San Carlos Airport

San Carlos Airport sits on the edge of San Francisco Bay in San Mateo County, roughly equidistant between San Francisco and San Jose. Its main runway is approximately 2,600 feet, which limits operations to turboprops and light jets. Midsize and larger cabin aircraft need to use San Jose International (SJC) or San Francisco International (SFO) instead.

The airport operates under noise abatement procedures with a curfew from 11pm to 7am. Late-night arrivals or departures are genuinely difficult to arrange. Plan schedules around those hours.

On the ground, San Carlos is a low-traffic field. There is no commercial service and no airline congestion. FBO services cover fueling, hangars, and tie-downs. For passengers traveling to tech company campuses along the Peninsula, this airport offers a straightforward, quick experience that SFO cannot match.

The airport is about 8 miles from Redwood City, 10 miles from Palo Alto, 12 miles from Menlo Park, and 15 miles from Mountain View. Stanford University is roughly 10 miles south. San Francisco is 25 miles north via US-101, typically 30 to 45 minutes outside peak commute hours. San Jose is about 20 miles south.

Uber, Lyft, and pre-arranged car service are the standard options. The road network along the Peninsula can slow significantly during morning and evening commutes on US-101, so factor that into timing for afternoon departures.