Parking near Golden 1 Center runs $25 or more on Kings game nights. A round trip on Sacramento Regional Transit’s light rail costs $5. The Blue Line runs until 12:30 a.m. on weeknights and Saturdays, which means the train can deliver a fan downtown and back home again for less than what a garage attendant charges to pull out of the lot.
Sacramento’s light rail doesn’t get enough credit from residents who grew up driving everywhere. Here’s what it actually covers and how to use it for the events most people drive to.
The System at a Glance
Sacramento RT operates three light rail lines—Blue, Gold, and Green—covering 43 miles of track and 53 stations across Sacramento County. The Blue and Gold lines are the workhorses for anyone heading downtown. The Green Line handles east-west movement farther from the urban core.
During the day, trains run every 15 minutes on the Blue and Gold lines. Service drops to every 30 minutes in the early morning and evening. Late-night availability is what makes the system actually useful for events: Blue and Gold Line trains run until 12:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and until 10:30 p.m. on Sundays. The Green Line wraps up around 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and doesn’t run late enough for most evening events.
Which Station to Use
Four downtown stations cover the venues Sacramento residents attend most:
Golden 1 Center — Get off at 8th & K on the Blue Line. The arena sits between 5th and 7th Streets, so the walk from the platform to the main entrance runs about four minutes. Post-game, the platform fills quickly—the trains come often enough that the wait is short, but plan on a few minutes of standing room.
Old Sacramento Waterfront — The Sacramento Valley Station at 401 I Street is also Sacramento’s Amtrak hub, sitting on the Gold Line. Walk west across I Street and you’re at the Old Sacramento entrance. This stop works for the Theatre of Lights, the Sacramento Lighted Boat Parade viewing areas, and the waterfront restaurants.
SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center and Sacramento Convention Center — Ride to 13th Street (1200 Whitney Avenue). The Performing Arts Center at 1301 L Street is a short walk from the station. This stop serves Broadway Sacramento shows, Sacramento Philharmonic concerts, and convention events throughout the season. A Christmas Carol opens at SAFE PAC on December 11—the train is a clean option for a night out.
Midtown, R Street Corridor, and Arts Venues — The 16th Street station at 1715 16th Street drops riders into the heart of Midtown on the Blue and Gold lines. From here, the R Street art galleries, Midtown restaurants, and the Second Saturday art walk area are all walkable.
What It Costs and How to Pay
A single ride is $2.50 for adults (ages 19 through 61) and $1.25 for seniors 62 and older, people with qualifying disabilities, and K–12 students. A day pass runs $7 for adults and $3.50 for discounted riders.
Tickets can be purchased at fare vending machines located at every light rail station. The machines accept cash, credit, and debit. The Transit Connect app (which replaced the retired ZipPass app as of July 1, 2026) lets riders buy and store tickets on a smartphone. A reloadable Connect Transit Card works at vending machines and links across multiple regional agencies.
Validate your ticket before boarding. Fare inspectors do check.
The Details
- Lines: Blue, Gold, and Green
- Coverage: 43 miles of track, 53 stations
- Single ride (adult): $2.50
- Single ride (senior 62+, disabled, K–12): $1.25
- Day pass (adult): $7.00
- Day pass (discounted): $3.50
- Payment: Station vending machines (cash/credit/debit), Transit Connect app, Connect Transit Card
- Blue and Gold Line hours: 4 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Mon–Sat; 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sun
- Daytime frequency: Every 15 minutes
- Evening/early morning frequency: Every 30 minutes
- Customer service: 916-321-2877
- Trip planner and full maps: sacrt.com
Bottom Line
Sacramento’s light rail won’t get riders from every corner of the region to a downtown event—it doesn’t cover the whole county, and some neighborhoods require a bus connection or a short rideshare leg to reach the nearest station. But for anyone who lives in Midtown, East Sacramento, south Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, or along the Folsom corridor, the Blue and Gold lines run directly into the event core. For Sacramento Kings home games, concerts at Golden 1 Center, and shows at SAFE PAC, a $2.50 train ticket beats a $30 parking spot every time.
