Welcome to California State Library

Directions and Details

How to find the California State Library

How to get to the California State Library’s headquarters in Sacramento

How to get to California State Library's San Francisco area branch, the Sutro Library


How to get to the California State Library’s headquarters in Sacramento

Visitors and patrons may reach both buildings by airplane, train, bus and car.

  • The Sacramento International Airport is located 15 minutes north of the city. Rental cars and shuttle buses to the downtown area are available at the airport.
  • The railway station is within a mile of both buildings.
  • A bus station is within five minutes walking distance to both buildings.
  • The Sacramento Regional Transit District provides local bus and light rail service. (916) 321-2877

Driving directions

The directions below guide you to both Sacramento buildings of the California State Library. (See below for parking information.)

FROM

Interstate 5: Traveling North or South on Interstate 5 toward Sacramento: Take the "Q" Street exit and head East about 8 blocks to 10th Street. Turn left on 10th Street and travel about 3 blocks to Capitol Mall, or continue past Capitol Mall for public parking.

Interstate 80: Traveling East on Interstate 80 toward Sacramento: Take Business 80, the Capitol City Freeway, East to Interstate 5 North and follow the Interstate 5 directions. Traveling West on Interstate 80 toward Sacramento: Take Interstate 80 to Interstate 5 South and follow the Interstate 5 directions.

Business 80/Capitol City Freeway: Traveling East on Business 80, the Capitol City Freeway, take Interstate 5 North and follow the Interstate 5 directions. Traveling West on the Business 80, The Capitol City Freeway, take the 10th Street exit, go North to Capitol Mall and turn left into the circle, or continue past Capitol Mall for public parking.

State Highway 160: Traveling South on Highway 160 toward Downtown, turn right (East) on "I" Street, go about 3 blocks to 9th Street and turn left (South). Go about 3 blocks to Capitol Mall and turn left into the circle for 914 Capitol Mall or continue one more block to "N" Street, turn left for 900 "N" St.

State Highway 99: Traveling South on Highway 99, take Interstate 5 South and see the Interstate 5 directions. Traveling North on Highway 99, take Business 80 - Capitol City Freeway - West and follow Business 80, Capitol City Freeway directions.

US Highway 50: Traveling West on Highway 50 toward Sacramento, take the 10th Street exit to 10th Street and turn right. Travel about 10 blocks to Capitol Mall and turn left into the circle, or continue past Capitol Mall for public parking. Traveling East on Highway 50 toward Sacramento, take Interstate 5 North and follow Interstate 5 directions.

Capitol area map

Click the links below for maps showing the location of the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building and Library and Courts II.
StanleyMosk Library and Courts Building
914 Capitol Mall
Sacramento, CA 95814

Library and Courts II
900 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Parking

There is limited metered parking in the area. Public parking is available on the northeast corner of 10th and L Streets and on 10th Street between O and P Streets. Here is a link to a downtown Sacramento parking map:

http://www.cityofsacramento.org/transportation/dot_media/parking_media/pdf/Off_Map.pdf

Public Transit

Bus

Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) provides service in Sacramento and nearby communities including Carmichael, Citrus Heights, East Sacramento, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Laguna, North Highlands, North Sacramento, Orangevale, Rancho Cordova and Rio Linda

Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT)
Bus and Light Rail Information
(916) 321-2877
(916) 321-2849 TTY Equipment

Paratransit, Inc.
(916) 429-2009
(916) 429-2568 TTY Equipment

This door-to-door transportation service for disabled riders in greater Sacramento operates daily, including holidays.

Train/Amtrak

Capitol Route
There are eleven round trips daily between Oakland and Sacramento with Intermediate stations in Emeryville, Berkeley, Richmond (BART), Martinez, Suisun/Fairfield, and Davis.

Amtrak information:
1-800-USA-RAIL


How to get to the California State Library’s Sutro Library

The Sutro Library, the San Francisco branch of the California State Library, is located at 480 Winston Drive behind the Stonestown Galleria mall, just north of the San Francisco State University campus on the western edge of San Francisco.

The directions below guide you to the Sutro Library. (See below for parking information.)

Driving directions

From

Bay Bridge or downtown San Francisco: Take 101 South, then 280 South towards Daly City. Exit off Ocean Avenue and turn right onto Ocean Avenue. Continue on Ocean Avenue for about 1½ miles. Make a left turn on Junipero Serra and stay on the right. Make a right turn on Winston and continue through the underpass of the Stonestown Mall. At the stop sign after the underpass, continue straight ahead. The Sutro will be on the right shortly after the curve in the road.

San Francisco Peninsula or San Francisco International airport: Take 280 North to 19th Avenue. Stay on 19th Avenue and make a left on Winston Drive. Continue through
the underpass of the Stonestown Shopping Mall. At the stop sign after the underpass, continue straight ahead. The Sutro will be on the right shortly after the curve in the road.

Golden Gate Bridge: Take Park Presidio South through Golden Gate
Park towards 19th Avenue. Stay on 19th Avenue and make a right turn on Winston Drive. Continue through the underpass of the Stonestown Mall. At the stop sign after the underpass, continue straight ahead. The Sutro will be on the right shortly after the curve in the road.

Sacramento: Take 80 west, then 101 south to Bay Bridge, and follow directions above for those coming over Bay Bridge.

Sutro Library area map

Click the link below for a map showing the location of the Sutro Library.

Sutro Library
480 Winston Drive
San Francisco, CA 94132

Parking

The Sutro Library has a parking lot available for customers who must come into the library to obtain a (free) permit to put on the dashboard of their car. (The sign at the entrance says that parking is by permit only).

Street parking is severely limited when San Francisco State University is in session. Paid parking is available in a commerical lot down the hill on Winston from the Sutro. Please note that there is no sidewalk between the Sutro and that lot. The ground is rough and uneven and, in rainy weather, can be muddy. The only hard, smooth surface to and from that lot is in the street next to the traffic.

Public Transit

In San Francisco

San Francisco Municipal Transit or “Muni”
415-673-MUNI
Routes and schedules:
http://www.sfmuni.com/routes/indxrout.htm

Around the Bay Area

Public transit to the Sutro Library from many Bay Area counties is also available:

Peninsula or San Francisco International Airport

San Mateo Transit (Samtrans)
800-660-4287
TTY equipment: 650-508-6448
Routes and schedules;
http://www.samtrans.com/schmf.html

Caltrain
800-660-4287
TTY equipment: 650-508-6448.
Routes and schedules;
http://www.caltrain.com/schedule.html

East Bay

AC Transit (Alameda/Contra Costa Transit)
415-817-1717; TTY equipment 800-448-9790
Routes and schedules;
http://www.actransit.org/riderinfo/mapsandschedules.wu

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)
There is no BART station within walking distance of the Sutro Library. You may, however, connect to a Muni bus or streetcar from any Bart Station
650-992-2278
TTY equipment: 510-839-2220
http://www.bart.gov/

Alameda-Oakland Ferry
510-522-3300
Routes and schedules;
http://www.eastbayferry.com/

Marin and Sonoma County

Golden Gate Transit
415-923-2000
TTY equipment 415-257-4554.

Golden Gate Ferry
415-923-2000
TTY equipment 415-257-4554