Modesto: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Modesto is a city of 211,266 people in United States (California), 29 m (95 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), 88 km (55 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Modesto station.
Key facts
Daylight in Modesto runs from about 9 h 37 min a day in late December to 14 h 49 min in late June (computed for 37.64° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Modesto is served by 3 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), 88 km (55 mi) from the centre, whose 11,000-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK, 35 km), Merced Regional Macready Field (MCE, 58 km).
Flights to Modesto: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Modesto station. Trains to Modesto
Buses to Modesto · Driving and car hire
What people come for
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Stanislaus County Library | 2,321,449 | 2016 |
The busiest is Stanislaus County Library at 2,321,449 visitors in 2016. At that volume, anything with a gate is worth a timed ticket or an early start.
Tours, tickets and day trips from Modesto
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- San Jose, 86 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- San Francisco, 126 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Fresno, 147 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Sacramento, 113 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Oakland, 114 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Bakersfield, 308 km — flights
- Stockton, 44 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Reno, 234 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Fremont, 88 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Santa Rosa, 175 km
Twin towns and sister cities: Laval, Aguascalientes City, Khmelnytskyi, Kurume, Vernon, Vijayawada.
Common questions
Which airport serves Modesto?
Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), 88 km (55 mi) from the centre, plus 2 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Modesto?
About 211,266 people live in Modesto, across 116 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Modesto in?
America/Los_Angeles, currently UTC-7.
What currency is used in Modesto?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Modesto?
San Jose (86 km), San Francisco (126 km), Fresno (147 km), Sacramento (113 km), Oakland (114 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.