Flying to Davis

We recommend flying to Sacramento International Airport (SMF) because it’s the closest airport to Davis (about 20 miles away)

Getting to Davis from the Sacramento Airport (SMF)

  • The Davis Airporter Van Service will pick you up at SMF and deliver you directly to your address in Davis. These rides are shared with other SMF passengers. Reservation information is available on their website (or call 1-530-756-6715 or 1-800-565-5153).
  • Yolobus offers direct bus service to Davis from SMF (standard fare is $2.25, paid in cash on the bus). The #42A Bus leaves SMF every hour at 20 minutes after the hour between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. and arrives at the Memorial Union on the UC Davis campus about 45 minutes later. No reservations are required. Although inexpensive, this bus will not deliver you to a specific address in Davis and may not have space for extra baggage. 
  • Supershuttle Airport Transportation operates vans between SMF and Davis. Reservation information is available on their website (or call 1-800-258-3826). It also offers rides from SFO, SJC, and OAK to Davis.
  • Lyft/Uber/Taxis are other good options to get to Davis.

Getting to Davis from other nearby airports

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

  • You can reserve an airporter shuttle with Davis Airporter Van Service ahead of time. Their shuttle will take you from SFO to your address in Davis. These rides are shared with other SFO passengers. Reservation information is available on their website (or call 1-530-756-6715 or 1-800-565-5153).
  • If you are coming from SFO, an inexpensive (but long) option for reaching Davis is to take the Bay Area Rapid Transport, or BART, directly from the airport train station located in the International Terminal (Level 3: Departure/Ticketing Level Near Boarding Area G) to the Richmond station. Mondays-Fridays before 9 p.m., there is a direct train to Richmond from the SFO airport (the red line in the map below); at other times, you will have to switch trains between the airport and Richmond (jumping from the yellow to the red line in the map below). Once in Richmond, you can then take one of Amtrak’s daily Capital Corridor Commuter trains, which run between San Francisco and Sacramento with a stop in Davis. The Davis Amtrak Station is in downtown Davis (about one mile away from campus), so you will need to arrange transportation from there to your final destination.

System Map - Weekday/Saturday Service

Oakland International Airport (OAK)

  • If you are coming from OAK, you can also use BART and Amtrak to get to Davis. Take the Bart “people mover” tram from Terminal 1 or 2 to the Bart station at the Oakland Coliseum (pictured below). From there, a pedestrian bridge connects the Coliseum BART station with the Coliseum Amtrak station. Board the Amtrak Eastbound Capitol Corridor to downtown Davis.

OAK map

San Jose International Airport (SJC)

  • If you’re coming from SJC, you can take Caltrain’s VTA bus (#10 airport flyer) to the Santa Clara University Amtrak station (following this route). From the Amtrak station, board the Capitol Corridor train to Sacramento, getting off in downtown Davis. 

Driving to Davis

From the San Francisco Bay Area

  • Take I-80 east toward Sacramento. Exit at UC Davis. Take Old Davis Road to the campus core area. Pass the South Gate Information kiosk (or stop in there to ask for more driving tips!). Continue on to the loop road, which circles the campus core area.

From Sacramento

  • Take I-80 west toward San Francisco. Exit at UC Davis. Take Old Davis Road to the campus core area. Pass the South Gate Information kiosk (or stop in there to ask for more driving tips!). Continue on to the loop road, which circles the campus core area.

From Los Angeles

  • Take I-5 north toward Sacramento. Follow signs to proceed on I-80 west toward San Francisco. Exit at UC Davis. Take Old Davis Road to the campus core area. Pass the South Gate Information kiosk (or stop in there to ask for more driving tips!). Continue on to the loop road, which circles the campus core area.

Other travel options

  • Greyhound does not have a stop in Davis; its closest stop is in Sacramento. From the Sacramento Greyhound Station, you can connect via lightrail to the Capitol Corridor Amtrak line or Yolobus.
  • Three different Amtrak routes stop in Davis: the Capitol Corridor, the Coast Starlight, and the California Zephyr. The Capitol Corridor goes East-West, connecting Davis and Sacramento to Oakland and San Jose. The Coast Starlight runs North-South, connecting Los Angeles to Seattle. The California Zephyr goes from East to West, connecting Chicago with Oakland. The Capitol Corridor runs the most frequently.

Commuting to Davis from Sacramento (or surrounding areas)

Parking

All the classes will be held in Olson Hall; the closest visitor parking lot is Lot 5, which you can see highlighted in yellow on this map. Check the UC Davis interactive map to find buildings and other parking spaces. https://campusmap.ucdavis.edu/

You can purchase daily permits at kiosks located in the lots ($9/day), or you can explore options for long-term permits with TAPS, the campus parking authority: https://taps.ucdavis.edu/parking/permits/rates