Located along the banks of the Minnesota River, approximately 30 miles southwest of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, San Francisco Township is one of 10 townships in Carver County, Minnesota. Settled in 1854 and organized May 11, 1858, the township was named by William Foster, who in 1854 platted and named a village site on his claim, taking the name from the city of California. In 2006, an estimated 923 residents (Metropolitan Council, 2007) made their home in San Francisco Township. The township has a total land area of approximately 26 square miles (15,437 Acres) and has the most varied landscape of all the townships in Carver County. Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, along with the Minnesota DNR, own approximately 1000 acres of parkland in the Township. The northwestern 1/3 of the township is a prime agricultural area, with high quality agricultural soils. The remainder of the township consists of sandy outwash areas associated with Bevins & Silver Creek and the Minnesota River.
