San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

San Francisco International Airport is the Bay Area’s major global gateway, known for its sleek terminals, aviation museum spaces, public art, and connections to both Silicon Valley and the Pacific Rim. Its location beside the bay gives arrivals and departures a distinctly Northern California sense of place.

SFO includes museum exhibitions throughout the airport and is home to significant aviation history programming. The airport has long been associated with trans-Pacific travel and United Airlines’ West Coast operations.

Use BART for a direct transit connection from San Francisco and much of the Bay Area. For exterior photography, views are best from terminal approaches, garages, and nearby bayfront areas rather than curbside lanes.