Sacramento Valley Station is the city’s main intercity rail hub, sitting at 401 I Street in downtown Sacramento. If you’re arriving by Amtrak from the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Seattle, or Chicago — or heading out of town — this is where your trip begins or ends. It’s also the western terminus for the Gold Line light rail, which makes it one of the more useful transit transfer points in the region.
Here is what to know before you arrive.
Which Trains Stop Here
Three Amtrak services use Sacramento Valley Station:
- Capitol Corridor — the most frequent service, running between San Jose and Sacramento with stops in Oakland, Emeryville, Richmond, and Davis. This is the workhorse route for Bay Area travelers. Multiple trains run daily in each direction.
- Coast Starlight — runs the full Pacific Coast corridor from Seattle to Los Angeles, stopping in Sacramento once daily in each direction. Travel time to Los Angeles is around 12 hours; Seattle takes roughly 24 hours.
- California Zephyr — the transcontinental route between San Francisco (Emeryville) and Chicago, also stopping in Sacramento daily. The Sacramento arrival/departure is typically in the morning heading east and the evening heading west.
Schedules and tickets for all three services are available at amtrak.com. The Capitol Corridor also sells tickets at capitolcorridor.org.
Station Hours and Ticketing
The station is staffed and open 5:00 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Three self-service ticket kiosks are available inside the building; tickets can also be bought in advance online through Amtrak or Capitol Corridor. The station is a historic 1926 building currently undergoing a multi-year renovation that includes track relocation and platform upgrades, so expect some construction activity during your visit.
Inside the Station
The building has indoor and outdoor seating, restrooms, an ATM, vending machines, and a small refreshments booth inside the depot. A Starbucks is nearby. For a fuller meal before a long trip, the surrounding blocks of downtown Sacramento have restaurants within a short walk — Old Sacramento is about a ten-minute walk north along the river.
Getting There: Light Rail
The most useful transit option is the SacRT Gold Line, which terminates at Sacramento Valley Station. If you’re arriving in Sacramento by train and want to get downtown, Midtown, or as far as Historic Folsom, the Gold Line connects directly at the station without needing a transfer. For a full breakdown of stops and event-day logistics, see the Sacramento light rail guide for downtown events.
Bus Route 38 (Tahoe Park) also serves the station, and taxis queue in the loading zone behind the building, between the station and the light rail platform. Rideshare pickups work from the same area.
Parking
The station’s main lot is managed by the City of Sacramento and sits directly adjacent to the building:
- Spaces: 275 regular, 15 short-term (2-hour limit), 10 accessible, 5 motorcycle
- Rate: $1.00 per 20 minutes, with a $10 daily maximum
- Payment: Pay-by-space paystations outside the building; bring your space number
- Monthly rail rider rate: $110 (proof of ridership required)
The Old Sacramento Garage at I Street and 2nd Street offers an overflow option: $1 per 20 minutes, $14 daily maximum, with a monthly rate of $115. If you’re dropping someone off, the short-term spaces in the main lot cover a quick curbside stop without parking charges adding up.
Bikes
Cyclists have 19 bike rack spaces at the station plus BikeLink eLockers for secure overnight storage. Bikes are permitted on board Capitol Corridor and Coast Starlight trains; check amtrak.com for equipment-specific policies and reservation requirements before the day of travel.
Quick Reference
- Address: 401 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
- Hours: 5:00 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week
- Trains: Capitol Corridor, Coast Starlight, California Zephyr
- Light rail: SacRT Gold Line terminus, street level adjacent to the building
- Parking: Main lot, $1/20 min, $10 daily max; Old Sacramento Garage, $1/20 min, $14 daily max
- Bike storage: 19 rack spaces + BikeLink eLockers
- Amenities: Seating, restrooms, ATM, vending, refreshments booth, Starbucks nearby
Sacramento Valley Station is a practical hub rather than a destination in itself, but it’s well-positioned for visitors arriving without a car. Old Sacramento, the Crocker Art Museum, Golden 1 Center, and most of downtown are within walking distance or a single light rail stop. For planning what to do once you arrive, the Sacramento rainy day guide and the light rail event guide are good starting points.
