Located 12 miles southeast of San Francisco in San Mateo County, San Francisco International Airport is owned and operated by the City and County of San Francisco. It stands as the largest airport in the Bay Area and the second-busiest in California after Los Angeles International Airport. The airport acts as a hub for Alaska Airlines and a primary transpacific gateway for United Airlines.
The airport is structured with numbered domestic terminals alongside an expansive International Terminal Complex. Dedicated in 1927 as Mills Field, SFO has grown into a major international facility. On-site features include the accredited SFO Museum program, moving walkways, and direct links to regional transit, making navigation between facilities simple and direct for travellers.
01 Terminals & concourses
Opened in December 2000, this complex houses the SFO Museum, the Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, and connects directly to the BART station.
Originally opened as the Central Terminal in 1954, this facility was rebuilt as the International Terminal in 1984 before its modification into Terminal 2.
Airport map
The free OpenStreetMap layer below shows the whole airport — terminals, concourses, access roads and the parking garages. Zoom in for gate-level detail.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL, free). Official gate/terminal maps are copyrighted — we link to them.
Lost, delayed or damaged baggage at SFO
If your checked bag doesn't turn up on the belt, act before you leave the baggage-claim area — that's where every airline keeps its Baggage Service Office.
- Go to your airline's Baggage Service Office in the baggage-claim hall of your arrival terminal.
- File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and get your file reference (WorldTracer) number. Keep your bag-tag receipt and boarding pass.
- Track it online using that reference on your airline's baggage-tracking page — most bags are located within 24–48 hours.
- Claim your essentials. On delayed bags airlines reimburse reasonable interim purchases (toiletries, clothing) — keep receipts. International trips are covered by the Montreal Convention.
- If it's truly lost (generally after 21 days) or damaged, file the claim at the same office — damage must be reported before you leave the airport.
Left something in the terminal (not a checked bag)? That's handled by the airport Lost & Found. Items left at a TSA security checkpoint are held by the TSA, not the airline.
02 Getting to & from SFO
These are the ground-transport options connecting the airport with the city. Fares and schedules change — check the operator before you travel.
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Rail | BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) provides direct rail service to downtown San Francisco, Oakland, and the East Bay. |
| People Mover | AirTrain transports passengers between terminals, parking lots, the BART station, and the rental car center. |
03 Lounges & amenities
Passenger amenities include the accredited SFO Museum, featuring the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Museum and Library.
