SFO Airport to City Transfer
San Francisco International Airport is about 13 miles south of downtown San Francisco. BART has a station inside the airport, the free AirTrain links every terminal to it, and buses, taxis and rideshare cover the rest.
BART to downtown San Francisco
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station is on Level 3 of the International Terminal (officially the Dianne Feinstein International Terminal), a short walk from Terminals 1 and 3 or a free AirTrain ride from anywhere else. Yellow Line trains (toward Antioch) and Red Line trains (toward Richmond) reach the downtown stations (Powell, Montgomery, Embarcadero) in about 30 minutes, with a one-way fare of around $11. Service runs from 4:58 am on weekdays (5:47 am on Saturdays, 8:08 am on Sundays) until about midnight; check bart.gov for the current timetable. Children 4 and under ride free, and the family hotels guide covers travelling with children. Pets other than service animals must ride in an enclosed pet carrier; see the pet-friendly hotels guide.
AirTrain: free connector inside the airport
The AirTrain is free and runs 24 hours a day. It links all terminals, the parking garages, the rental car center, the BART station and the Grand Hyatt at SFO, which has its own station. If your hotel shuttle leaves from a different terminal, take the AirTrain to it.
Caltrain via Millbrae
For destinations down the Peninsula, or as another route into the city, take BART one stop (or a hotel shuttle) to Millbrae and change to Caltrain at the same station. The Westin San Francisco Airport is in Millbrae, and the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront names Millbrae Station as its Caltrain stop.
Buses, taxis and rideshare
SamTrans route 292 (San Francisco - SFO - Hillsdale Mall) stops at the terminals and connects the airport with San Francisco and the northern Peninsula; the adult fare is $2.25 in cash or $2.05 with Clipper. Taxis to downtown take about 25 to 30 minutes outside rush hour; rideshare pickups (Uber, Lyft) are on the departures level at the domestic terminals and have similar journey times. Journeys take substantially longer during the morning and evening commutes on the US-101.
Hotel shuttles
Most hotels on this site run their own free shuttles to and from the terminals, including the Hyatt Regency (every 15 minutes for most of the day), the Westin (every 15 minutes from 4:05 am to 12:35 am, and on call from 1:05 am to 3:35 am), the Marriott Waterfront (every 30 minutes) and the DoubleTree South Airport Blvd (on request with arrival details).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the BART from SFO to downtown San Francisco?
The one-way BART fare from SFO to the downtown stations (Powell, Montgomery, Embarcadero) is around $11, and the ride takes about 30 minutes. Fares change periodically, so check bart.gov before travelling.
Is the AirTrain at SFO free?
The AirTrain at SFO is free and runs 24 hours a day, linking all terminals, the parking garages, the rental car center, the Grand Hyatt at SFO and the BART station.
What is the fastest way from SFO to downtown at night?
BART runs until around midnight. After that, taxis and rideshare take about 25 to 30 minutes to downtown outside rush hour, and SamTrans runs a limited late-night bus service from the terminals (route 397 and the ECR OWL).
Information last verified: October 1, 2026