Oakland International Airport (OAK) is the closest airport, located just 15 miles south of campus. The airport is built on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, with a view of South San Francisco just across the water. It services 11 airlines, including major carriers like U.S. Airways, Southwest Airlines and Jet Blue. Oakland is a hub and receives direct flights from several major U.S. cities, including Dallas, Phoenix, Chicago, Houston and New York. It also connects Northern California with Southern California through San Diego and Los Angeles. International flights also arrive daily from places like Toronto and Guadalajara, Mexico.
On the bay's western shore and around 25 miles southwest of campus sits San Francisco International Airport (SFO). As one of the world's 30 busiest airports, it serves tens of millions of passengers from around the world each year. No less than 41 airlines, including KLM, Swiss Air, United Airlines, American Airlines and Air France, use SFO as a major hub for their travel itineraries. That means that any number of international cities have direct flights into San Francisco. Domestic flights also enjoy a wide range of direct connections, with major U.S. city flights unmatched by any other airport within 100 miles, making it the ideal choice for most travelers trying to get to UC Berkeley from states other than California.
Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), on the northern outskirts of San Jose, is about 45 miles south of UC Berkeley. With little or no traffic, that equates to just under an hour by car. Like Oakland, SJC has 11 carriers providing service to and from San Jose. U.S. Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Jet Blue and others provide domestic connections. These include major cities like Boston, New York, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. Alaska Airlines, ANA and Volaris provide non-stop service to international destinations like Guadalajara, Mexico, and Tokyo. Of the three, SJC is the least desirable choice for a trip to Berkeley because of the limited options for transfers to and from campus.
Both Oakland International and San Francisco International have subway stops on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system. That makes it the most convenient choice for getting to Berkeley from either airport. Though UC Berkeley itself does not have a station, the Downtown Berkeley BART Station is just a five-minute walk from the center of campus. The BART station at San Francisco International is in the international terminal, which is a short walk from United Airlines Terminal 3 or a short ride on the AirTrain from the other domestic terminals. The Oakland BART station is near the Oakland Coliseum in East Oakland. The AirBART shuttle from Oakland International leaves every 10 minutes from the area outside of Terminals 1 and 2 to take passengers to the BART station at the Coliseum.
All three airports provide several rent-a-car agencies as an alternative to using public transportation. In the case of Mineta San Jose International, renting a car is the best option for getting to UC Berkeley in a timely fashion. From Mineta San Jose International, take Interstate 880 North for about 42 miles to California Route 24 East and exit on Claremont Avenue, then follow the signs to campus. From Oakland International, take I-880 North for about 7 miles to California Route 24 East and exit on Claremont Avenue, then follow the signs to campus. From San Francisco International, follow U.S, Highway 101 North 11 miles to I-80 East. Follow I-80 East 11 miles to University Avenue in Berkeley and follow the signs to campus.
