Best West Coast Airports with Transit in North America (Updated 2026)
The original post was first written on September 28, 2022 and can be found here. This is an updated version of the best North American airports with transit on the West Coast. The updates are mostly on price changes.
Whether you are arriving or departing YVR, you can take the SkyTrain directly to the airport on the Canada Line (Note: if you are departing to the airport, make sure the headway says YVR Airport and not Richmond-Brighouse). If you arrived at YVR, make sure you take the train heading to the Waterfront if you are heading into downtown Vancouver. Vancouver's SkyTrain is an autonomous or self-driving train. And for me, it's actually fun to take the front seat of the train because it sort of feels like a ride at Disneyland.
The trains are clean and efficient. As of 2026, according to Translink's website, the first train to depart from YVR to the Waterfront is 5:09 am. The last train is 12:54 am. If you are departing Vancouver, the first train to leave Waterfront to YVR is 4:48 am and the last train is 1:08 am. I can't remember the last time I flew outside of these hours, so the schedule works well for me.
The Skytrain has 3 zones. YVR is in zone 2 because the airport is in Richmond and Vancouver is in zone 1. So, if you fly in on a weekday before 6:30pm, you will need to pay for 2 zones. On weekends, holidays and weekdays after 6:30pm, it's all zone 1 pricing.
The only negative is when you arrive at YVR and head towards the city, you are charged an additional $6.50 on top of your ticket price. This additional fee is added regardless if you are traveling on weekends, holidays or after 6:30pm. It's another way for the airport to make more money, but still less expensive than renting a car. Your fare gives you up to 90min of travel from when you first tap your ticket at the fare gate. So, as long as you are within the 90min window, you can transfer to another Skytrain line or a bus if you need.
Moving south into the United States, is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport or Sea-Tac. I remember flying into Sea-Tac before the SoundTransit from the airport was available. Back then I would pay around $40-$45 for a taxi ride into downtown Seattle. Once the Link 1 line opened up, it was a $3 ride to where I needed to go.
The train departs approximately every 10min from Sea-Tac, and depending on where you go into the city, it's about a 35min ride without transfer. However, if you rented a car and factored the time in getting to the car rental location, waiting in line, reviewing the rental agreement and inspecting the car for potential damages, that can easily take 15-20min. Then depending on the time of day you arrive, there may or may not be traffic which could easily exceed 1hr.
Personally, I would rather spend the time relaxing on the train and staring out the window than worrying about renting a car. I understand if you're traveling with family or a group, a car may be worth it. But if you are solo or with one other person, I would opt for the train.
Just like Vancouver and Seattle, Portland also has a light rail at the airport. The Trimet Red Line travels from PDX and along I-205 and I-84 before reaching downtown. The fare is $2.80 and you have 2 1/2 hours you can travel with that price, and a day pass is $5.60. A trip from PDX to Lloyd Center, just outside downtown is approximately 35min. On a weekday, if you're traveling from the Beaverton TC to PDX, the Redline leaves at 3:26 am and will arrive at PDX at 4:43 am. It's a great schedule to be able to catch those early flights. On Saturday and Sunday, the Redline leaves Beaverton TC at 3:29 am.
The last train to leave PDX on weekdays is 12:28 am and 12:27 am on Saturday and Sunday.
California has several large airports but unfortunately, when it comes to easy transit access to these airports, it ends in the Bay Area. SFO has the AirTrain. The AirTrain has two lines, the Red and Blue lines. They stop at various terminals and take you to the the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), car rental service, parking garages and even the Grand Hyatt SFO. The Red line runs clockwise and the Blue line counter clockwise. Only the Blue Line will take you to the car rental centers and long-term parking.
The AirTrain runs 24hrs with an approximate 3-5 min headway. From the AirTrain, you can reach the BART station. BART probably has the most expensive fares depending on your destination. The further you ride, the more you pay. Say for instance, you want to go from SFO to Civic Center in SF. As of October 2026, a trip from SFO to the Civic Center can run you up to $11.80. The trains run approximately every 15min, and from SFO to Civic Center will take approximately 26min.
OAK is the other Bay Area airport in California that has rail service to and from its terminals. OAK has a short BART line which takes you to the Coliseum Station. From the Coliseum Station you can transfer to SF or head south to Milpitas or North San Jose, where the line terminates. The ride is about 8min from Oakland Airport Station to the Coliseum Station. The train runs approximately every 6min from 5am-midnight on weekdays and 6am-midnight on Saturdays and 8am-midnight on Sundays. You can pay with your Clipper card, contactless credit/debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
After Oakland, the public transit from the airport drops dramatically. Currently, Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) has two Metrolink stations nearby. There is the South VC line and the North AV line. South VC line is significantly closer than the North AV line. I personally would not walk to the North AV line with luggage. But the Metrolink schedule is atrocious. On weekdays, the South AV line from Burbank airport to Los Angeles Union Station comes approximately once an hour, but on occasion, there might be a 2 hour gap or more. It's even worse on weekends. Below is a screen shot of a Saturday schedule from Burbank airport to Union Station.
LAX will have the biggest transformation because of the Automated People Mover (APM) hopefully coming online soon. Back in 2022, when I first wrote this, the APM was scheduled to open by 2023. It is now 2026 and the APM still has not opened. It should be on-track to open any day now. Anticipated rollout is sometime in October 2026.
In addition to the APM, Metro is extending the K line and C line to the APM which will allow some in the South Bay and those in central Los Angeles county to potentially ride the train to the airport from a park and ride station.
But Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), Ontario International Airport (ONT), Long Beach Airport (LBG), John Wayne Airport (SNA) and San Diego International Airport (SAN), you'll need a car. SAN does have some public transit that drops you off near the airport but a car is by and far the most convenient.
With all the airports California has, you'd think more than two airports would have efficient, or somewhat efficient public transit, but this goes to show you how much car culture has been ingrained into American society.
If I got any of this wrong, or you disagree, let me know. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.
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