San Francisco Airport (SFO)

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San Francisco International Airport (IATA: SFO, ICAO: KSFO, FAA LID: SFO) is a major international airport located 13 miles (21 km) south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, adjacent to the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO. The airport has flights to destinations throughout North America and is a major gateway to Europe, Asia, and Australasia.

San Francisco International Airport Address

San Francisco International Airport
S McDonnell Rd & S Link Rd
San Francisco, CA 94128

San Francisco International Airport Terminal Information

Introduction

San Francisco International Airport has four terminals - the International Terminal, Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and Terminal 3. The three domestic terminals - 1, 2, and 3 - are laid out in a partial ring, with the domestic parking garage in its middle. The International Terminal completes the ring, with its dedicated parking placed in front of it, outside the ring. Presently, Terminal 2 is undergoing renovation.

The terminals are linked together by the AirTrain internal transit system, operating 24 hours per day. It is also possible for passengers to walk between terminals. Each terminal serves several airlines and a large number of destinations. Each terminal is well served by restaurants, bars, newsstands, shops, and ATMs (cash machines). Business services and banking services are available in the airport. Airline club lounges cater to the needs of frequent flyers.

International Terminal

San Francisco Airport's International Terminal serves many airlines, including Aeroflot, Air China, Air France, Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines (Mexico), All Nippon Airways, Asiana, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Japan Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, LACSA, Lufthansa, Mexicana, Northwest (international), Philippine Airlines, Singapore Airlines, TACA, United Airlines (international), and Virgin Atlantic.

The International Terminal has two sets of gates: A1-A12 and G91-G102. The terminal has two AirTrain stations, located at opposite ends of the main hall, at one level above ticketing.

Terminal 1

San Francisco Airport's Terminal 1 serves Air Canada, Alaska Airlines (domestic / Canada), America West Airlines, ATA Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Midwest Airlines, Northwest (domestic), and US Airways.

Terminal 1 has three sets of gates: Rotunda A contains gates 1-17, boarding area B contains gates 20-36, and boarding area C contains gates 40-48. The terminal has one AirTrain station, which is located on level 5 of the domestic parking garage. A tunnel, elevators, and escalators connect it with the boarding areas.

Terminal 3

San Francisco Airport's Terminal 3 serves American Airlines, Ted, and United Airlines (domestic).

Terminal 3 has two sets of gates: boarding area E contains gates 60-67 and boarding area F contains gates 68-90. The Terminal 3 AirTrain station is on level 5 of the parking garage. A bridge ("skybridge") links the station with mezzanine-level 3 of the terminal proper.

Shopping

San Francisco International Airport offers visitors a whole range of shopping options. Some of the stores represented at San Francisco International Airport include California Wine Country Gourmet, City by the Way, and Pacific Gateway Gift and News.

Gift Shops
Gift shops at San Francisco International Airport include:

Bayshore Gifts and News
City by the Bay
CNBC News
Gift Shop
News and Gifts
Pacific Gateway Gift and News
San Francisco Bay Reader
Zoom Travel Stores

Restaurants and Bars

San Francisco International Airport has a variety of fast-food outlets, bars, and restaurants, including Bay Bridge Snack Bar, Emporio Rulli, Bay Bridge Bar and Snacks, Firewood Grill, and Tomokazu Japanese Cuisine.

Business Services

San Francisco International Airport's array of world-class amenities for the business traveler has given the airport a reputation as one of the best in America for business travelers. In addition, there is a fully equipped business center.

Internet Access
Internet access is available for visitors at San Francisco International Airport. The PowerPort Battery Charging and Internet Access Station can be used by travelers to recharge electronic devices, surf the Web, check mail etc.

Mobile Phone Rental
Action Cellular Rent A Phone International provides cellular and satellite phones for business travelers who need to stay in touch. They are located in the domestic terminals near the arrivals / baggage claim level of boarding areas C and F. Action Cellular can also be found in the International Terminal near the arrivals level.

Fax and Photocopying
The San Francisco International Airport's business center offers fax and copier services.

Post
Express mail services, including UPS and Federal Express, can be found at the departures / ticketing level of the International Terminal, near boarding area G.

Currency Exchange and ATMs

Bank of America has a full-service branch located on the mezzanine level of Terminal 3. Services provided include deposits, withdrawals, loans, credit card cash advances, cashier's checks, money orders, and traveler's checks.

Foreign Exchange Desks
Travelex America, Inc has several currency exchange offices and automated currency exchange machines located throughout the International Terminal. Business hours vary due to flight scheduling.

Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs)
ATMS are located at the San Francisco International Airport in all three terminals.

International

Aer Lingus
Air China
Air France
Air New Zealand
Alaska
All Nippon Airways
Asiana
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
China
EVA Air
Japan
JetBlue
KLM
Korean
LACSA
Lufthansa
Mexicana
Northwest
Phillippine
Quantas
Singapore
Southwest
Spirit
TACA
Ted
United
Virgin America
Virgin Atlantic

Terminal 1

AirTran
Alaska
Continental
Delta
Frontier
Hawaiian
Horizon
Northwest
Sun Country
US Airways

Terminal 3

Air Canada
American
Midwest
Ted
United

History of San Francisco Airport

The airport was first opened on May 7, 1927 on 150 acres (607,000 m²) of cow pasture. The land was leased from prominent local landowner Ogden L. Mills, (who in turn had leased it from his grandfather Darius O. Mills) and was named Mills Field Municipal Airport. It remained Mills Field until 1931, when it was renamed San Francisco Municipal Airport. "Municipal" was replaced by "International" in 1955.

The U.S. Weather Bureau began keeping weather observations at Mills Field in May 1927. The weather records have continued under the National Weather Service, which maintained the Bay Area forecast office in the airport's control tower building until forecasting was moved to Redwood City. Although not the official weather observation site for San Francisco (with the official site existing in Duboce Park), data from SFO's automated weather station often appears as belonging to "San Francisco" in media sources outside of the Bay Area.

United Airlines used the Mills Field airport as well as the Oakland Municipal Airport for its services throughout the 1930s.

Starting in 1935, Pan American World Airways used the facility as the terminal for its "China Clipper" flying boat service across the Pacific Ocean. Domestic flights did not begin en masse, however, until World War II, when Oakland International Airport was taken over by the military and its passenger flights were shifted to San Francisco.

After the war, United Airlines used the Pan Am terminal for its flights to Hawaii. It has grown to become one of five United Airlines hubs and SFO is home of United's largest maintenance facility.

In 1954, the airport's Central Passenger Terminal opened for passenger service. Jet service to SFO began in the late 1950s: United built a large maintenance facility at San Francisco for its new Douglas DC-8s. In July 1959 the first jetway bridge was installed in the United States.

Operations, expansion, retreat, and recovery

In 1989, an airport master plan and associated Environmental Impact Report was prepared to guide expansion and development over the next two decades. During the economic boom of the 1990s and the dot-com boom, SFO became the sixth busiest international airport in the world. However, since 2001, when the economic boom times ended, SFO has fallen back out of the top twenty.

SFO has expanded continuously through the decades. Most recently, a new $1 billion international terminal opened in December 2000, replacing Terminal 2 as the international terminal. This new terminal contains a world-class aviation library and museum. SFO’s long-running program of cultural exhibits, now called the San Francisco Airport Museums, won unprecedented accreditation by the American Association of Museums in 1999.

A long-planned extension of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system to the airport opened on June 22, 2003, allowing passengers to board trains directly at the airport's international terminal bound for San Francisco or points in the East Bay. In 2003, the AirTrain shuttle system opened, conveying passengers between terminals, parking lots, the SFO BART station, and the rental car center on small automatic trains.

Top 20 things to See and Do in San Francisco

Cable Car

With so much to see in San Francisco, where do you start? Here are the Top 20 Destinations among San Francisco visitors, according to statistics collected by the San Francisco Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Also: Top choice outside of San Francisco

Browse through to decide which spots interest you most.

Fisherman's Wharf
Shops, shops, and a plethora of great seafood restaurants line the Wharf, where you still see vestiges of the old fishing crafts used by the Italian immigrants who brought the Wharf to life after the Gold Rush.

Chinatown
Home to the largest urban population of Chinese people outside China, Chinatown is so authentic, you'll forget you're in San Francisco.

Golden Gate Bridge
You've seen it in movies, television, books and postcards - now go ahead and take a walk on it! And don't forget your camera.

Union Square
The finest shopping is found here with heavy-hitters like Macy's, Tiffany's, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus. Side streets hide some great surprises, too.

Cable Car Ride
Can you really say you've been to San Francisco without a ride on a clanking cable car? And nobody thought they'd work back in 1873...

Dungeness Crabs

Golden Gate Park
A beautiful oasis in the middle of a bustling city, you'll find museums, gardens, a lake - even a herd of bison.

Alcatraz
One visit to this foreboding island and you'll know why escape was so appealing! Notorious criminals did time here: Al Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly, to name a few.

Museums/Galleries
Some of the finest museums and galleries in the world reside in San Francisco, from SFMOMA to the Asian Art Museum to the DeYoung—all of them offer a stunning diversity of artistic expression.

Union Street
Amidst chic shops and restaurants, enjoy the brightly painted Victorians and secret courtyards. As much fun at night as it is in the daytime.

Broadway/North Beach
Settled by Italian immigrants, the area offers outstanding Italian food and charming, old world cafés. The effects of subsequent immigrants makes this neighborhood a fascinating melange of history and cuisine. And talk about nightlife!

Fishing Fleet - Fishermans Wharf

Yerba Buena Center / Moscone Convention Center
In this area south of Market Street sits the city's premier meeting and exhibition facility, the Museum of Modern Art, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and the newest addition, the Jewish Museum.

Haight Ashbury District
Nerve center of 1968's "Summer of Love," the neighborhood is more commercial today than it was then, but still worth a stroll for its history and exceptional architecture.

Mission District
So named because of Mission Dolores' presence (oldest Mission in the state), the area remains largely Hispanic in its population and feel. Truly authentic Mexican food is found here, particularly at 16th and Valencia.

Japan Center
Since 1968, this tranquil 5-acre complex has showcased the best of Japanese life: a spa, shops, furnishings, and of course, great restaurants. Two public parking garages are available.

South of Market
With the proliferation of Internet companies in the Bay Area, South of Market (SOMA) is now considered one of the hippest neighborhoods in the city. Check out the California Historical Society, the Jewish Museum, and the Ansel Adams photography center, too.

Mission Dolores

Castro Street
Much of the gay and lesbian community lives and works in this neighborhood. Enjoy a fascinating assortment of shops, restaurants, pubs and a spectacular grand old movie palace.

Live Theater
The theater district (not far from Union Square) offers a wide range of live performances, both musical and dramatic. And fine dining is in close proximity for your convenience.

San Francisco Zoo
Located near the southern portion of Ocean Beach, the zoo is a great destination for family fun, 365 days a year. Admission is free the first Wednesday of every month.

Wine Tasting in San Francisco

Visit the Winery Collective is the first multi-winery tasting room in San Francisco focused on boutique wineries. This unique experience allowing you to taste wines from dozens of small wineries across California right in San Francisco without having to travel to each of the wine regions

Concerts, Performing Art and Sporting Events
Blessed with a fine symphony, a much-revered opera season, and an acclaimed ballet troupe, San Francisco offers something for every taste. San Francisco is home to two outstanding parks: famous Candlestick and the new Pac Bell, where home runs land in the San Francisco Bay.

Tall Ship Festival

TOP THINGS TO DO OUTSIDE OF SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco Car Rental

Sausalito Tiburon and Muir Woods
A lovely Ferry ride transports you to Sausalito (a bayside village tucked amongst the hills across the Bay) or Tiburon (former railroad town now similar in atmosphere to Sausalito). Take a car or tour to Muir Woods, the 560-acre park where redwoods over 1,000 years old stand tall.

Wine Country
Sonoma and Napa counties are best known for their vineyards, thanks to the mild sunny climate and fertile soil. Well under two hours away from San Francisco, Wine Country is a perfect day trip.

Carmel and Monterey
For a romantic weekend, few spots offer the charm of Carmel along the Monterey Peninsula. Experience Monterey's famous Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf, and Aquarium.

Yosemite National Park
A three hour drive through the Gold Country takes you to the most spectacular National Park. Yosemite is home to North America's five highest waterfalls, Yosemite Falls, Ribbon Falls and Sentinel Falls. See the images captured by Ansel Adams - Half Dome, Cathedral Rocks and the 3500 ft El Capitan.

Berkeley and Oakland
Berkeley is home to the first University of California campus and boasts a history unparalleled among American universities. College Avenue, Fourth Street, and Telegraph Avenue are your best bets. In Oakland, check out Jack London Square, the historic Paramount Theater (art-deco movie palace), and the Oakland Museum.

Reno and Lake Tahoe
Situated in the center of the highest concentration of ski resorts in North America with no less than 40 golf courses and countless casinos, Reno/Lake Tahoe provides recreational opportunities galore just a few hours from San Francisco.

Parks and Beaches in the region
San Francisco has its fair share of beaches (Ocean, Baker, and China), but don't expect to do much sun-worshipping - it's rarely warm enough to bare all. Go north and explore Point Lobos, or south to enjoy the unique college/beach town of Santa Cruz.

Theme Parks
Always a hit with families, San Francisco offers three regional theme parks. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Bonfante Gardens and Paramount's Great America.