When the bridge was finished , it was the longest bridge in the world . The Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge span in the world when it was completed in 1937 , and has become one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco , California , and of the United States . Despite its span length being surpassed by eight other bridges since its completion , it still has the second longest suspension bridge main span in the United States , after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City .