Getting Around Fresno
Fresno is a sprawling Central Valley city, and as is typical in the region, a car is useful and often necessary to reach most parts of town. That said, visitors do have a range of options: a local bus system, Amtrak rail service, taxis and ride-hailing, and a compact, historic downtown that rewards walking. This guide covers how the pieces fit together and how to get into the city from its airport.
By Car
Driving is the most practical way to cover ground in Fresno, and rental cars are available at the airport — the preferred method for greater flexibility in getting around. Traffic congestion is not as bad as in larger California cities, but Shaw and Herndon avenues can get quite crowded, especially since there is no east-west freeway through the north side of town.
The freeway network has grown with the city. CA-99 runs along the west side of Fresno, becoming semi-rural before exiting Fresno County on the northwest side. CA-41 runs down the middle of the city. Until the late 1990s and early 2000s these were the only freeways in Fresno, but a surge in growth spurred the development of the CA-180 and CA-168 freeways.
Rail
Amtrak serves Fresno via its San Joaquin route, running south to Bakersfield and north to either Sacramento or Oakland. The Fresno station is in a historic Santa Fe Passenger Depot at 2650 Tulare St. Greyhound has a terminal next to the Amtrak station in downtown Fresno — though it's worth exercising caution in this area at night.
Fresno has no metro or tram network today; the city's streetcar era ended long ago, and visitors should plan around buses, rail, and road transport instead.
Buses and Public Transport
Fresno Area Express (FAX) is the city's modest bus system, and it includes a bus rapid transit line. It can be useful for specific trips, but for general sightseeing a car is advised.
For longer-distance travel, several regional carriers connect Fresno with surrounding communities:
- Yosemite Area Regional Transit System (YARTS) — runs year-round on Highway 41 between Fresno and Wawona and Yosemite Valley, with stops at the Fresno Amtrak/Greyhound station, Fresno airport, CSU Fresno (Shaw & Barton), North Fresno (Howard & Fresno), and the Highway 145 Park & Ride. Ticket prices include park entry, and tickets can be purchased from the shuttle driver.
- Flixbus — runs service along the 99 corridor.
- V-Line — runs between Visalia, Fresno airport, the university, and downtown Fresno.
- KART — runs weekdays to Hanford.
- Fresno County Rural Transit — runs service out to small communities in Fresno County, with varying schedules.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis, rideshare services, and hotel shuttles are available at Fresno/Yosemite International Airport to bring you into town. These are a straightforward option for reaching your accommodation on arrival, and ride-hailing works well for point-to-point trips around the city where you'd rather not drive.
Walking and Biking
Fresno's historic downtown around the Amtrak and Greyhound station is compact enough to explore on foot, but the city as a whole is spread out, so walking is best treated as a way to cover a specific district rather than the whole city.
Cyclists have reason to feel welcome: in 2011, Fresno became the first town or city in the Central Valley to earn a Bronze Medal Designation from the League of American Bicyclists, recognizing it as a bicycle friendly community. The city is expanding its bike lanes further in an effort to improve bike access.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Fresno/Yosemite International Airport (FAT, formerly "Fresno Air Terminal") sits northeast of downtown toward Clovis, accessed via N Peach Ave from CA-180 or E Clinton Ave from CA-168. It is the nearest commercial airport with year-round service to Yosemite National Park, the major airport serving the San Joaquin Valley, and a crew base for SkyWest Airlines.
Airlines serving FAT include Aeroméxico (Guadalajara), Alaska Airlines (Portland, Seattle, San Diego), Allegiant (Las Vegas), American Airlines (Dallas–Ft Worth) and American Eagle (Phoenix and Los Angeles), Delta Connection (Salt Lake City), Frontier Airlines (Denver), United Airlines (Chicago O'Hare) and United Express (Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco), and Volaris (Guadalajara, León/El Bajío, and Morelia).
Once you land, your options for reaching town are:
- Taxis, rideshare, and hotel shuttles — available for local transport into the city.
- Long shuttles and buses — for onward transport to Yosemite National Park, Hanford, Lemoore, and Visalia.
- Car rental — available at the airport and the preferred method for greater flexibility in getting around.
- FAX bus #26 — connects the airport to downtown Fresno and north along N Palm Ave to Villaggio Mall.
- FAX bus #39 — goes west along Clinton to W Clinton and Brawley Ave on the west side of town, nowhere near downtown.
If your goal is downtown, bus #26 is the direct public-transit link; if you're headed to the west side, #39 serves that corridor instead.