Piedmont

Understand

While Oakland has neither the concentration of tourist amenities present in its western neighbor, San Francisco, nor the suburban sprawl of San Jose to the south, the visitor can easily spend a few pleasant days here. For decades popular media has stoked American racial and class biases to generate negative perceptions about Oakland. Since the late 1990s, however, the actual basis for these often exaggerated portraits of Oakland life have receded, as the city is experiencing an economic and cultural revitalization, as well as the more controversial hyper-gentrification. Oakland is now the Bay Area's most diverse city. Although still an underrated cultural center, its heady arts and culinary scene and ongoing revitalization have generated enthusiastic coverage in the world media of record, including the New York Times, The Guardian (UK), The Independent (UK), NPR, and the Los Angeles Times. The city gets its name because it has an abundance of oak trees. Since the 1960s, Oakland has been a hub of progressive politics and radical, sometimes outlaw organizations. For example, while Oakland gave rise to civil-rights-conscious labor movements in the mid-century, it was also the birthplace of the Black Panther Party and a crucial hub for the early era Hell's Angels, who still maintain a clubhouse in Fruitvale. Oakland's history in the arts and entertainment arena is notable as well, as Oakland has nurtured or been a second home to novelists Gertrude Stein and Jack London; actors Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks; architect Julia Morgan; environmentalist Julia "Butterfly" Hill; classical conductor Calvin Simmons; rappers MC Hammer, 2Pac, Messy Marv, and notables in the liberal arts and sciences.

Climate

Oakland, like San Francisco, has a Mediterranean climate with temperatures moderated by the San Francisco Bay and the nearby, greater expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Maximum average tempertaures peak around early September with an average high of 75 °F (24 °C) and low of 59 °F

Getting there

By plane

1 Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK IATA) (Airport Rd off of Doolittle (SR-61); from Nimitz Freeway (I-880) the airport can be accessed from 98th Ave (Exit #36) or Hegenberger Rd (becomes Airport Rd) (Exit #35)). It is served by many domestic and international carriers. Domestic non-stop air service is available from Southern California, Hawaii, most other cities on the West Coast, and a few flights to the East Coast. There are international flights from the Azores, El Salvador and Mexico. The main carrier that serves OAK is Southwest Airlines: Terminal 1 (Gates 1-17): Alaska, Allegiant, Avianca El Salvador, Azores, Contour (from Crescent City); Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, Viva Aerobus, Volaris, Volaris El Salvador Terminal 2 (Gates 20-32): Southwest. JSX have their own separate terminal at 9351 Earhart Rd at the North Field (General Aviation/VIP Airport). There is private shuttle service ($10–25) to hotels in Oakland and San Francisco. The airport is also served by the "BART to OAK" people mover to the Oakland Coliseum BART Station, from where you can continue onward to central Oakland or San Francisco, or transfer to the similarly named Amtrak Capitol Corridor station. The people mover runs every 5 minutes during the day, and ticket pricing is integrated, e.g. $7.85 to central Oakland or $10.05 to central San Francisco. This replaces the earlier AirBART buses, which have now been retired. The ariport terminals are also served by AC Transit routes #21, 73 and 805 while the nearby Coliseum BART Station is served by AC Transit #45, 46L, 73, 90, 98 and 805 buses. (updated May 2026) Other air travel options include the San Francisco (SFO IATA) and San Jose (SJC IATA) International Airports which are connected by BART and CalTrain if transferring by public transportation:

Coliseum Station to Balboa Park Station on the 'Blue' or 'Green' Line trains going towards Daly City. Transfer from the 'Blue' or 'Green' Line trains in Balboa Park Station to t

Getting around

Oakland is a good-sized city, with attractions more than a fair distance from the center of town. Car rentals tend to be more expensive than other locations in the country, and streets are frequently lined with meters, unless they're in completely residential zones. Some of the larger attractions have their own parking of course, and some of the more visitor-friendly neighborhoods have sizable parking lots - some paid and some not. Most residential areas allow parking for only a limited time for non-residents, so the wise traveler is best-advised to use public transit of some kind.

Clipper The frequent and long-term visitor to the area may be best-advised to acquire a Clipper card, which is touted as an 'all-in-one' transit electronic flash pass. It allows much easier use of almost all of the entire Bay Area's public transit agencies, allowing the user to use simple cash value or a specific transit agency's monthly pass. Clipper cards can be purchased and topped-up digitally, directly in apps such as Apple Wallet or Google Wallet on modern phones with NFC (contactless payment) technology built in. Alternatively, physical Clipper cards can be purchased and topped-up with cash value at any of BART's stations, as well as a certain stores in Oakland or throughout the Bay Area.

By bicycle Oakland has a wide and increasing infrastructure of bicycle lanes. If you need a bike, rental shops are close to nonexistent. Oakland enjoys a pumping bike culture, with lots of bike parking, and especially at some "parklets" at many of the city's coffee shops. If you like mixing bikes with your nightlife, you can join the 300+ people that cycle together monthly at East Bay Bike Party.

Bike sharing Most of the bike sharing in Oakland is through Bay Wheels and their docking stations. Lime is known for its trademark lime green rental scooters. Both tend to be quite pricey.

By bus 6 AC Transit, 1600 Franklin St, ☏ +1 510 891-4777. M-F 7AM-7PM, Sa Su 9AM-5PM. Bus service to m

See

Oakland has many attractions to the eye and for the mind. Where some believe that it is a city of run-down Victorian houses or endless stretches of urban blight, this is very far from accurate. Oakland is a city with roots as far back as the earliest years of the admission of the State of California, and as such, it has architecture extant from many different eras. The Victorian architecture preserved and restored in Old Oakland, the Art Deco glory of Uptown, and the history of the Port of Oakland itself are among the many things to see. New York City has Manhattanhenge, towers of glass and steel; Oakland has the valleys of stone.

Neighborhoods The first place many visitors are likely to visit is Downtown, especially if they are in town on business, or simply do not know where to start. The center of transportation by BART and by bus is there, if you want to branch out. Only a few streets away is Old Oakland, along 10th Street, just west of Broadway. Just east of Broadway and contin