# Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)

> San Jose, US · 3 mi (4.8 km) northwest of Downtown San Jose

Web: https://airport.flights/airport/sjc
JSON: https://airport.flights/api/airport/sjc.json

## Facts

- **IATA**: SJC
- **ICAO**: KSJC
- **Timezone**: America/Los_Angeles
- **Runways**: 2
- **Terminals**: 2
- **Passengers**: 11.9M/yr
- **Official site**: https://www.flysanjose.com

## Overview

## Welcome

Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) might not scream "big hub," but it's the Bay Area's stealthy winner for proximity and efficiency. Located just 3 miles from downtown San Jose, its walkability and tech-friendly features, like ample power outlets and robust Wi-Fi, are built for the Silicon Valley crowd. With less stress than SFO or OAK and speedy access to tech hubs, this underdog is a sleeper favorite for the frequent flyer set.

## At a glance

Handling 11.9 million passengers annually, SJC is modest but mighty with two runways and terminals A and B. Terminal A hosts American Airlines and Delta flights, while Terminal B caters to Alaska, Southwest, and Spirit airlines. Frequent travelers relish the airport's quick turnaround times, provided you sidestep a few well-known bottlenecks.

## Terminals & layout

With two main terminals, A and B, SJC keeps things straightforward. Terminal A is dominated by American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, and houses conveniences like The Club SJC and the American Airlines Admirals Club. Over in Terminal B, frequent flyers will find Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines flights, complemented by eateries like Smashburger and Tres Gringos Cantina. An essential tip: there's a handy post-security connector between the terminals, letting you switch airlines without the nuisance of clearing security again.

## Getting to and from the city

Located a short 3-mile drive from downtown San Jose, ground travel is a breeze. Ride-shares like Uber and Lyft can get you into the city in about 10-15 minutes with costs hovering around $15-25. If public transport is more your style, the VTA Route 60 can connect you with the Caltrain and BART expansions, making the trek to San Francisco straightforward if not swift (60-75 minutes). Exceptional traffic to SF? Plan up to 75 minutes, but the directness of this route remains a clear draw.

## Traveller essentials

A few caveats are in order. With security bottlenecks often surfacing during commuter peaks (6-8 a.m. and 8-10 p.m.), allow for extra time if flying Southwest from Terminal B. Parking options range from the economy lot at $19/day to reserved service. Those renting cars, take heed: morning returns can bottroy at the centralized rental car center.

## Dining & shopping highlights

SJC has mixed reviews on the culinary front. The Gordon Biersch Brewery pulls double duty in both terminals, offering burgers and brats matched with local beers. Fancy something fast? Smashburger and Red Mango fulfill that need in Terminal B. And don't miss Greenlee's Bakery stationed around the airport; their cinnamon bread is a local favorite sought out by departing flyers.

## Lounges

Three major airlines—American, Delta, and United—offer lounges in Terminal A, each with its bespoke offerings. The Club SJC represents in both A and B for a $55 entry fee, giving travelers a moment of peace before or between flights. For the exclusive set, there's also the JetBlue Mosaic Area and a Private Suite for those seeking true discretion.

## Insider tips

- **Insider:** Between terminals A and B, use the airside walkway not just for ease, but to skip TSA queues. This is essential if hopping flights between Alaska/JetBlue and Southwest.

- **Time:** Rideshare is smoother if you walk to the designated zones across the arrivals roadway. Avoid curbside chaos and police shoos.

- **Avoid:** Steer clear of early morning and evening flight packs at Terminal B for shorter security lines, or use PreCheck/Clear.

- **Money:** For car rentals, plan for elevator time from returns; morning backups are notorious near the car center by Terminal B.

- **Local:** Check out Terminal A's smaller shops like Authors Bookstore for Silicon Valley-themed gifts—better souvenirs than typical marketplace kitsch.

- **Quiet:** Seek out the end caps in Terminal B for peace and plane spotting; these zones are often overlooked even in busy times.

- **Time:** Most concessions start winding down at 8 p.m. If you have a late flight, eat or grab snacks before heading through security.

## Terminals (2)

- **Terminal A** — American Airlines, Delta Air Lines
- **Terminal B** — Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines

## Dining (20)

- **Einstein Bros. Bagels** — B
- **Gordon Biersch Brewery** — A
- **Gordon Biersch Brewery** — B
- **Hawaiian Poke Bowl** — B
- **Jamba** — A
- **Peanuts** — A
- **Peet's Coffee** — B
- **Peet's Coffee** — B
- **Red Mango** — B
- **San Jose Joe's** — A
- **Smashburger** — B
- **Starbucks**
- **Starbucks** — A
- **Starbucks** — B
- **Subway** — B
- **Sushi Boat** — B
- **The Brit Bar** — A
- **The Clubhouse** — B
- **Tres Gringos Cantina** — B
- **Vino Volo** — B

## Lounges (8)

- **American Airlines Admirals Club** — A · Terminal A, airline lounge
- **Corporate Aviation Lounge** — West side, FBO
- **Delta Sky Club** — A · Terminal A, airline lounge
- **JetBlue Mosaic Area** — A · Terminal A, branded seating
- **Private Suite SJC** — Terminal, private service
- **The Club SJC** — A · Terminal A, Priority Pass · $55
- **The Club SJC** — B · Terminal B, Priority Pass · $55
- **United Club** — A · Terminal A, airline lounge

## Shops (35)

- **Authors Bookstore** — A · Books
- **Bay Area Sports** — B
- **Bay Sports Co.** — B · Souvenirs
- **CNN Newsstand** — A · Newsstand
- **Daly's** — A
- **Euro Café** — A · Snacks
- **Greenlee's Bakery (Gate 14)** — A · Snacks
- **Greenlee's Bakery (Gate 26)** — B · Snacks
- **Greenlee's Bakery (Gate 31)** — B · Snacks
- **Hudson** — B · Travel Essentials
- **Hudson (Gate 11)** — A · Travel Gear & Apparel
- **Hudson (Gate 21)** — B · Travel Gear & Apparel
- **Hudson (Gate 6)** — A · Travel Gear & Apparel
- **Hudson News** — A
- **Hudson News** — B
- **InMotion Entertainment** — B
- **Made in California** — A
- **Nokki Farm**
- **Nokki Farm** — A · Snacks
- **PGA Tour Shop** — B
- **Poppy's Essentials Market** — B · Travel Gear & Apparel
- **Rip Curl** — B · Fashion
- **San José Marketplace** — B · Souvenirs
- **San Jose Marketplace** — B
- **San José Socks** — B · Souvenirs
- **San Jose Socks** — B
- **See's Candies** — A
- **See's Candies** — B · Snacks
- **Shop Consciously** — B · Fashion
- **SJC Essentials** — B
- **SJC Essentials Mini Mart** — B · Travel Gear & Apparel
- **SJC Travel Mart** — A
- **Sunset News** — A
- **Sunset News** — B · Newsstand
- **Tech On The Go** — B

## Parking (14)

- **Accessible Parking** — Accessible · /day/day, /day/hr
- **Cell Phone Waiting Area** — Free · $0/day, /day/hr · 0.3 mi
- **Daily Lot 4** — Long stay · $31/day, $4/30 Minutes/hr · 25 mins. to Terminal A, 10 mins. to Terminal B
- **Daily Lot 6** — Daily · /day/day, /day/hr
- **Economy Lot 1** — Long stay · $19/day, /day/hr · 0.5 mi
- **Economy Lot 2** — Economy · /day/day, /day/hr
- **Employee Parking Lot** — Employee · /day/day, /day/hr
- **EV Charging Area** — EV · /day/day, /day/hr
- **Hourly Lot 2** — Short stay · $25/day, $4/30 Minutes/hr · 15 mins. to Terminal B
- **Hourly Lot 3** — Short stay · $41/day, $5/30 Minutes/hr · 15 mins. to Terminal A
- **Hourly Lot 5** — Hourly · $31/day, 4/hr
- **Long Term Lot** — Long term · /day/day, /day/hr
- **Premium Reserved Parking** — Premium · /day/day, /day/hr
- **Valet Parking** — Valet · /day/day, /day/hr

## Ground transport (10)

- **BART Berryessa Extension Connection** — Rail transfer · ~60–75 min SJC–downtown SF via Route 60 + Berryessa BART (with reasonable transfers) · $2.50 VTA + ~$6–8 BART to downtown SF · VTA 60 every 15–30 min · BART Berryessa line typically every 15–20 min daytime
- **Caltrain** — Commuter rail · ~60–75 min SJC–downtown San Francisco via Route 60 + Caltrain (if connections are good) · $3.75–$8.25 (typical 2–4 zone adult fare range) · Every 30–60 min off‑peak from Santa Clara; more frequent with peak‑hour Baby Bullets
- **Greyhound San Jose Connection** — Intercity bus · ~10–15 min SJC–Diridon by car; ~25–40 min by VTA depending on route and traffic · Greyhound fares vary widely by route and purchase timing; examples in reviews show ~$20–50 for intercity trips · Greyhound schedules are route‑dependent; typically a few departures per day on major corridors from San Jose
- **Hotel Shuttles** — Courtesy shuttle · ~5–20 min ride time depending on hotel and routing · Typically $0 for registered hotel guests (complimentary, per hotel reviews) · Often every 15–30 min or on‑demand during operating hours; many stop around midnight (varies by hotel)
- **Lyft** — Rideshare · Comparable to Uber: ~10–15 min to downtown San Jose; 45–75 min to San Francisco depending on traffic · Varies with distance and surge; similar range to Uber for comparable trips · On‑demand 24/7 (subject to driver availability and surge)
- **Taxis** — On-demand taxi · ~10–15 min to downtown San Jose; 40–70 min to northern Peninsula/SF depending on traffic · Metered; examples in reviews show ~$20–30 to downtown San Jose and much higher to Palo Alto/SF · Continuous taxi queue during operating hours; effectively on‑demand 24/7 at SJC
- **Uber** — Rideshare · ~10–15 min to downtown San Jose in light traffic; 45–75 min to San Francisco depending on traffic · Varies with distance and surge; often ~$15–25 to downtown San Jose, much higher to SF · On‑demand 24/7 (subject to driver availability and surge)
- **VTA Light Rail Blue Line** — Light rail · ~20–30 min Metro/Airport–Downtown San Jose (not including airport bus transfer) · $2.50 · Every 15 min peak · ~Every 20–30 min off‑peak/evenings
- **VTA Route 10 Airport Flyer** — Bus
- **VTA Route 60** — Bus · 20–25 min SJC–Berryessa BART; ~15–20 min SJC–Santa Clara Caltrain · $2.50 · Every 15 min daytime · ~Every 30 min late evening

## Insider tips

- _Insider_: Between terminals A and B, use the airside walkway not just for ease, but to skip TSA queues. This is essential if hopping flights between Alaska/JetBlue and Southwest.
- _Time_: Rideshare is smoother if you walk to the designated zones across the arrivals roadway. Avoid curbside chaos and police shoos.
- _Avoid_: Steer clear of early morning and evening flight packs at Terminal B for shorter security lines, or use PreCheck/Clear.
- _Money_: For car rentals, plan for elevator time from returns; morning backups are notorious near the car center by Terminal B.
- _Local_: Check out Terminal A's smaller shops like Authors Bookstore for Silicon Valley-themed gifts—better souvenirs than typical marketplace kitsch.
- _Quiet_: Seek out the end caps in Terminal B for peace and plane spotting; these zones are often overlooked even in busy times.
- _Time_: Most concessions start winding down at 8 p.m. If you have a late flight, eat or grab snacks before heading through security.