Small Towns Near San Francisco
The best small towns near San Francisco are Sausalito for a ferry trip, Mill Valley for the redwoods and Carmel for a coastal weekend. Sausalito is about 5 miles away; Carmel is about 90.
The 11 towns below run nearest first. Marin, Half Moon Bay and Benicia make easy day trips. The Sonoma, Napa and Santa Cruz towns fill a long day, and Carmel works best as a weekend.
| Town | Distance | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sausalito, California | About 5 miles | ferry ride, houseboats, bay views |
| Mill Valley, California | About 10 miles | redwoods, hiking, Mount Tam |
| Half Moon Bay, California | About 20 miles | beaches, pumpkins, coast drive |
| Benicia, California | About 25 miles | state history, waterfront, an afternoon |
| Sebastopol, California | About 50 miles | apples, food, wine country |
| Bodega Bay, California | About 50 miles | coast, whale watching, Hitchcock |
| Felton, California | About 55 miles | redwoods, steam trains, families |
| Calistoga, California | About 55 miles | mud baths, geyser, Napa Valley |
| Guerneville, California | About 60 miles | redwoods, river, a weekend |
| Capitola, California | About 60 miles | beach, village, history |
| Carmel-by-the-Sea, California | About 90 miles | coast walks, mission, a weekend |
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown San Francisco, as the crow flies.
Sausalito, California
About 5 miles as the crow flies · Best for: ferry ride, houseboats, bay views
Sausalito is a Marin County city of about 7,300 just across the Golden Gate. More than 400 houseboats line its north end, many born from boats left after the Marinship shipyards closed after World War II.
Don’t miss: the Bay Model Visitor Center, a free working model of the whole bay-delta system run by the Army Corps of Engineers
★ Good to know Passenger ferries link downtown Sausalito with the Ferry Building and Pier 39, so you can skip the car. The Bay Model is closed Sundays and Mondays.
Mill Valley, California
About 10 miles as the crow flies · Best for: redwoods, hiking, Mount Tam
Mill Valley is a city of about 14,200 on the eastern slopes of Mount Tamalpais. The Dipsea Race has started here every year since 1905. A scenic railway once climbed the mountain from town, until 1930.
Don’t miss: Muir Woods National Monument, just outside town, and Mount Tamalpais State Park, with views from the upper mountain to the Farallon Islands
★ Good to know Muir Woods requires a parking or shuttle reservation made ahead at gomuirwoods.com.
Half Moon Bay, California
About 20 miles as the crow flies · Best for: beaches, pumpkins, coast drive
Half Moon Bay is a San Mateo County city of about 11,800, and parts of its downtown date to 1869. It’s known for Mavericks, the big-wave surf break just offshore, and for pumpkins.
Don’t miss: Half Moon Bay State Beach, four miles of sandy beach with a three-mile Coastside Trail for walking and biking
★ Good to know The Art & Pumpkin Festival takes over downtown October 17–18, 2026.
Benicia, California
About 25 miles as the crow flies · Best for: state history, waterfront, an afternoon
Benicia is a Solano County city of about 27,100 on the Carquinez Strait, founded in 1847. It was California’s capital from 1853 to 1854. Word of the gold at Sutter’s Mill first leaked at a Benicia tavern in 1848.
Don’t miss: Benicia Capitol State Historic Park, the only surviving pre-Sacramento capitol, built in 1852
★ Good to know The Capitol is open Friday through Sunday only.
Sebastopol, California
About 50 miles as the crow flies · Best for: apples, food, wine country
Sebastopol is a Sonoma County city of about 7,500 that calls itself the Gravenstein Apple Capital of the World. Luther Burbank ran an 18-acre experimental farm here.
Don’t miss: The Barlow, a 12-acre market district in old apple warehouses with food, tasting rooms and makers’ shops
★ Good to know The Gravenstein Apple Fair runs August 7–8, 2027, at Ragle Ranch Park.
Bodega Bay, California
About 50 miles as the crow flies · Best for: coast, whale watching, Hitchcock
Bodega Bay is a fishing town of about 900 on Bodega Harbor. Alfred Hitchcock shot most of the exteriors for The Birds (1963) around here and in nearby Bodega.
Don’t miss: Bodega Head in Sonoma Coast State Park, where the high cliffs are good for spotting migrating gray whales
★ Good to know The Bodega Dunes boardwalk is permanently closed after storm damage.
Felton, California
About 55 miles as the crow flies · Best for: redwoods, steam trains, families
Felton is a Santa Cruz Mountains town of about 4,500 on the San Lorenzo River. Its 80-foot covered bridge dates to 1892. Roaring Camp has run steam trains out of the old Felton depot area since 1963.
Don’t miss: Roaring Camp Railroads’ steam train up Bear Mountain, and the Redwood Grove Loop in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
★ Good to know Pipeline work affects some Henry Cowell trails October 7–21, 2026.
Calistoga, California
About 55 miles as the crow flies · Best for: mud baths, geyser, Napa Valley
Calistoga is a Napa County city of about 5,200 at the top of Napa Valley. Sam Brannan founded it as a spa town, and its name came from his slip of the tongue. Mud baths in volcanic ash are still the local tradition.
Don’t miss: Old Faithful Geyser of California, which erupts about every 15 to 30 minutes and is open daily
Guerneville, California
About 60 miles as the crow flies · Best for: redwoods, river, a weekend
Guerneville is a Russian River town of about 4,600 in Sonoma County. Johnson’s Beach gives you summer swimming and boating right in town.
Don’t miss: Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, where the Colonel Armstrong Tree is estimated at more than 1,400 years old
★ Good to know Most Armstrong trails are open, but the East Ridge Connector Trail and Austin Creek camping are closed.
Capitola, California
About 60 miles as the crow flies · Best for: beach, village, history
Capitola is a Santa Cruz County city of about 9,900 that calls itself the oldest beach resort on the West Coast. Its Venetian Court, built on the beach in 1924, is billed as the first condominium beach community in the U.S.
Don’t miss: the Capitola Historical Museum, which is free, with a furnished 1907 beach cottage on its grounds
★ Good to know The museum is open Friday through Sunday, mid-March through December.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
About 90 miles as the crow flies · Best for: coast walks, mission, a weekend
Carmel is a Monterey County city of about 3,200 with no traffic lights or parking meters. Clint Eastwood was mayor from 1986 to 1988. Homes here went without street numbers until 2025.
Don’t miss: the Carmel Mission Basilica, and Point Lobos State Natural Reserve about 3 miles south
★ Good to know Point Lobos has parking for only 150 cars; arrive before 9:30 a.m. or after 3 p.m.
What’s the closest small town to San Francisco?
Sausalito, about 5 miles north as the crow flies, just across the Golden Gate. You can get there by ferry.
What’s the best small-town weekend trip from San Francisco?
Carmel-by-the-Sea, with the Carmel Mission and Point Lobos just south of town. Capitola and Felton are on the way down.
Which small towns near San Francisco have redwoods?
Mill Valley, next to Muir Woods, Guerneville, next to Armstrong Redwoods, and Felton, next to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.
Where was The Birds filmed?
Most exterior scenes were shot around Bodega Bay and nearby Bodega, about 50 miles north of San Francisco as the crow flies.