make the city's nickname brightest.  Even after this explanation, viewers continue to question why other solutions weren't considered. Multiple comments on social media and forums recommended painting only 'THE INDUSTRIAL CITY' red, white, and blue as a way to make sure South San Francisco is clear, while keeping the order of the stars and stripes colors intact.    Many have complained that the shades of the red and blue used, make it incredibly hard to read or even see the top two words at certain angles Many people online have requested the paint job be redone before July 4 The view from an unhappy South San Francisco resident's home who claims it is 'a crappy job in many ways' Although most reactions have been negative, there are some who appreciate the redesign Others have mentioned the chosen shades for the blue and red paint made it incredibly hard to read from many angles. Some have even complained the colors don't look red or blue at all. 'Yeah. Not well done. From the freeway I thought it was orange and purple. It’s not in the right order. Please people! Do over!' replied Miranda Henderson on Facebook. The two issues have led to demands that the sign is redone before July 4 arrives. However, not all reactions have been negative. Valerie Acker replied saying, 'This picture does not do it justice. In real life a drive by it looks beautiful!!' Some acknowledge the faults but appreciate the effort the volunteers put into painting the sign. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.