Getting around · Sacramento
Getting to and from SMF: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Sacramento airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a taxi runs a flat $40 to Downtown Sacramento, and Uber & Lyft pick up in a marked pickup zone. Picking someone up instead? Wait free at the Free Waiting Area. Below: every way to and from the airport, what it costs, whether to park or grab a ride, and how to fold the drive into your Leave-By Time so you reach security with room to get through the line. Check SMF TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminals
- 2
- Checkpoints
- 2
- PreCheck
- Yes
- CLEAR
- Yes
- Global Entry
- On site
- Wait data
- Predicted
Taxis from SMF — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
Flat ~$40
to Downtown Sacramento
Drive time
15–20 min
10 mi to Downtown Sacramento
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. The fare to Downtown Sacramento is a flat $40 before tolls and tip.
$40 flat for the outbound trip to downtown Sacramento. A round trip with a return voucher is $70.
Ground transportation area next to baggage claim. Official cabs are the white SITOA cars. The meter is $4 to start plus $3 per mile; waiting time is $28/hour. Seniors and military get 20% off.
The SMF cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at Free Waiting Area. Off Crossfield Drive near the I-5 entrance/exit, with access to both terminals. There's a posted limit of about 180 minutes, so wait there until your traveler has their bags and is at the curb. Stay with your car at all times. It has portable restrooms and EV fast chargers.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare SMFparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at SMF
Uber, Lyft, and Wingz pick up in designated areas that differ by terminal, so follow the signs for Terminal A or Terminal B. Pickup spots are different for Terminal A and Terminal B, so make sure you are at the right one.
Dropping off? Drop off curbside at your terminal's departures level; curbside waiting is not allowed. SMF has 2 terminals (A, B), so confirm your airline's before your driver commits to a curb — find your terminal at SMF.
Driving to SMF — routes & drive time
SMF sits about 10 miles from Downtown Sacramento, a drive of roughly 15–20 minutes via I-5 South to downtown Sacramento — closer to the high end at rush hour. That drive time is the first input into your Leave-By Time, so the calculator counts it backward from your flight along with today's security wait and the walk to your gate.
Getting to SMF by train or transit
No train serves the airport. SacRT's Route 142 runs an express bus to downtown Sacramento; combined with Yolobus 42A/42B it leaves every 20-30 minutes, 7 days a week. Service runs roughly 5:15am to 10:33pm.
Fare: $2.50 standard, $1.25 discounted on SacRT 142. Pay with cash or Tap2Ride.
Hotel and city shuttles to SMF
Free shuttles connect the terminals with the economy parking lots and the rental car center. If a shuttle is part of your plan, add its ride time to your Leave-By Time — it's easy to forget the 15–20 minutes between the curb and the terminal.
Park or ride to SMF?
Here's the math. Parking starts around $9/day, while a round-trip taxi or rideshare to Downtown Sacramento runs about $80. So a round trip by car comes out ahead once you're away more than about 9 days — for a quick trip, parking usually costs less; for a long one, getting a ride does.
Want the exact trade-off for your dates? compare SMFparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at SMF
SacRT and Yolobus buses are wheelchair accessible. Taxis and rideshare also serve riders with disabilities.
Late or overnight arrival? The Route 142 bus runs about 5:15am to 10:33pm, so use a taxi or rideshare for late-night arrivals.
Returning a rental on the way out? Follow Rental Car Return signs to the on-airport rental car facility; one shuttle serves all agencies. Allow about 25-35 minutes for the wait and ride. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Recently changed: SacRT lists Route 142 as every 60 minutes, while the airport lists every 20-30 minutes combined with Yolobus 42A/42B. Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified SMF's ground-transport details as of June 27, 2026. Always check the in-app pickup pin and posted signs when you land.
Flying out of a nearby airport instead?
If a fare or a schedule points you elsewhere, the closest airport we cover is OAK (Oakland), about 76 miles from SMF in a straight line. The same math on this page — drive time, ride cost, security wait — decides whether the extra distance is worth it.
Other airports nearby
Straight-line distance from SMF — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go SMF
SMF TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ SMF
How much is a taxi to or from SMF?
A taxi to Downtown Sacramento is a flat fare of about $40, before tolls and tip. $40 flat for the outbound trip to downtown Sacramento. A round trip with a return voucher is $70. Ground transportation area next to baggage claim.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at SMF?
Uber, Lyft, and Wingz pick up in designated areas that differ by terminal, so follow the signs for Terminal A or Terminal B. Pickup spots are different for Terminal A and Terminal B, so make sure you are at the right one. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the SMF cell-phone lot?
Free Waiting Area — Off Crossfield Drive near the I-5 entrance/exit, with access to both terminals. It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is SMF from Downtown Sacramento?
SMF is about 10 miles from Downtown Sacramento — roughly 15–20 minutes by car depending on traffic, via I-5 South to downtown Sacramento.
Is there a train from SMF to Downtown Sacramento?
Not directly. No train serves the airport. SacRT's Route 142 runs an express bus to downtown Sacramento; combined with Yolobus 42A/42B it leaves every 20-30 minutes, 7 days a week. Service runs roughly 5:15am to 10:33pm.