SFO to Downtown San Francisco (Powell Street)

BART rapid transit provides the fastest, most reliable connection to downtown San Francisco.

Powell Street is the bustling center of downtown San Francisco, sitting at the intersection of the city's main shopping corridor and the famous cable car turnaround. The Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car lines begin their scenic climbs from here toward Fisherman's Wharf, with visitors queuing to ride the iconic open-air cars. Union Square, one block south, is San Francisco's premier shopping district surrounded by department stores, luxury boutiques, and hotels.

From Powell Street, San Francisco's world-famous neighborhoods fan out in every direction. Chinatown — the oldest in North America — begins just a few blocks north with its ornate Dragon Gate. The Financial District and the Ferry Building Marketplace along the Embarcadero are east. The Tenderloin's gritty streets and SoMa's tech offices and museums (including SFMOMA, the nation's first museum dedicated to modern art on the West Coast) are immediately south.

The city's compact geography means that many iconic experiences are surprisingly close to Powell Street. A cable car ride down to Fisherman's Wharf takes 15 minutes, from where ferries depart to Alcatraz Island. The Golden Gate Bridge, accessed via bus or bike through the Presidio, remains one of the world's most photographed structures. San Francisco's legendary fog, Victorian painted ladies, and progressive culture create a city unlike any other in America.