Getting Around Oakland

By plane
Oakland is served by Oakland International Airport. A private shuttle service is available to hotels in Oakland and San Francisco for $10-$25, and public transit service (AirBART, and AC Transit Route 50 or Route 805) to the Oakland Coliseum BART Station (which is adjacent to the similarly named Amtrak Capitol Corridor station).

Other air travel options include the San Francisco International Airport and the San Jose International Airport. San Francisco Airport, with its BART station, is the more convenient of the two. Those flying into San Jose might have to battle significant traffic, pay for an expensive van or taxi ride, or take VTA's Airport Flyer (Route 10) to the Santa Clara Caltrain Station, then Caltrain to the Millbrae Intermodal Station, and then BART toward Oakland. (From SFO and Millbrae, BART provides direct service to West Oakland, Lake Merritt, Fruitvale, and Coliseum stations; those traveling to other Oakland stations, such as Oakland City Center/12th Street, must change trains no later than West Oakland.)

For private pilots, Oakland Airport (ICAO: KOAK) has a separate General Aviation area "North Field", essentially the equivalent of another airport to the north of the commercial facilities, with separate tower, taxiways, and radio frequencies. Its long runway is frequently used for jet travel, and Oakland makes a far better GA destination than San Francisco's (ICAO: KSFO) complex, heavily trafficked field.

By bus
A good option to get around the city, especially if you're heading for downtown Oakland, Jack London Square, the Grand Lake district, or Temescal, is the AC Transit bus system. The AC Transit regular cost is $1.75. Transfers cost $0.25.

Another transportation option is BART. BART provides easy access to the Downtown, Fruitvale, and Rockridge areas, and makes for an easy day-trip from San Francisco. The last return train runs around 12:15. BART has 8 convenient stops on major areas on visitor interest, which makes it maybe the best way for a non-local to experience Oakland. A majority of these stations are adjacent and of walking distance to popular neighborhoods, eliminating car and parking hassles. Furthermore, BART stations are usually named after the neighborhood they are located in. For example, to visit the chic Rockridge neighborhood, exit the Rockridge BART station, conveniently located steps from this area. Same goes for the Fruitvale District (Fruitvale BART station). Lake Merritt BART station is only a block away from the Oakland Museum of CA. Chinatown is 3 blocks from the 12 Street/City Center BART station. Those hoping to go to the hills are probably best off in a car, because bus service to these areas is sparse.

By train
Oakland is served by the regional rail system Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and the nationwide, long-distance rail service Amtrak, with the Bay Area's largest Amtrak station located in the neighboring city of Emeryville. BART connects to Oakland from stations in San Francisco, the Peninsula, Contra Costa County, and the far northeastern reach of Silicon Valley. Prices vary depending on the distance. A regular one-way ticket to Oakland is $2-4.

The following Amtrak lines serve the Oakland station at Jack London Square, an easy twenty-minute walk away from the center of Downtown:
Capitol Corridor (San Jose to Auburn via Sacramento). The route also includes a stop at the Oakland Coliseum/Airport Amtrak station, adjacent to the Oakland Coliseum BART station. The Oakland Coliseum/Airport Amtrak station has no station agents. Passengers may board the train and buy the tickets from the conductor at no surcharge.

San Joaquins (Oakland to Bakersfield, California)
Coast Starlight (Seattle, Washington to Los Angeles, California)

The California Zephyr route (Emeryville, California to Chicago, Illinois) starts and ends at the nearby Emeryville Amtrak station, accessible on public transit by AC Transit lines 19 and 57 and by the Emery-Go-Round shuttle to the Macarthur BART station in the Temescal neighborhood.

AC Transit Route 50 (day) and Route 805 (owl) provide fast, frequent, inexpensive, 24-hour bus service between the Oakland Coliseum area and the Oakland International Airport. Amtrak Capitol Corridor customers pay $0; ask your train conductor for a Transit Transfer. BART customers pay $1.50; take a BART-to-bus transfer from the white machine, before leaving the paid area of the BART station. The second part of either transfer is valid for a discounted return trip within several days. Otherwise, AC Transit's regular cash fare is $1.75.

A direct bus shuttle between the Oakland International Airport and the Oakland Coliseum BART train station is available: AirBART. The ticket costs $3.00 for adults and $0.50 for children, seniors and disabled persons. AirBART accepts fare payment in the form of prepaid BART tickets, available just inside the BART station's entrance; you can also pay by inserting two $1 bills into the machine on the bus.

By car
From San Francisco, Highway 80 east over the beautiful Bay Bridge leads to Highways 580, 880, and 980, which go to east, west, and downtown Oakland respectively.

From Marin, Sonoma, and other counties along the northern coast of California, take US-101 to Highway 580 and cross the Richmond Bridge. Highway 580 goes directly into Oakland.

From Monterey, Salinas, and the Central Coast, follow US-101 to San Jose and then connect to Highway 880, which leads to Oakland.

From Tracy, Modesto, and the Central Valley's southern portion, take the scenic Highway 580 over the Altamont Pass.

From Stockton, either follow the Altamont Pass route or take Highway 4 through Contra Costa County to Highway 242, then to Highway 680, which connects to Highway 24.

From Contra Costa County, Highway 24 through the Caldecott Tunnel leads to north Oakland.

From the northern East Bay, Vallejo, Fairfield, and the greater Sacramento, Highway 80 west goes directly to Oakland.

Most northern entries to Oakland go through the heinous MacArthur Maze, a spaghetti-like mashup of four freeways trying to merge and pass each other. It's got terrible traffic during commute times (7AM-10AM, 4PM-8PM), so you might want to avoid driving on the freeways at these times.

By ferry
The Alameda-Oakland Ferry is also a transportation option in the city. It offers departures from both Pier 41 and the Ferry Building in San Francisco, weekdays year-round and weekends except for mid-winter. Its Oakland terminal is at the foot of Clay St. in Jack London Square. On summer weekends there are also trips to Angel Island, an island park in the middle of the bay, formerly an immigration station.