The SFO sees millions upon millions of visitors every year. This expected traffic has made it necessary for the airport to be divided into four different main terminals. Each one of them is unique and serves a purpose, and altogether, they allow the flow of passengers to run smoothly and uninterrupted.
The structure of the establishment is made in a circular way so that the paths that run across the terminals eventually loop across one another. This will be further elaborated with the usage of maps.
San Francisco International Airport terminals map
The four terminals at SFO are the following (along with their respective gates indicated):
- The International Terminal (A1 – A15, G1 – G14)
- Terminal 1 (B6 – B9, B12 – B14, B17 – B27)
- Terminal 2 (D1 – D18)
- Terminal 3 (E1 – E13, F1 – F22)
The SFO domestic terminals are the ones labeled from one to three. As the name implies, they mainly handle flights within the country. Additionally, some flights to Canada are operated by these terminals as well.
This ultimately implies that the International Terminal at SFO handles the bulk of the flights outside the country. The amount of flights this terminal has to handle may be a lot, but it is further subdivided into two different zones (as can be seen by the gates), which further helps in avoiding any sort of traffic at the terminal.
The San Francisco Airport gates are implied in the list above, however, it is best to double-check beforehand your gate number and terminal as they are subject to change due to many reasons.
Maps at the SFO
As mentioned previously, the airport is structured in such a way so as to create a loop. The four terminals that make up the airport also have connectors that sort of branch off of each terminal. However, it still all comes together to create a well-organized and architecturally beautiful structure! If this has made you a little confused, then maps are here for the rescue! A visual aid will most definitely help you understand the layout and everything else at the airport.
For a simplistic layout of the general structure of the establishment with the terminals and even connectors indicated, press here.
For the San Francisco domestic airport map, it is best to take a look at each individual domestic terminal for simplicity. Click on your domestic terminal of choice from the list below to see the relevant map:
- Terminal 1
- Terminal 2
- Terminal 3
For the International Terminal in San Francisco Airport, press here to see the map of zone G, and press here for zone A.
For a complete and intensively detailed interactive map of the terminals at SFO, press here.
Connecting between terminals
Connecting between the different terminals and locations at the SFO has been simplified with the introduction of the shuttle service, known as the AirTrain, that transports people for free! This service deploys every four minutes from one location to another, so you do not have to worry about missing the shuttle and waiting for the next one. It also operates constantly on a 24/7 basis, and it transfers people from one location to another within just a few minutes.
With the AirTrain, you will never be late for your flight! So you can go ahead and wander off to your terminal of choice in search of your favorite restaurant!
The services of the AirTrain are made possible thanks to the structure of the airport. The loop allows it to rotate across different locations and come back to the point where it started. This simplifies the usage of the shuttle as well.
It may be important to note that this shuttle operates two different lines, labeled the red and the blue paths, and one may reach locations the other might not. For that reason, do familiarize yourself with the routes ahead of time to avoid wasting valuable time.