San Francisco Cable Cars

San Francisco's world-famous Cable Cars operate on the northeast side of San Francisco. Cable cars connect many of the popular tourist attractions in the City, including Union Square, Nob Hill, and Fisherman's Wharf.

Invented in and for San Francisco, cable cars are pulled by a cable that runs in the middle of the track. Cable cars can therefore climb the steep hills in San Francisco. In the past, San Francisco had a much larger network of cable cars. Today, only three lines remain.

All cable car lines stop near Market Street with connections with Muni historic streetcars, Muni Metro, and BART.

Lines

• California Line (Green)
• Powell-Hyde Line (Blue)
• Powell-Mason Line (Red)

How to take cable car

Riders can board cable cars from the terminus or at stops along the line (if room is available). Usually there's a line at the terminus to board the cable cars. Cable car tickets are sold from kiosks at terminals on the Powell street lines. When boarding without a ticket, fare can be paid with cash or Clipper card with the cable car conductor.

Cable car fares are higher than regular Muni fares. Muni transfers are not accepted on the cable cars. Cable car tickets are not valid on other Muni services.

Most stops outside the terminus require riders to board or exit the cable car on the traffic lane away from the curb. When boarding from these stops, wave to the crew member, and wait on the sidewalk until the cable car stops completely. Motorists are required by law to stop behind the cable car when it is stopped for loading and unloading.

Seatings are limited on the cable cars. Riders may stand on the running boards and hold on to the poles. Stay clear of yellow floor area for crew members to move and operate the car safely.

Disabled access

Cable cars are not wheelchair accessible due to the historic nature of the vehicles.

Map

Loading map...

{"format":"googlemaps3","type":"ROADMAP","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"limit":50,"offset":0,"link":"all","sort":[""],"order":[],"headers":"show","mainlabel":"","intro":"","outro":"","searchlabel":"... further results","default":"","import-annotation":false,"width":"100%","height":"350px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":false,"layers":[],"controls":["pan","zoom","type","scale","streetview","rotate"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":["https://www.transit.wiki/images/3/32/Cable_car.kml"],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":true,"showtitle":true,"hidenamespace":false,"template":"","userparam":"","activeicon":"","pagelabel":false,"ajaxcoordproperty":"","ajaxquery":"","locations":[{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Aquatic_Park\" title=\"Aquatic Park\"\u003EAquatic Park\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/49_Van_Ness/Mission\" title=\"49 Van Ness/Mission\"\u003E49 Van Ness/Mission\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Aquatic Park","link":"","lat":37.807182,"lon":-122.422564,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Cable_Car_Museum\" title=\"Cable Car Museum\"\u003ECable Car Museum\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/1_California\" title=\"1 California\"\u003E1 California\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Cable Car Museum","link":"","lat":37.794726,"lon":-122.411684,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/California_%26_Van_Ness\" title=\"California \u0026amp; Van Ness\"\u003ECalifornia \u0026 Van Ness\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/49_Van_Ness/Mission\" title=\"49 Van Ness/Mission\"\u003E49 Van Ness/Mission\u003C/a\u003E","title":"California \u0026 Van Ness","link":"","lat":37.790356,"lon":-122.422325,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Chinese_Hospital\" title=\"Chinese Hospital\"\u003EChinese Hospital\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/45_Union/Stockton\" title=\"45 Union/Stockton\"\u003E45 Union/Stockton\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Chinese Hospital","link":"","lat":37.795483,"lon":-122.409174,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Embarcadero_Station\" title=\"Embarcadero Station\"\u003EEmbarcadero Station\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/1X_California_Express\" title=\"1X California Express\"\u003E1X California Express\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Served_by\" title=\"Property:Served by\"\u003ELine\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/BART_Richmond_-_Millbrae\" title=\"BART Richmond - Millbrae\"\u003EBART Richmond - Millbrae\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Embarcadero Station","link":"","lat":37.792808,"lon":-122.396922,"icon":"/images/8/88/Rail20.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Ferry_Building\" title=\"Ferry Building\"\u003EFerry Building\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/2_Sutter\" title=\"2 Sutter\"\u003E2 Sutter\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Ferry\" title=\"Property:Ferry\"\u003EFerry\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/Treasure_Island_Ferry\" title=\"Treasure Island Ferry\"\u003ETreasure Island Ferry\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Ferry Building","link":"","lat":37.795434,"lon":-122.393602,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Ghirardelli_Square\" title=\"Ghirardelli Square\"\u003EGhirardelli Square\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/49_Van_Ness/Mission\" title=\"49 Van Ness/Mission\"\u003E49 Van Ness/Mission\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Ghirardelli Square","link":"","lat":37.805936,"lon":-122.422961,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Grace_Cathedral\" title=\"Grace Cathedral\"\u003EGrace Cathedral\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/27_Bryant\" title=\"27 Bryant\"\u003E27 Bryant\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Grace Cathedral","link":"","lat":37.791901,"lon":-122.413021,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Hyde_Street/Russian_Hill\" title=\"Hyde Street/Russian Hill\"\u003EHyde Street/Russian Hill\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/45_Union/Stockton\" title=\"45 Union/Stockton\"\u003E45 Union/Stockton\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Hyde Street/Russian Hill","link":"","lat":37.799208124978,"lon":-122.41906961426,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Hyde_Street_Pier\" title=\"Hyde Street Pier\"\u003EHyde Street Pier\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/28_19th_Avenue\" title=\"28 19th Avenue\"\u003E28 19th Avenue\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Hyde Street Pier","link":"","lat":37.809055,"lon":-122.42128,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Lombard_Street\" title=\"Lombard Street\"\u003ELombard Street\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Lombard Street","link":"","lat":37.802109,"lon":-122.418846,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Nob_Hill_Masonic_Auditorium\" title=\"Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium\"\u003ENob Hill Masonic Auditorium\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/27_Bryant\" title=\"27 Bryant\"\u003E27 Bryant\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium","link":"","lat":37.791161,"lon":-122.412765,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/North_Beach\" title=\"North Beach\"\u003ENorth Beach\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/45_Union/Stockton\" title=\"45 Union/Stockton\"\u003E45 Union/Stockton\u003C/a\u003E","title":"North Beach","link":"","lat":37.802019,"lon":-122.412801,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Pier_41\" title=\"Pier 41\"\u003EPier 41\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/28_19th_Avenue\" title=\"28 19th Avenue\"\u003E28 19th Avenue\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Ferry\" title=\"Property:Ferry\"\u003EFerry\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/SF_Bay_Ferry_Alameda_-_Oakland_-_San_Francisco_Route\" title=\"SF Bay Ferry Alameda - Oakland - San Francisco Route\"\u003ESF Bay Ferry Alameda - Oakland - San Francisco Route\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Pier 41","link":"","lat":37.809076,"lon":-122.412098,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Powell_Station\" title=\"Powell Station\"\u003EPowell Station\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/31_Balboa\" title=\"31 Balboa\"\u003E31 Balboa\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Served_by\" title=\"Property:Served by\"\u003ELine\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/BART_Richmond_-_Millbrae\" title=\"BART Richmond - Millbrae\"\u003EBART Richmond - Millbrae\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Powell Station","link":"","lat":37.784588,"lon":-122.407334,"icon":"/images/8/88/Rail20.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Saint_Francis_Memorial_Hospital\" title=\"Saint Francis Memorial Hospital\"\u003ESaint Francis Memorial Hospital\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/2_Sutter\" title=\"2 Sutter\"\u003E2 Sutter\u003C/a\u003E","title":"Saint Francis Memorial Hospital","link":"","lat":37.78949,"lon":-122.416638,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/San_Francisco_Chinatown\" title=\"San Francisco Chinatown\"\u003ESan Francisco Chinatown\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Chr /\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/Property:Place\" title=\"Property:Place\"\u003EBus\u003C/a\u003E: \u003Ca href=\"/45_Union/Stockton\" title=\"45 Union/Stockton\"\u003E45 Union/Stockton\u003C/a\u003E","title":"San Francisco Chinatown","link":"","lat":37.794748,"lon":-122.40642,"icon":""}]}