Figuring out how to get from San Francisco to Sacramento? This is the post for you!
Many people go to Sacramento from San Francisco’s airport (SFO), especially if they are coming from abroad. While Sacramento does have an airport, it’s a lot cheaper to come from SFO since the airport is much bigger and more flights fly there.
Whether you are going to Sacramento on a business trip, to visit family, for a date, or on a day trip from San Francisco, this guide will show you 4 different ways to get from San Francisco to Sacramento.
But that’s not all! Along the way, I will highlight some cool stops in different cities you might not have thought of visiting (well, except for Napa, if you’re a wine enthusiast).
Below, I have a map with the train stations, bus stations, city stops, and the SFO airport, to help guide you in transporting between two of NorCal’s major cities.
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How to get from San Francisco to Sacramento
By Car
The easiest and most practical way to get from San Francisco to Sacramento is by driving there through I-80. But let’s say you’re coming from SFO Airport. The airport is actually located in South San Francisco, which is 20 minutes away from the city center. It’s right off of 101, so when you leave the airport, you have to drive through 101-N, then transfer to I-80W (and pass the Bay Bridge) to go to Sacramento.
You can get a rental car at the airport, but they’re much more expensive. I recommend going to a car rental company outside the airport for better deals. Go to Discover Cars and type your pickup location and time, and it’ll pull up the closest rentals to you with the best deals for cars. Or you can type your information on the form below.
Related: How old do you have to be to rent a car in California?
By Amtrak
If you don’t drive or don’t want to rent a car, you can also take the Amtrak. Do be aware that there is no Amtrak in San Francisco. The closest stations are in Oakland or Emeryville. Oakland has two stations; one in Jack London Square, and another one near the Coliseum.
You can take an Uber or Lyft to either any of the Oakland or Emeryville stations. It’s convenient, but it does get costly. You can also take the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) from anywhere in San Francisco to the MacArthur Station in Oakland. From there, you can take the Shellmound/Powell route on the Emery Go-Round (Emeryville’s free bus system) to the Emeryville Amtrak Station. From there, you go on the train and ride all the way to the Sacramento Amtrak Station, which takes almost 2 hours.
To ride the BART, you need to download the Clipper Card app. This gives you access to pay fares for all different types of public transportation in the Bay Area.
By Greyhound
The most cost-effective way to go from San Francisco to Sacramento is by the Greyhound Bus. San Francisco has multiple Greyhound Stations:
- San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf (Hyde/Beach)
700 Beach Street - San Francisco (5th/Townsend)
409 Townsend Street - San Francisco Bus Station
425 Mission St Ste 206
You can take the Greyhound Bus from any of those stations to the Sacramento stations:
- Sacramento Bus Station
420 Richards Blvd - Sacramento (Old Sacramento 2nd St/J St)
961 2nd St - Sacramento Midtown (29th St/K St)
2928 K Street
On average, a Greyhound bus ride between the two cities is under 2 hours and less than $30. I do know that the Greyhound isn’t popular and have heard negative stories about them. I still wanted to add it as an option for those who don’t mind taking it.
Must-Visit Stops from San Francisco to Sacramento
Oakland
If San Francisco is the book-smart, bougie tech bro, then Oakland is its street-smart, fun-loving cousin down for a good time no matter where it is.
While Oakland may have a bad reputation for having a high crime rate and homeless population, it’s rich in urban culture and a bangin’ food scene. Especially their vegan food scene. Almost all of the restaurants, dessert spots, and coffee shops offer a plant-based dish (even if the whole restaurant isn’t vegan). Oakland’s vegan scene is thriving so much that it has a Vegan Trail you can follow in search of the most mouth-watering and innovative dishes like veggie burgers, tofu sisig burritos, vegan donuts, and soul food.
Oakland is also filled with Black-owned restaurants offering cuisines such as Ethiopian, Caribbean, and Southern. Their website has a directory of over 60 Black-owned eateries!
For a fun, safe night out, walk around Jack London Square to shop and dine at one of the many restaurants overlooking the marina.
Many bands who tour in Oakland perform in Fox Theater. If one of your favorite bands happens to perform there and you decide to go, you will have access to The Den, Fox Theater’s speakeasy-inspired bar. Only ticketholders have access to The Den and there are no in-and-out privileges.
Napa
While Napa isn’t directly off the I-80 freeway, it’s worth visiting as a stop from San Francisco to Sacramento. Napa Valley is a vino’s haven and is home to some of the world-class wineries. You can go on a private guided wine-tasting tour in Napa in a limo, on a trike, or through their famous trolley. Some of these wine-tasting tours have food included!
Speaking of food, if you have the means to splurge, treat yourself to the Three-Michelin-Star restaurant French Laundry. This famous restaurant offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience with exquisite meals. Can’t afford the French Laundry? Ad Hoc is a more affordable option (I wouldn’t say much more affordable though). Both restaurants are part of the Thomas Keller Group, a portfolio of fine-dining restaurants in Napa, Vegas, New York, and more.
But there is more to Napa than Napa Valley. The downtown area has so much to offer, like restaurants and shops. Plus, Downtown Napa hosts an annual light show early in the year featuring projections and sculptures from local artists.
Vallejo
While Vallejo is most known for Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, the city has more to offer. I will say that Six Flags is perfect for families with young children.
There is an SF Ferry Terminal in Vallejo, specifically in Mare Island, as it is the last route. The terminal has a coffee shop on one side inside and Mare Island Brewing on the other. There are some mural spots and eateries outside the terminal where you can hang out.
Fairfield
In the past, Fairfield didn’t have much going on, as it was (and still is) a small suburban city in the heart of Suisun Valley. But now, while Fairfield still has its small-town charm, its wineries are a total hidden gem. Some of them are even award-winning wineries!
I would suggest visiting Village 360, a little community with a winery, coffee shop, fine dining restaurant, woodfired pizza oven, yoga classes, and wedding services.
Fairfield’s most well-known attraction is the Jelly Belly Factory. You can visit to go on a self-guided tour inside to see how the jelly beans are made and manufactured. It’s a family-friendly attraction, but it’s also for the candy-loving adult (like me!). There’s an art gallery with Harry Potter portraits made out of jelly beans, a cafe with burgers, sandwiches, and bean-shaped pizzas, a museum, and a chocolate shop.
For the 21+, you can go on their chocolate and wine-tasting tour!
Dixon
While Dixon is a small town with not much going on, it has two main draws: the Araceli Farms and the Cool Patch Pumpkins.
The Araceli Farms is a lavender farm that opens to the public during the spring and summer. There is a blooming lavender field where you can walk around and take photos of yourself (or have someone take them for you!). The farm also has a stand that sells its popular lavender lemonade. You can also get a lavender lemonade cocktail for a nice buzz.
Don’t forget to stop by the gift shop to get some lavender-scented lotion, lip balm, and perfume. Even if you don’t buy anything, it still smells amazing!
When fall rolls around, thousands flock to Cool Patch Pumpkins to get some pumpkins, go on hayrides, and journey through the world’s largest corn maze. In fact, Cool Patch Pumpkins is one of the most popular fall activities in Sacramento!
There’s also a snack bar that serves popcorn, coffee, hot dogs, and hot chocolate.
Davis
As a quintessential small college town, Davis is lined with casual eats, cafes, bars, and thrift stores. The downtown area is cute, and it’s steps away from UC Davis. Davis is an extremely walkable and bikeable town. Davis is dubbed the “Bicycle Capital of the US”, with bike lanes as spacious as car lanes.
Every Saturday, the Davis Farmers Market is open from 8 am to 1 am in Central Park, which is wedged between Downtown Davis and UC Davis. In the Davis Farmers Market, there are stalls of vendors selling fresh produce (some of which you can test), baked goods, flowers, honey, and snacks. There are also food trucks and booths from local eateries and cafes such as hot dogs, empanadas, Mexican, and Indian food. The Davis Farmers Market is especially lively during the spring and summer!
The UC Davis campus is also worth visiting as a stop from San Francisco to Sacramento. It’s the largest campus in the UC system at 7,331 acres. Hang out long enough to look for the eggheads created by former ceramics/sculpture professor, Robert Arneson. You can get lost in the campus arboretum, surrounded by trees, plants, and ponds from Putah Creek.
West Sacramento
While West Sacramento is a bit of an industrial and suburban city, it’s growing as a happening area with a lot of delicious food. West Sacramento is most well-known for Sutter Health Park, which is home to the Minor League baseball team Sacramento River Cats. Sutter Health Park also hosts concerts and events, but it’s most lively during the River Cats season during the summer. Even if you’re not watching the game, it’s great to sit back with some food and beer (or a wine slushy). Their garlic fries are much better than the ones in the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park!
If baseball isn’t your thing, then don’t worry; there’s quite a lot to do and eat in West Sacramento. You can have a picnic at the River Walk Park, which overlooks the Sacramento River. Right next to the River Walk Park is the Tower Bridge that connects West Sacramento to Old Sacramento. Just around the corner from the River Walk Park, you can eat at the Tree House Cafe which serves delicious breakfast, lunch, and coffee (their vegan burrito is the bomb).
Another popular spot in West Sacramento is Drake’s The Barn, which is a beer garden that has food trucks and offers yummy pizzas. If you’re not a beer drinker, don’t fret; The Barn also serves wine and cocktails.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get from San Francisco to Sacramento without a car?
If you do not want to or cannot drive, you have two options: you can take the Amtrak, but it requires going to the Oakland or Emeryville Amtrak stations. You will need to Uber or take the BART to any of those stations.
Or you can take the Greyhound at any San Francisco bus stop mentioned above all the way to Sacramento.
How long does it take to get from San Francisco to Sacramento?
By car, it takes about 90 minutes from San Francisco to arrive at Sacramento (without traffic…you’re going to want to add an extra half hour to hour for traffic. Bay Area is brutal).
But if you’re taking Amtrak or Greyhound, expect for the ride from San Francisco to Sacramento to take around 2 hours.
Can you fly from San Francisco to Sacramento?
If you fly into or from San Francisco, sometimes there are layovers in Sacramento (or vice versa). It would take an hour to fly from one to another, and I don’t really advise it because they are already fairly close to each other and it’d be a waste of emissions.
Wrapping it Up
Getting from San Francisco to Sacramento can take some planning, budgeting, and accounting for traffic, especially if you have never been to either of both cities. Hopefully, this guide took the load off of your planning to help your trip go smoothly!
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Looking for more Sacramento travel guides? Visit below!
- Fun Things to Do in Old Sacramento
- Romantic Date Ideas in Sacramento
- A Local’s Guide to the Best Restaurants in Midtown Sacramento
- The Best Coffee Shops in Sacramento
- Festive Fall Activities in Sacramento
Hannah is a travel writer, graphic designer, and the founder/editor of Hannah on Horizon. She is based in Sacramento, California, living with her husband and two adorable dogs. She shares tips on how to experience luxury travel on any budget, and how to maximize time at each trip or destination, no matter what your budget or amount of vacation time at work. She enjoys making you feel like you have visited each destination with her through her storytelling and informative writing style.