Cable Cars San Francisco

Discover Their History, Routes and Tips for Riding

Cable cars San Francisco area fun way to get around the city. You will still find three cars in service. This San Francisco tourist attraction is very popular, so plan on waiting in line to catch a ride.

You will find quite a bit of information about the cable cars on this page including the cable car history and tips for riding the cable cars. In addition, you will find some information about the routes for each of the three cable cars.

Cable Car History

The cable cars San Francisco system put the first car on the tracks in 1873. The system was built to get San Franciscans to the top of the steep hills in and around the city.

The California line was the first cable car line. It was designed to get the wealthy up and down Nob Hill safely. Before that, locals were using horse drawn carriages and it was not very safe.

The cable cars San Francisco system continued to grow and by 1889 it consisted of eight different lines. The use of the cable cars San Francisco declined as more sophisticated and faster transportation was developed.

In 1947, the city of San Francisco tried to close all of the cable car lines down. The locals protested and were able to retain three cable car lines. Those three lines are still in use today.

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Powell/Hyde Line: Union Square, Lombard Street to Fishermans Wharf

The Powell/Hyde cable car line is one of two cable cars San Francisco lines that run from Union Square to Pier 39 San Francisco and Fisherman's Wharf. This is my favorite line and the one I recommend when you travel from Union Square to Fishermans Wharf.

From Union Square, the Powell/Hyde line stars at the turnaround point at Powell Street and Market Street. Powell dead ends right before Market Street and you'll see the starting point for this line once you arrive. This line goes up Powell Street for about a mile.

It then turns west for about five blocks and turns north again onto Hyde Street. It then takes Hyde Street all the way down to Jefferson Street in Fisherman's Wharf.

The best place to sit on this cable car is in the front area on the east side. Your seat should face away from Sephora.

By sitting in this area, you are in the best position to get a look at Lombard Street from your seat. You are also in a great position to see the bay as you head down Hyde Street toward Fisherman's Wharf.

Double check the signs for this cable car when you board. The Powell/Mason line picks up in the same location -- so quickly double check before boarding.

There is a stop at Lombard Street and you can hop off to take pictures. This is also a great cable car to select if you are heading straight to Lombard Street, Ghirardelli Square San Francisco, Aquatic Park or anything else on the west end of Fisherman's Wharf.

If you hop off at Lombard Street to take some photos or to walk down this crooked street, you have a few options to get to Fisherman's Wharf:

Buy Muni Passport, Jump On Another Cable Car: If you know you want to stop at Lombard Street for some photos, plan ahead and buy the all day cable cars San Francisco pass. This allows you to hop on and off all day. Take photos at Lombard Street and pick up one of the next cable cars heading north on Hyde Street to get to Fisherman's Wharf.

Walk to Fisherman's Wharf: This is another great option if you don't mind a short walk. Fisherman's Wharf is only about six blocks from Lombard Street. I would recommend walking to the bottom of Lombard Street, taking your photos and walk north on Leavenworth Street. This is flatter than Hyde Street and will take you right into the west side of Fisherman's Wharf.

Pay Again and Hop Back on the Next Cable Car: If you only buy a one trip ticket, you can still take the cable car from Hyde Street to Fisherman's Wharf. You'll need to pay for another full ticket, but you can pay once you hop onto the cable car. Wait on Hyde Street for the next cable car and jump on where ever you can.

The Powell/Hyde is my favorite of the cable cars San Francisco lines. The ride has the most hills and it is fun to see Lombard Street along the way.

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Powell/Mason Line

The second line for the cable cars San Francisco. It runs from Union Square to Fishermans Wharf is the Powell/Mason Line. This line takes a slightly different route to get to Fisherman's Wharf.

I recommend taking this one on the trip from Fishermans Wharf to Union Square. By taking the Powell/Hyde line one direction and this the other direction, you get to see some different sites in this city.

I would recommend the same seating location as above. This allows you to look out over the east side of San Francisco.

This line heads up Powell Street. It does a quick turn on Jackson Street and after one block it then turns again north up Mason Street.

This is a great line to choose if you are heading to North Beach or Fisherman's Wharf for the day. You can jump off at Columbus Street in North Beach.

You can also ride all the way to Bay Street and walk just three blocks to Jefferson Street (the main street in Fisherman's Wharf).

You can also take this route to visit the Cable Car Museum. It stops right in front on the museum. Learn more about visiting the Cable Car Museum.

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California Line

The California line is the only line to run east to west. It starts at California and Market Streets in the Financial District. This is the cable cars San Francisco that heads up and over Nob Hill and ends at Van Ness and California Streets.

Seating Tips for Market Street: If you pick the cable car up at Market Street, find a seat in the back on the north side. From these seats, you will get a great look down the hill as you head up California Street.

Seating Tips for Van Ness: If you catch the cable car at California and Van Ness, I recommend you sit in the front on the north side of the car. You know you are in the right seats if you see the Sleep Train Mattress Center across the street.

In these seats, you get a great view of Grace Cathedral, the Fairmont Hotel and one of the old 'Big Four' mansions at California and Mason Streets. You also great some great views of the city as you head up or down the steep California Street hill.

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Payment Options, Tips & Discount Passes

There are a couple of payment options for the cable cars San Francisco. The first is a one-time ride ticket. This ticket is $5 and allows you to ride one way on one line.

You can stop off at any location along the way. However, you have to pay again to re-board and finish out the route. The other option is a full day muni passport.

This is a great option if you are planning on hopping on and off. It's also a great option if you decide to ride the cable car more than once in the day. It gives you the most flexibility.

This ticket costs $11. It's worth the extra amount as long as you are going to ride the cable cars more than two times in one day. Pick up your ticket at the ticket booth for the Powell/Hyde and Powell/Mason Street lines.

For the California line, you just pay the ticket collector on board or pick up a ticket in advance. If you are paying after boarding, you are only able to buy the one way, one ride ticket or the one day passport ticket. You also want to have exact change.

Another way to save on your rides is with the Go San Francisco Card. It offer discounts for a number of attractions including rides on the cable cars. Learn more about the Go Card and other discount passes on the San Francisco discounts page.

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I highly recommend riding one of the cable cars San Francisco when you visit. I'd recommend getting to the stops as early as possible in the morning, since lines form to ride the cars. Even if there is a long line, it usually doesn't take too long before you hop on. Here are a few other pages you might enjoy:

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