Best Bay Area Airport to fly in to for a trip to Napa Valley

Please consider the following benefits and drawbacks for air travel to Napa Valley via one of the three major airports within comfortable driving distance. The most convenient, of course, is the Napa County Airport provided you have a charter/private jet.  For everyone else, there are Northern California's three (3) metropolitan airports to make travel arrangements through: San Francisco (SFO); Oakland (OAK); and, Sacramento (SMF).  Use the AIR button to the right to check flight availability from your area ...powered by Travelocity Partner Network®! For more specific considerations regarding each of the Bay Area airports see below...

Click here to see the proximity of Bay Area airports servicing Napa Valley of the big three airports within about an hour's driving distance from Downtown Napa.

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San Francisco International (SFO)
SFO is the biggest and has the most flight options from anywhere. However it can be the most difficult to navigate to Napa.  You can take your time and drive through the city using HWY 101 and cross the Golden Gate Bridge and drive through wine country to get to Napa Valley.  You could also do the easier of the two and go through the Oakland/Berkeley area via the Bay Bridge and then a 2nd Bridge, the Carquinez with a $4 toll entering.  The tolls are $5 for Golden Gate Bridge returning and $4 for Bay Bridge returning.

In our experience, it takes at least an hour from arrival to checking out your rental car; it will take about 30-60 minutes driving through the city to go via Golden Gate Bridge or 30 minutes or less going via Bay Bridge; then from Golden Gate Bridge about 45 minutes without traffic and 90 with; or from Bay Bridge about 45 minutes without traffic and 2 hours with. 

Please note that on Friday afternoons on 101 or 80 traffic can get pretty awful and then again at American Canyon Hwy 29.  When traveling on Friday afternoons (12 Noon - 7:00 PM) between April and November by car to Napa Valley please allocate at least 2 hours from SFO Airport to Downtown Napa.

Oakland International Airport (OAK)
Oakland International Airport to Napa Valley is the shortest in distance but tends to be the longest as far as traffic goes on a Friday afternoon.  There is a pretty complex interchange within 10 minutes of exiting the Airport heading north on Interstate 80 - be prepared.  There are more flights coming into Oakland from most places than to Sacramento but less than San Francisco. Take HWY 80 North through Vallejo; Take HWY 37 West; take HWY 29 North to Napa

Please note that on Friday afternoons Interstate 80, traffic can get pretty awful and then again at American Canyon Hwy 29.  When traveling on Friday afternoons (12 Noon - 7:00 PM) between April and November by car to Napa Valley please allocate at least 2 hours from Oakland (OAK) Airport to Downtown Napa.

Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
Sacramento is the easiest, straightest shot to Napa Valley however it is longer in miles, but is much less frustrating with traffic, interchanges and difficulty.  Also the other drawback is less flight options to SMF.  It is not as "romantic" as driving through San Francisco but save the romance for Napa Valley and get here with less hassle and stress as you can - you're on vacation!  Allocate about 45 minutes to get off the plane and rent your car and another 60 minutes drive time to Downtown Napa.  Take 80 South to San Francisco, take HWY 12 West to Napa, Take HWY 29 North to Napa

Driving from Napa Valley to Sacramento, Oakland or San Francisco