Runways At Oakland Airport: How Many Take-Off Strips?

Oakland International Airport, located in California, is a bustling hub for both domestic and international flights. The airport, owned by the Port of Oakland, covers 2,600 acres of land and is an essential gateway to the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. With a rich history dating back to 1925, Oakland International Airport has played a significant role in aviation. The airport boasts four runways, with the main runway, measuring 10,520 ft by 150 ft, capable of accommodating the largest aircraft for international and domestic flights. This runway, known as RWY 12/30, underwent a $47-million renovation in 2018 to ensure the safety and efficiency of flight operations. Oakland International Airport is committed to meeting the growing demands of air travel and is an integral part of the region's economy and transportation network.

Oakland Airport's runways

Oakland International Airport, also known as San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, has four runways. The airport is located 7 miles (11 km) south of Downtown Oakland and 12 miles (19 km) east of San Francisco.

The four runways are:

• Runway 12/30: 10,520 ft × 150 ft (3,206 m × 46 m) asphalt. This runway is part of the South Field, which handles commercial and cargo operations.
• Runway 10R/28L: 6,213 ft × 150 ft (1,894 m × 46 m) asphalt. This runway is part of the North Field, which handles general aviation operations.
• Runway 10L/28R: 5,458 ft × 150 ft (1,664 m × 46 m) asphalt. This runway is also part of the North Field.
• Runway 15/33: 3,376 ft × 75 ft (1,029 m × 23 m) asphalt. This runway is the shortest of the four and is also part of the North Field.

A taxiway connects the north and south runways, passing over Ron Cowan Parkway to form an aircraft bridge. The airport covers 2,600 acres (1,100 ha) of land and is owned by the Port of Oakland.

The airport's history

Oakland International Airport (IATA: OAK, ICAO: KOAK, FAA LID: OAK) has a rich history as a hub for long-distance flying and a starting point for many historic flights.

The city of Oakland first considered constructing an airport in 1925, and in April 1927, it purchased 680 acres of land for this purpose. The airport's original runway, built in 1927, was 7,020 feet long—the longest in the world at the time. It was constructed in just 21 days, ahead of the Dole Air Race from California to Hawaii. The airport was dedicated by Charles Lindbergh on September 17, 1927, and its first airline, Boeing Air Transport (a predecessor of United Airlines), began scheduled flights in December of that same year.

Oakland Airport was a hub for several pioneering flights by Amelia Earhart, including her final flight in 1937. It was also the departing point for Charles Kingsford Smith's historic US-Australia flight in 1928.

In 1943, the US Armed Forces temporarily took over the airport, transforming it into Naval Air Station Oakland, an airlift base for military flights to the Pacific Islands. During this time, all scheduled services were moved to San Francisco International Airport. After the war, airlines slowly returned to Oakland, and in 1946, Western Airlines began flights, followed by American Airlines.

The airport's first Jet Age terminal (now Terminal 1) opened in 1962 as part of a $20 million expansion. This expansion included the addition of a 10,000-foot runway. In 1963, Trans World Airlines (TWA) flew Oakland's first scheduled jet to Chicago.

In the 1980s, Oakland International Airport became a hub for business travel, with the construction of an Executive Terminal for the north field and Terminal Two.

In 2004, the airport began a $300 million expansion and renovation project, which included adding five gates in Terminal 2. In 2014, a long-proposed extension of the BART system to the airport was opened, providing a direct connection to the BART network.

Today, Oakland International Airport serves many domestic and international destinations and is a base for Southwest Airlines. It has four runways and handles a significant amount of air cargo.

Airlines that use Oakland Airport

Oakland International Airport (OAK) is served by 11 airlines, several of which use the airport as their only Bay Area gateway. The airport has direct service to a growing list of international and domestic destinations.

Terminal 1

• Advanced Air
• Alaska Airlines
• Allegiant
• Delta Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• Spirit Airlines
• Sun Country Airlines
• Viva Aerobus
• Volaris
• Volaris El Salvador

Terminal 2

Southwest Airlines

Housed separately from the main passenger terminals

JSX

The airport's terminals

Oakland International Airport (OAK) has two terminals with a total of 29 gates. Terminal 1 has 16 gates serving ten airlines: Advanced Air, Alaska, Allegiant, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country, Viva, and Volaris. Terminal 2 has 13 gates serving Southwest Airlines. JSX, a separate airline, operates from a facility independent of the main passenger terminals.

The two terminals are connected at post-security and gate areas, allowing arriving passengers to go straight to their connecting flights without having to go through security again. All non-pre-cleared international flights are processed in Terminal 1.

In 2004, Oakland International Airport began a $300 million expansion and renovation project, which included adding five gates in Terminal 2. The new concourse was fully opened by the spring of 2007, and a new baggage claim area in Terminal 2 was unveiled in the summer of 2006. The former Terminal 2 baggage claim has been replaced by a renovated and expanded security screening area. The program also included renovations to airport roadways, curbsides, and parking lots, which were completed by the end of 2008.

In 2015, the airport commenced its Moving Modern program, a $100 million renovation of the Terminal 1 complex. The project included seismic retrofits, infrastructure upgrades, and improvements to the passenger environment, and was completed in Spring 2017.

In 2024, the airport announced plans to change its name from Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. The new name was approved by the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners, citing confusion among travellers who do not realise that Oakland is part of the Bay Area, and to distinguish it from Auckland Airport in New Zealand, particularly for Chinese-speaking travellers, as the two cities share the same name in simplified Chinese. However, this name change was met with legal opposition from the city of San Francisco, which owns the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). As of November 12, 2024, a federal injunction has ordered OAK to refrain from using "San Francisco Bay" in its name while the case is pending.

How to get to Oakland Airport

The San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK) is located 4 miles south of Oakland, California. It has two runways.

If you are driving to Oakland Airport, you can access it from Hwy 880. If you are coming from the north, exit at 98th Avenue, turn left at the stoplight, and continue straight to Bessie Coleman Drive/Airport Drive. If you are coming from the south, exit at 98th Avenue, turn right at the stoplight, and continue straight to Bessie Coleman Drive/Airport Drive.

If you are taking public transportation, you can take the BART train, which connects OAK with downtown San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and many other Bay Area destinations. During most hours, trains depart every 6 minutes from OAK. The BART station is just across the street from the OAK terminals, and the ride to the Coliseum BART station takes about 8 minutes. From there, you can connect to other BART destinations.

For those arriving by Amtrak, you can call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) or your local travel agent for schedule and information.

Frequently asked questions