A few San Francisco Bay Area transit agencies offer overnight bus services linking San Francisco, the East Bay, the Peninsula, and the South Bay. The All-Nighter bus network primarily serve BART stations, Caltrain stations, and a few VTA light rail stations, allowing graveyard shift workers and early-morning commuters to travel using public transportation in the region. Overnight buses generally operate between midnight and the opening of BART stations and Muni Metro stations (5am weekdays, 6am Saturdays, 8am Sundays and holidays). All-Nighter routes serve the most popular corridors, including El Camino Real in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, Mission Street and Geary Boulevard in San Francisco, San Pablo Avenue in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, MacArthur Boulevard and International Boulevard through East Oakland, and many others.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several service adjustments have been made:
- Overnight services on Muni's 5-Fulton and 48-24th Street, and VTA's Route 22 are currently suspended until further notice.
- Muni operates expanded overnight service from 10pm to 6am on ten routes.
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
San Francisco Muni operates twelve bus lines between 1am and 5am, with two of them using trolleybuses and the rest using motor coaches. It also operates two overnight-only bus services: the 90-Owl which primarily serves Van Ness Avenue, Potrero Avenue, and San Bruno Avenue; and the 91-Owl which is a combination of multiple daytime bus and Muni Metro lines around San Francisco, linking West Portal Station and San Francisco State via Geneva Avenue, Third Street, Downtown, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, the Marina District, the Richmond District, Golden Gate Park, and 19th Avenue. The table below describes Muni's All-Nighter network, with timed transfers available at many points along their routes:
|
Line Name |
Northern/Eastern Terminal |
Southern/Western Terminal |
Neighborhoods Served |
Equivalent Daytime Lines |
|
L-Owl |
Fisherman’s Wharf (Jones & Beach) |
SF Zoo (47th Ave & Wawona) |
Fisherman’s Wharf, The Embarcadero, Financial District, Downtown, South of Market, Civic Center, Duboce Triangle, Castro, Twin Peaks, Forest Hill, West Portal, Inner Sunset, Outer Sunset |
F-Market & Wharves L-Taraval |
|
N-Owl |
Caltrain Depot (Townsend & 4th St) |
Ocean Beach (Judah & Great Highway) |
The Embarcadero, South of Market, Financial District, Downtown, Civic Center, Lower Haight, Buena Vista Park, Haight-Ashbury, Cole Valley, UCSF Parnassus, Inner Sunset, Outer Sunset |
N-Judah NX-Judah Express T-Third Street 6-Haight/Parnassus 7-Haight/Noriega 37-Corbett 43-Masonic |
|
5-Fulton |
Transbay Terminal (Fremont & Mission) |
Ocean Beach (Cabrillo & La Playa) |
South of Market, Financial District, Downtown, Civic Center, Hayes Valley, Alamo Square, North of the Panhandle, Golden Gate Park, Inner Richmond, Outer Richmond |
5-Fulton 5R-Fulton Rapid |
|
14-Mission |
Ferry Plaza (Steuart & Mission) |
Daly City (San Jose & Mission) |
South of Market, Downtown, Civic Center, Mission District, Outer Mission, Bernal Heights, Excelsior District, Balboa Park, Crocker-Amazon |
14-Mission 14R-Mission Rapid 14X-Mission Express |
|
22-Fillmore |
Marina District (Bay & Fillmore) |
UCSF Mission Bay (3rd St & Gene Friend) |
Marina District, Cow Hollow, Pacific Heights, Japantown, Western Addition, Alamo Square, Lower Haight, Duboce Triangle, Mission Dolores, Mission District, Potrero Hill |
22-Fillmore 33-Ashbury/18th Street 55-Dogpatch |
|
24-Divisadero |
UCSF Mt. Zion Medical Center (Sutter & Divisadero) |
Bayshore & Cortland |
Lower Pacific Heights, Alamo Square, NoPa (North of the Panhandle), Lower Haight, Duboce Triangle, Castro District, Dolores Heights, Noe Valley, Outer Mission, Bernal Heights |
24-Divisadero 37-Corbett |
|
25-Treasure Island |
Transbay Terminal (Fremont & Mission) |
Treasure Island (Avenue H & 9th St) |
South of Market, Treasure Island |
25-Treasure Island |
|
38-Geary |
Transbay Terminal (Fremont & Mission) |
Land’s End (48th Ave & Point Lobos) |
South of Market, Financial District, Downtown, Tenderloin, Russian Hill, Western Addition, Japantown, Lower Pacific Heights, Inner Richmond, Outer Richmond |
38-Geary 38R-Geary Rapid 38AX-Geary A Express 38BX-Geary B Express |
|
44-O’Shaughnessy |
Glen Park BART (Diamond & Bosworth) |
Bayview District (Third & Palou) |
Glen Park, Excelsior District, Portola, Bayview/Hunters Point |
44-O’Shaughnessy |
|
48-Quintara/24th St |
Noe Valley (24th St & Castro) |
Dogpatch (3rd St & 20th St) |
Castro District, Noe Valley, Mission District, Potrero Hill, Dogpatch |
48-Quintara/24th Street |
|
90-Owl |
Fort Mason (Van Ness & North Point) |
Visitacion Valley (Bayshore & Arleta) |
Marina District, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Western Addition, Civic Center, South of Market, Mission District, Potrero Hill, Bernal Heights, Portola District, Visitacion Valley |
8-Bayshore 8AX-Bayshore A Express 9-San Bruno 9R-San Bruno Rapid 47-Van Ness 49-Van Ness/Mission |
|
91-Owl |
West Portal Station (West Portal & Ulloa) |
SF State University (19th Ave & Holloway) |
West Portal, St. Francis Wood, Ingleside, Balboa Park, Outer Mission, Excelsior, Crocker-Amazon, Sunnydale, Visitacion Valley, Bayview/Hunters Point, India Basin, Dogpatch, South of Market, Downtown, Chinatown, Little Italy, Fisherman’s Wharf, Fort Mason, Marina District, Cow Hollow, Richmond District, Golden Gate Park, Sunset District, Parkside, Parkmerced |
K-Ingleside M-Ocean View T-Third Street 8-Bayshore 8AX-Bayshore A Express 8BX-Bayshore B Express 9-San Bruno 9R-San Bruno Rapid
15-Bayview/Hunters Point Express 28-19th Avenue 28R-19th Avenue Rapid 30-Stockton 43-Masonic 45-Union/Stockton 47-Van Ness 49-Van Ness/Mission 54-Felton |
AC Transit
AC Transit's All-Nighter network consists mostly of local services and one Transbay service linking San Francisco and Oakland via the Bay Bridge. At Uptown Transit Center next to 19th Street BART station (Broadway & 20th Street), most routes (except for the 376 and 801) have coordinated departures, leaving at :41 past the hour daily between 12:41am and 5:41am. On weekends, the 800 and 1T also have coordinated departures leaving at :11 past the hour between 12:11am and 5:11am.
AC Transit also operates a special, nighttime-only service, Route 376, linking El Cerrito Del Norte BART with Pinole Vista Shopping Center via Cutting Blvd., Harbour Way, MacDonald Avenue, 7th Street (Richmond), Market Street (Richmond),
| Line | Northern/Eastern Terminal | Southern/Western Terminal | Cities and Attractions Served | BART Stations Covered | Equivalent Daytime Lines |
| 1T |
19th Street BART (Broadway & 20th) |
San Leandro BART | Oakland, Fruitvale, East Oakland, San Leandro |
19th Street, 12th Street, Lake Merritt, Fruitvale, San Leandro |
1T, 12, 18, 33, 51A |
| 73 | Eastmont Transit Center | Oakland International Airport | East Oakland |
Coliseum |
73 |
| 376 | Pinole Vista Shopping Center | El Cerrito Del Norte BART | El Cerrito, Richmond, North Richmond, San Pablo, Contra Costa College, Hilltop Mall, Richmond Parkway Transit Center, Parkchester Village |
El Cerrito Del Norte, Richmond |
70, 71, 72, 72M, 72R, 74, 76 |
| 800 | Richmond BART |
San Francisco (24th Street & Mission BART) |
Richmond, El Cerrito, Albany, Berkeley, UC Berkeley, Oakland, West Oakland (eastbound only), San Francisco |
Richmond, El Cerrito Del Norte, El Cerrito Plaza, Downtown Berkeley, MacArthur, 19th Street, 12th Street Eastbound Only: 24th Street/Mission, 16th Street/Mission, Van Ness (Muni Metro), Civic Center, Powell, Montgomery, Embarcadero (walk to Transbay Terminal), West Oakland |
AC Transit: F, 6, 12, 18, 33, 51A, 51B, 52, 62, 72, 72M, 72R Muni: F, J, K, L, M, N, T, 5, 5R, 7, 9, 9R,14, 14R, 31, 49 |
| 801 | San Leandro BART | Fremont BART | San Leandro, Bay Fair Center, San Lorenzo, Hayward, Union City, Fremont | San Leandro, Hayward, South Hayward, Union City, Fremont/Centerville (ACE/Amtrak), Fremont | U, 10, 99, 210 |
| 802 | Berkeley Marina |
19th Street BART (20th & Broadway) |
Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland | 19th Street | 51B, 72, 72M, 72R |
| 805 |
19th Street BART (20th & Broadway) |
Oakland International Airport | Oakland, Lake Merritt, Grand Avenue, MacArthur Blvd, Eastmont Transit Center, East Oakland | 19th Street, Coliseum | NL, 33, 57, 73 |
| 840 |
19th Street BART (20th & Broadway) |
Eastmont Transit Center | Oakland, East Oakland | 19th Street, Lake Merritt | 40 |
| 851 |
Berkeley BART (Shattuck & Allston) |
Fruitvale BART | Berkeley, UC Berkeley, Rockridge, Broadway, Oakland, Alameda, Fruitvale | Berkeley, Rockridge, 19th Street, 12th Street, Fruitvale | O, 12, 18, 51A, 51B |
SamTrans
SamTrans currently operates two All-Nighter services, primarily focused on the El Camino Real corridor, SFO Airport, and emulating Caltrain between Palo Alto and San Francisco. A third overnight service, Route 296, operates between Redwood City Caltrain and Palo Alto Transit Center via Middlefield Road during the shoulder hours while the 397 is not operating.
| Line | Northern Terminal | Southern Terminal | Cities Covered | Train Stations Covered | Daytime Line Equivalents |
| ECR Night |
San Francisco (Mission & Wellington) |
San Francisco International Airport | San Francisco, Daly City, Colma, South San Francisco, San Bruno | Daly City BART (walk to Mission & John Daly), Colma BART (walk to Mission & San Pedro), South San Francisco BART (walk to El Camino Real & McLellan), San Bruno BART (walk to El Camino Real & San Bruno), SFO Airport BART | ECR, 120, 121, 140 |
| 296 | Redwood City Caltrain | Palo Alto Caltrain | Redwood City, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Palo Alto | Redwood City Caltrain, Menlo Park Caltrain (walk to Santa Cruz & Merrill), Palo Alto Caltrain | 280, 281, 296 |
| 397 |
San Francisco (Drumm & Clay) |
Palo Alto Caltrain | San Francisco, Daly City, Brisbane, South San Francisco, San Bruno, SFO Airport, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Palo Alto | Embarcadero BART, Montgomery BART, Powell BART, Civic Center BART, Bayshore Caltrain, |
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Santa Clara VTA operates one All-Nighter bus service, the Line 22 between Palo Alto Caltrain and Eastridge Transit Center via El Camino Real, Downtown San Jose, Alum Rock Avenue, and King Road.
Former All-Nighter Services
Up until 2010, other transit agencies have also provided All-Nighter bus services but were discontinued due to declining ridership and increased operating costs. These included:
- AC Transit: Route 822 from San Francisco to Pittsburg Bay Point BART via Downtown Oakland, Walnut Creek, and Pleasant Hill (discontinued in December 2015); Route 880 between Bay Fair BART and Castro Valley BART
- County Connection: Route 820 between Downtown Oakland and Concord BART via Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill
- Golden Gate: Route 80 between Santa Rosa and San Francisco via Petaluma, Novato, San Rafael, and Sausalito (discontinued in 2003)
- Wheels: Route 810 between Dublin/Pleasanton BART and Bay Fair BART
