Airport Dr, Oakland Airport

While the San Francisco Bay Area tends to have some serious perks and serious pitfalls, one area that it excels in is, without argument, the proximity of having three international airports within 30 miles of one another. Oakland is definitely one of the most understand, but most accessible airports that I have ever seen.

Although Airport Drive is not exactly a place I want to live, it does its job at being an airport access road quite well. The parking is cheap - dirt-cheap - there are several gas stations and food options along the way, and it is aesthetically very pleasing, with rows of palm trees leading up to the airport as if to say, "don't leave the Bay Area! You'll never find another place quite as great!"

The one area where it is a bit lacking is its accessibility just south of Alameda - blink and you will miss it. The exit is not terribly clearly marked, especially if you are heading northbound on 680. Additionally, when coming from the peninsula, the place needs to be accessed via bridge, and if you are inland, it is still as far west as one can get without swimming in the bay.

All in all, Airport Drive does a very good job of being just that - an airport drive.

(Note: the "Not much" rating on the "Traffic" tab is entirely relative to the type of street that this is - don't expect to show up and never see a single car.)