Sacramento International Airport is 16km (10 miles) from Sacramento, California.
Southwest Airlines accounts for more than half the flights at Sacramento International; the low-cost pioneer carries about 4.6 million passengers each year. Flights to Sacramento International come in from destinations across the US such as Denver, Charlotte, Phoenix, San Francisco, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, San Jose, Houston and Washington, as well as Guadalajara in Mexico.
This small, easy-to-use airport can nonetheless get overcrowded at peak times, so head for the check-in counters early as most shops, restaurants and other facilities are after security.
Sacramento is the state capital of California, founded at the confluence of two rivers, and has a long and interesting settler history. Be sure to check out the many museums during your stay.
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There are two terminals – Terminal A and Terminal B. There's a free 24-hour shuttle bus that operates between them and the car parks every 20 minutes or so, depending on congestion and the time of day.
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Train: There is currently no train station at the airport, although Sacramento Regional Transit has planned one to the downtown area, to be complete by 2017.
Bus: The Yolobus No. 42 connects the airport to downtown Sacramento every hour. The trip takes about 25 minutes and costs $2.50.
Taxis: Taxis are available in the ground transportation area adjacent to baggage claim in Terminal A, and near the food court in Terminal B. The average fare to downtown Sacramento from the airport is $56.
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There's a multi-storey across the road from Terminal A with both hourly and daily options. The hourly car parks cost $2 for every half hour, up to a maximum of $29 for the Terminal A garage and $27 for Terminal B's open-air lot, directly in front of the terminal. The daily car parks cost the same but are cheaper per day – the daily maximum is only $15. There's also a cell-phone waiting area (no charge). Then there's the economy car park, which charges $2 an hour or $9 a day.
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Money and communications: There are some ATMs, but no currency exchange facilities.
Luggage: There are no left-luggage facilities for security reasons. For lost-luggage queries, contact the airline concerned. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office handles all lost-and-found queries for items mislaid in the terminals.
Conference and business: There are no public meeting rooms or conference facilities, although the on-site Sacramento International Jet Centre, for general aviation, has well-equipped facilities with flat screens, speaker phones and so on. You'll need to contact them directly for reservations.
Other facilities: Shoeshine, massage parlour, pet-relief areas, children's play area, quiet room (Terminal A), and handicapped facilities.
Wi-Fi: There is free Wi-Fi throughout the airport. The network is called “FlySacramento”.
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The Host International Hotel (tel: +1 916 922 8071; website: www.hostairporthotel.com/) is the only airport hotel on site. The Homestead Studio Suites Hotel - Sacramento (tel: +1 916 564 7500), Residence Inn South Natomas (tel: +1 916 649 1300) and Hilton Garden Inn (tel: +1 916 568 5400) are all a short drive from the airport. Courtesy shuttles run to many local hotels; information and reservations are available at the courtesy telephone centres in the baggage reclaim areas of each terminal.
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