What California city was devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fires?

The California city devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fires was San Francisco.

On April 18, 1906, the San Andreas Fault ruptured in a massive earthquake estimated at about magnitude 7.9. Severe shaking damaged buildings, roads, utilities, and water mains across the Bay Area, but the catastrophe grew far worse when ruptured gas lines and other sources ignited fires throughout San Francisco.

The fires burned for roughly four days and destroyed about 25,000 buildings across 490 city blocks. More than 80 percent of the city was damaged or destroyed, and between 227,000 and 300,000 people were left homeless. The disaster’s death toll remains uncertain because early official counts excluded many victims, particularly in Chinatown; modern estimates exceed 3,000.

Santa Rosa and San Jose also suffered heavy damage, which can cause confusion in questions about the earthquake’s wider impact. San Francisco is nevertheless the canonical answer because it endured the most famous and extensive destruction. The city rebuilt rapidly, with major reconstruction completed in time for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition.