From Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) to Palo Alto

Oakland's airport is the third Bay Area option and the least obvious one for a Palo Alto trip. It sits on the east shore of San Francisco Bay, roughly 30 to 35 road miles from downtown Palo Alto. Fares into Oakland are sometimes much lower than into SFO or San Jose. It also makes sense if you are combining Palo Alto with Berkeley, Oakland or the rest of the East Bay.

The catch is the bay itself. By transit you either loop north through San Francisco or cross on a weekday commuter bus. By car you pay a bridge toll and deal with some of the region's busiest commute traffic. This page explains each route. For the bigger picture, start with our overview of getting to Palo Alto.

First, the name

If you remember this airport as Oakland International, you are not alone. In 2024 the Port of Oakland, which runs the airport, renamed it San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. San Francisco sued, arguing the name infringed on SFO's trademark and would confuse travelers. In July 2025 the port changed the name again, to Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport.

The two sides announced a settlement in April 2026. The airport keeps the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport name. Under the deal, "San Francisco" cannot be shown or marketed more prominently than "Oakland." The airport code stays OAK, so your boarding pass and booking sites still show the same three letters. The official site is now iflyoak.com.

Routes at a glance

Transit times are estimates that depend on connections. Always check each schedule on the day you travel.

The BART connector

Every transit route starts with the same short ride. The BART to OAK connector is an automated train that links the airport with Coliseum station, where it meets the main BART network. The station is across the street from the terminals.

• Ride time: about 8 minutes to Coliseum.
• Frequency: every 6 minutes for most of the day, then every 20 minutes from 11 p.m. to midnight.
• First trains: 5 a.m. on weekdays, 6 a.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m. on Sundays, according to the airport's BART page.
• Paying: arriving passengers do not need a ticket until Coliseum. Tickets and Clipper cards are sold on Platform 3 there. BART's Tap and Ride gates also accept contactless bank cards and phone wallets.

Late at night, AC Transit Line 805 runs hourly between the airport, Coliseum BART and downtown Oakland from about 12:35 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. That helps you reach a hotel in Oakland, but no train runs to Palo Alto at that hour.

Weekdays: BART to Union City and the Dumbarton Express

This is the most direct transit route on weekdays and few visitors know about it. From Coliseum, take a BART train south toward Berryessa and get off at Union City. There you catch the Dumbarton Express, a commuter bus that crosses the Dumbarton Bridge to the Peninsula.

The Dumbarton Express runs two lines from Union City BART. Line DB goes to the Stanford Oval, stopping at the Palo Alto Caltrain station and Stanford Medical Center. Line DB1 serves Stanford Research Park and the Palo Alto VA Hospital. AC Transit administers the service with funding from a regional bridge toll measure.

• Buses run on weekdays only, roughly 5:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m., about every 20 minutes at peak times.
• There is no service on Saturdays, Sundays or major holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.
• Pay with Clipper. Fares and timetables are on the Dumbarton Express site.

Because the bus is built around commuters, the most frequent trips run toward Palo Alto in the morning and back toward Union City in the evening. Midday trips are fewer. Our guide to buses and shuttles in Palo Alto explains where the Dumbarton Express stops once it reaches town.

Any day: BART to Millbrae and Caltrain

On weekends and evenings, the route runs the long way around through San Francisco. From Coliseum, ride BART toward San Francisco, change as BART's trip planner directs to a train that serves Millbrae, then walk across to Caltrain and head south to Palo Alto. Millbrae to Palo Alto is a two zone Caltrain ride, $6.25 for adults on the Caltrain fares page in October 2026.

It is a long trip with at least two transfers, so it only makes sense if you are traveling light. Weekend Caltrain trains run about every 30 minutes, all local. The same Millbrae transfer is explained step by step in our SFO guide. Our Caltrain guide covers tickets and Clipper.

Rideshare and taxis

Lyft, Uber and Wingz operate at OAK. Pickups are on the third curb at Sections 3C2 to 3C9, according to the airport's rideshare page. Before you get in, confirm that the car and driver match what your app shows. Taxis and door-to-door shuttle companies are listed on the airport site under Taxis, Limos, Shuttles and More.

A ride to Palo Alto is long enough that the price adds up, especially with bridge tolls and surge pricing at busy times. If you want a fixed price arranged in advance, you can prebook an OAK transfer with a driver who meets you at arrivals.

Rental cars at OAK

The Rental Car Center is at 7600 Earhart Road in the airport's North Field. A rental car shuttle runs from the third curb outside Terminals 1 and 2, at Shuttle Stops 3A and 3D. Between 11:30 p.m. and 4 a.m., the airport stages buses at both ends to keep waits to about 10 minutes, with occasional waits up to 20 minutes.

The airport lists Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty among the on-site brands. Hours vary by company, with the latest counters open until about 1 a.m. To shop rates, compare Oakland airport rental cars or check more rental options before you land.

Driving routes to Palo Alto

There are three ways to get from Oakland to Palo Alto by road.

1. Dumbarton Bridge (State Route 84). The usual choice. Take Interstate 880 south to Fremont, then State Route 84 west across the Dumbarton Bridge. You land in Menlo Park near East Palo Alto. Willow Road or University Avenue then lead into Palo Alto. Read about the towns on the far side in our guides to East Palo Alto and Menlo Park.
2. San Mateo Bridge (State Route 92). Take Interstate 880 south to Hayward, cross the bridge to San Mateo, then follow US 101 south. It is a good backup when the Dumbarton is jammed.
3. Around the south end of the bay. Stay on Interstate 880 south to Milpitas, then take State Route 237 west to US 101 north. It is longer but avoids bridge tolls entirely.

Both bridges charge a toll in the westbound direction only, which is the direction you travel to Palo Alto. Bay Area bridges no longer accept cash. Tolls are paid by FasTrak or by an invoice mailed to the registered owner of the car. Rental companies pass those charges on, often with a fee, so ask at the counter.

Traffic patterns to know

The Dumbarton Bridge is a major commuter crossing. Westbound traffic toward the Peninsula is heaviest on weekday mornings, roughly 6 to 10 a.m. Eastbound traffic back toward the East Bay builds in the afternoon. If you land on a weekday morning, you are traveling in the peak direction. A drive that takes about 40 minutes on a Sunday can stretch past an hour.

Weekends and midday are much easier. Live traffic apps are worth checking before you choose a bridge.

Which route should you pick?

For a weekday arrival with light bags, BART plus the Dumbarton Express is the bargain and drops you at Palo Alto station or on the Stanford campus. On weekends, or with heavy luggage, a rideshare or rental car is far simpler than the trip through San Francisco. If you plan to explore the East Bay and the Peninsula, renting at Oakland and driving across makes a lot of sense. Compare with our guides for SFO and San Jose before you book your flight.

Frequently asked questions