SFO to Downtown San Francisco: BART, Taxi, Uber and Bus

For most travelers, BART is the answer. It goes from the International Terminal straight into downtown San Francisco, the Peninsula and the East Bay, and it skips road traffic. A taxi or Lyft or Uber is door to door. SamTrans serves SFO around the clock, with an adult fare of $2.25. Airporter buses cover Marin, Monterey and Sonoma counties.

SFO's pages do not list BART fares, trip times or train frequency. Use the BART Trip Planner on bart.gov for today's numbers, and check the Clipper and rideshare apps for prices.

The SFO BART station is on the Departures/Ticketing Level of the International Terminal, on the G Gates side. From Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Terminal 2 or Terminal 3, ride the free AirTrain to the Garage G/BART stop. You can also get off at the International Terminal A station, a short walk across the Main Hall.

Pay at the fare gates with a contactless credit or debit card or a phone wallet (BART Tap and Ride), or with a Clipper card. Clipper cards are sold at machines in the SFO BART station and can be added to Apple Wallet or Google Pay.

SFO describes the service as frequent trains on the Yellow Line. The BART Trip Planner at bart.gov shows the fare, the first and last trains and the wait for your trip.

Caltrain runs between San Francisco and San Jose, seven days a week, with fewer trains on weekends. From SFO, ride a Millbrae-bound BART train and change to Caltrain at Millbrae station. Going the other way, change at Millbrae to a Red Line Richmond / SF Airport train. Check both systems for schedules and timed transfers.

Taxis load at the center islands on the Arrivals/Baggage Claim Level of every terminal. Coordinators help from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Wheelchair accessible taxis are available: ask a coordinator or dial *1107 from any airport courtesy phone.

Meters apply to every destination. Destinations 15 miles beyond the limits of San Francisco or 15 miles beyond the airport's boundaries are charged at 150% of the meter. A $6.00 exit surcharge is included in San Francisco taxi fares that start at SFO. Up to five people can ride for the price of one when they share. SFO posts no flat fare to downtown. Ask the driver for an estimate, or use the taxi rate sheet linked on SFO's taxi page.

At the domestic terminals, Lyft and Uber pickups are on Level 5 of the Domestic Garage:

• Terminal 1: zones A/B and B
• Terminal 2: zones C and D
• Terminal 3: zones E, F and F/G

At the International Terminal, pickups are on the Departures/Ticketing Level center island, zones 12 to 17. Wingz pickups are on the Arrivals Level: Terminal 1 Doors 7 and 8, Terminal 2 Doors 4 and 5, and Terminal 3 between United blue signs 8 and 10. Lyft and Uber Black and Black SUV rides (and Uber Assist) pick up at the Arrivals Level instead: Terminal 1 Doors 7 and 8, Terminal 2 Doors 4 and 5, Terminal 3 between United blue signs 8 and 10. Coordinators are in each zone from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Construction note: while Terminal 3 west is rebuilt, the Terminal 3 ride share pickup area is reached by following signs along the E Walkway to the garage. Fares are set in the apps, so check the price there before you request.

Waymo rides are open to select Waymo users at SFO as part of the final phase of a pilot. Check the Waymo app for pickup and eligibility.

SamTrans Route 292 runs between San Francisco, SFO and Hillsdale Mall, serving Daly City, Brisbane, South San Francisco, Millbrae, Burlingame and San Mateo. It stops at the terminals: Terminal 2 (Arrivals/Baggage Claim Level, center island by Courtyard 2), Terminal 3 (Arrivals/Baggage Claim Level, curbside by Courtyard 4) and the International Terminal (Level 1 at Courtyard A and curbside by Courtyard G). SamTrans runs 24/7 from SFO.

An adult local fare is $2.25 in cash or on the mobile app, $2.05 with Clipper, or $4.50 for a day pass (checked October 10, 2026). Late at night, limited service uses Routes ECR Owl and 397, north to San Francisco and Daly City and south to Palo Alto. Routes 142, 292, 397 and EPX stop at the Rental Car Center, reached by the AirTrain Blue Line.

Airporters are private buses to set stops. Marin Airporter serves Marin County. Groome Transportation serves Monterey and Sonoma counties. They leave from the Departures Level of the International Terminal by Doors 5 and 6, and from the Arrivals Level at Terminals 2 and 3. Reservations are preferred on some carriers. Book ahead and ask the operator for its fare.

By road, Downtown San Francisco (City Hall) is about 14 miles from Harvey Milk Terminal 1 and about 20 minutes without traffic. That is a map estimate, not an SFO figure, and rush hour on US-101 and I-280 will be slower.

SFO publishes no trip times to Union Square, the Mission, Fisherman's Wharf or Oakland. For those, use the BART Trip Planner or ask a rideshare app for an estimate before you go.

Free hotel shuttles stop at the Hotel Courtesy Shuttle Zones. SFO says they only serve hotels and do not go to San Francisco or other parts of the Bay Area. Confirm service with your hotel when you book. Go SFO Shuttle is for airport workers with a badge and is not open to passengers.