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San Francisco airporttoSan Francisco city center
To Union Square · One way · All prices are totals for 1 adult · All service hours
3 transfer optionsCar hire · not ranked
Not all night: the BART train to Powell Street runs 05:00–23:59.
Recommended
The cheapest way in. Nothing listed is quicker.
Train
BART train to Powell Street
Yellow/Red · BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)
28–31 min rideEvery 10 min05:00–23:59
BART station on the departures level of the International Terminal→Powell Street station under Market Street
US$11.80total for 1 adultUS$11.80 eachBuy ticketOn BART
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. BART station on the departures level of the International Terminal, by the G Gates
$11.80 to Powell Street, Civic Center, Montgomery or Embarcadero. Tap a contactless bank card or phone at the gates going in and out, or use Clipper; each rider aged 5 and over needs their own card. Children 4 and under ride free.
Luggage. Keep luggage under your seat, on your lap or in the space by the doors, and keep the doorways clear.
Hours. Every 5 to 8 minutes by day on weekdays, every 20 minutes in the evening; first train 05:46 on Saturdays and 07:46 on Sundays.
Welcome Pickups transfer to downtown San Francisco
Driver meets you in arrivals
30 min rideTraffic dependentRuns all night
Driver meets you outside baggage claim at your terminal with a name board→Any address in San Francisco
Non-stop24-hour servicePer vehiclePre-book
€57total for 1 adult€57 each · about US$66 in allBook transferPartner link · through Welcome Pickups
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. Driver meets you outside baggage claim at your terminal with a name board
Charged in euros: €57 for the sedan. Converted at the European Central Bank's reference rate of 15 September 2026 only to compare it with the local fares; your card's rate will differ a little.
Driver meets you at the arrivals exit with a name board→Any address downtown
Non-stopPer vehiclePre-book
€71total for 1 adult€71 each · about US$82 in allBook transferPartner link · through Kiwitaxi
Pickup, hours & luggage
Boards at. Driver meets you at the arrivals exit with a name board
Charged in euros: €71 for the sedan. Converted at the European Central Bank's reference rate of 15 September 2026 only to compare it with the local fares; your card's rate will differ a little.
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How do I get from San Francisco airport to San Francisco city center?
For one traveler the BART train to Powell Street at US$11.80, 28–31 min, is both the cheapest way in and the fastest. Every option below is priced as a total for your party and says where it leaves you.
A few things for the rest of your trip
Partner offers
Not transport options · Affiliate links
Car hire at San Francisco airportDiscover Cars
Hire a car for Napa and Sonoma, the coast at Half Moon Bay and Big Sur, or Yosemite, which no train or bus on this page reaches. You are staying in San Francisco: BART reaches Powell Street by Union Square in about 30 minutes for US$11.80, and downtown parking is costly. Discover Cars shows the full price before you book.
A flight three or more hours late, or cancelled at short notice, can be owed up to €600 a passenger under EU and UK rules, depending on the flight. AirHelp charges only if the claim succeeds.
These links pay us a commission. They never change which transfer we rank first.
Arriving late?
Not everything runs around the clock: the BART train to Powell Street runs 05:00–23:59. Outside those hours, the Welcome Pickups transfer to downtown San Francisco is what remains. Set the hour you leave arrivals and the board keeps only what is running.
Luggage
Keep luggage under your seat, on your lap or in the space by the doors, and keep the doorways clear.
Not going to San Francisco at all?
Other cities from this airport on a published fare, priced for your party
BART is on the departures level of the International Terminal, G Gates side. Arriving from abroad, turn right after customs and take the escalator up. From Terminals 1, 2 and 3, ride the free AirTrain to the Garage G/BART stop.
Tickets
BART sells no paper tickets: tap a contactless bank card, Apple Pay or Google Pay at the gate going in and out, or a Clipper card, bought at the station machines for $3 or added free to a phone wallet. Each rider aged 5 and over needs their own.
Finding the stop
SamTrans buses stop on the arrivals level: at the International Terminal by Courtyard A and Courtyard G, on the center island at Terminal 2, and at the curb by Courtyard 4 at Terminal 3.
The taxi rank
Taxis leave from the taxi zones on the center islands of the arrivals level at every terminal, with coordinators from 07:00 to 02:00. The meter runs, plus a $6 airport pick-up fee and bridge tolls; up to five can share one taxi for the price of one.
Uber and Bolt
Lyft and Uber pick up on Level 5 of the Domestic Garage, at the zone for your terminal; at the International Terminal, on the departures level center island, zones 12 to 17. Wingz picks up at the arrivals curb.
At night
BART stops around midnight. SamTrans 292 keeps running from the arrivals level to Mission Street downtown until 01:46 to 02:13, depending on the day, and the 397 leaves at 02:32, 03:14 and 04:14; the first 292 is at 04:42.
Luggage
On BART, keep luggage under your seat, on your lap or in the space by the doors, and keep the doorways clear. Every station has lifts and wide fare gates for large bags.
Before you travel
Where each one starts, how long it runs, what it carries
Yellow/Red · BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)BART train to Powell Street
From
BART station on the departures level of the International Terminal, by the G Gates
To
Powell Street station under Market Street, a block south of Union Square
Luggage
Keep luggage under your seat, on your lap or in the space by the doors, and keep the doorways clear.
Runs
05:00–23:59
Journey
28–31 min
$11.80 to Powell Street, Civic Center, Montgomery or Embarcadero. Tap a contactless bank card or phone at the gates going in and out, or use Clipper; each rider aged 5 and over needs their own card. Children 4 and under ride free.
Board a Yellow Line train towards Antioch or a Red Line train towards Richmond; both stop at Powell Street.
Tap out with the same card or phone you tapped in with, or you are charged a $7.55 penalty fare.
Every 5 to 8 minutes by day on weekdays, every 20 minutes in the evening; first train 05:46 on Saturdays and 07:46 on Sundays.
292/397 · SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit District)SamTrans bus 292 to Mission Street, downtown
From
SamTrans stop on the arrivals level: Courtyard A or G at the International Terminal, Terminal 2 or Terminal 3
To
Mission Street and 1st Street, by the Salesforce Transit Center; it stops at Mission and 5th Street, a block from Powell Street station
Runs
All night
Journey
57–81 min
$2.25 in exact cash or on the SamTrans Mobile app; $2.05 with a Clipper card. Two children aged 4 or under ride free with each paying adult.
Route 292 runs every 20 to 30 minutes by day and hourly in the evening until about 02:00; route 397 leaves at 02:32, 03:14 and 04:14 from the same stops.
Weekday rides take up to 80 minutes in traffic; at weekends and at night about an hour.
Yellow/Red · BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)BART train to downtown Oakland, 12th Street
From
BART station on the departures level of the International Terminal, by the G Gates
To
12th St Oakland City Center station, under Broadway in downtown Oakland
Luggage
Keep luggage under your seat, on your lap or in the space by the doors, and keep the doorways clear.
Runs
05:00–23:59
Journey
44–46 min
$12.20 to 12th St Oakland City Center. Tap a contactless bank card or phone at the gates going in and out, or use Clipper; each rider aged 5 and over needs their own card. Children 4 and under ride free.
Board a Yellow Line train towards Antioch or a Red Line train towards Richmond; both stop at 12th St Oakland City Center.
Every 5 to 8 minutes by day on weekdays, every 20 minutes in the evening; first train 05:46 on Saturdays and 07:46 on Sundays.
Red · BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)BART Red Line train to Downtown Berkeley
From
BART station on the departures level of the International Terminal, by the G Gates
To
Downtown Berkeley station, under Shattuck Avenue, a block from the university campus
Luggage
Keep luggage under your seat, on your lap or in the space by the doors, and keep the doorways clear.
Runs
06:15–20:55
Journey
56 min
$12.60 to Downtown Berkeley. Tap a contactless bank card or phone at the gates going in and out, or use Clipper; each rider aged 5 and over needs their own card. Children 4 and under ride free.
Only Red Line trains towards Richmond run straight through; a Yellow Line train towards Antioch means a change at 19th St Oakland or MacArthur.
Every 20 minutes, 06:15 to 20:55 on weekdays, from 07:15 on Saturdays and 09:15 on Sundays. Later, take a Yellow Line train and change at 19th St Oakland or MacArthur.
transfer · Welcome PickupsWelcome Pickups transfer to downtown San Francisco
From
Driver meets you outside baggage claim at your terminal with a name board
To
Any address in San Francisco
Runs
All night
Journey
30 min
Charged in euros: €57 for the sedan. Converted at the European Central Bank's reference rate of 15 September 2026 only to compare it with the local fares; your card's rate will differ a little.
The price is fixed and paid when you book. A night rate of €63 applies at some hours; the price is shown when you book.
The sedan seats three: larger vehicles are quoted when you book. Up to an hour of waiting after landing is included.
transfer · KiwitaxiKiwitaxi transfer to downtown San Francisco
From
Driver meets you at the arrivals exit with a name board
To
Any address downtown, around Union Square
Journey
80 min
Charged in euros: €71 for the sedan. Converted at the European Central Bank's reference rate of 15 September 2026 only to compare it with the local fares; your card's rate will differ a little.
Book at least 16 hours ahead. Kiwitaxi allows about 80 minutes for the ride, rush-hour traffic included.
What is the best way from San Francisco airport to San Francisco city center?
For one traveler, the BART train to Powell Street at US$11.80, 28–31 min. The cheapest way in. Nothing listed is quicker. The same holds for a group of up to eight. How we weigh price against time is set out on the fares page, in numbers.
What is the cheapest way from San Francisco airport to San Francisco city center?
For one traveler, the BART train to Powell Street at US$11.80. Per-person fares multiply with the size of your party and per-vehicle fares do not, so check the total for your group rather than the single fare.
How do I get from San Francisco airport to San Francisco city center by train?
One train reaches Union Square: the BART train to Powell Street, US$11.80 for one traveler, 28–31 min, to Powell Street station under Market Street. For one traveler that is the cheapest way into San Francisco by any means. See every option by train
How do I get from San Francisco airport to San Francisco city center by taxi?
For one traveler the cheapest taxi is the Welcome Pickups transfer to downtown San Francisco at €57, 30 min, and it is also the fastest. It is not the cheapest way in: the BART train to Powell Street at US$11.80 is. See every option by taxi
How long does it take to get from San Francisco airport to San Francisco city center?
BART train to Powell Street: 28–31 min. Welcome Pickups transfer to downtown San Francisco: 30 min. Kiwitaxi transfer to downtown San Francisco: 80 min
How far is San Francisco airport from the city center?
San Francisco Airport does not publish a distance to the city. By time: the fastest way in, the BART train to Powell Street, takes 28–31 min.
Where is the train station at San Francisco airport?
BART is on the departures level of the International Terminal, G Gates side. Arriving from abroad, turn right after customs and take the escalator up. From Terminals 1, 2 and 3, ride the free AirTrain to the Garage G/BART stop.
Is there Uber or Bolt at San Francisco airport?
Lyft and Uber pick up on Level 5 of the Domestic Garage, at the zone for your terminal; at the International Terminal, on the departures level center island, zones 12 to 17. Wingz picks up at the arrivals curb.
Where do I catch the BART train to Powell Street at San Francisco airport?
BART station on the departures level of the International Terminal, by the G Gates. Follow the signs from arrivals. It leaves you at Powell Street station under Market Street, a block south of Union Square.
Is there a train from San Francisco airport to San Francisco at night?
The BART train to Powell Street runs 05:00–23:59. Outside those hours the Welcome Pickups transfer to downtown San Francisco is what remains; it is €57 for the vehicle. Every 5 to 8 minutes by day on weekdays, every 20 minutes in the evening; first train 05:46 on Saturdays and 07:46 on Sundays.
Does the SamTrans bus 292 to Mission Street, downtown go to Union Square, at Powell Street station?
Downtown along Mission Street, south of Market Street, rather than Union Square: get off at 5th Street for Powell Street and Union Square.
Does the BART train to downtown Oakland, 12th Street go to Union Square, at Powell Street station?
Downtown Oakland, across the bay: the train passes through downtown San Francisco on the way.
Does the BART Red Line train to Downtown Berkeley go to Union Square, at Powell Street station?
Berkeley, across the bay north of Oakland: the train passes through downtown San Francisco and Oakland on the way.
Worth knowing
BART leaves from the International Terminal. From Terminals 1, 2 and 3, ride the free AirTrain to the Garage G/BART stop.
Tap a contactless bank card or phone at the BART gates going in and again going out, with the same card. Paper tickets are no longer sold.
Taxis run on the meter, plus a $6 pick-up fee at the airport and any bridge tolls. The airport puts a taxi downtown at about $57, before the tip.
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