How often do SF cable cars run?

Cable cars are scheduled to operate every 8-15 minutes, depending on the time of day. Cable car tickets and one-day Cable Car Passes are sold on board cable cars by the conductors. Conductors can make change for up to $20.



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Cable cars are a historic symbol recognized around the globe and offer real working transportation up the steep hills of San Francisco. You can download our printable cable car map, with all of the stops and top areas or a full San Francisco map. The (very popular) cable cars generally run about every 10 minutes.

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Basic Rules of the Ride Fare receipts are issued; one-ride-only. Tickets/Receipts are not valid as transfers and are NOT round trip. You can get on the Cable Car at any stop along the way where you see the Cable Car stop pole. The Conductors will stop at each stop pole to let people on and off.

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You may have heard that you can hop off and on cable cars as many times as you like once you purchase a ticket. This isn't exactly true, though there is a way to use cable cars as a hop-on/hop-off tour experience. So, how much does it cost to take a cable car ride in San Francisco?

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Stopping a cable car These are crew-activated by foot pedals on both ends of the California cars, and on the front end of the Powell cars. A conductor's lever on the rear platform activates rear track brakes on Powell cars. Track brakes are simply pieces of wood located between the wheel sets on the cars.

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Despite their good characteristics, aerial cable cars also have certain limitations:
  • Speed limited to 12 m/s or 43,2 km/h.
  • Capacity limited to 4,000 persons/h.
  • Suitable only for distances up to 7 km (gondolas with intermediate stations)
  • Wind resistance, normally up to 18 m/s (65 km/h), bi-cable systems 90 km/h.


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Cable cars average about an accident a month and routinely rank among the most accident-prone mass transportation modes in the country per vehicle mile traveled annually, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Over the last 10 years, city officials have reported 126 accidents injuring 151 people.

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California Line (Red) It's the least busy of the three. It's also full of thrills as it climbs the steep hill from California and Market to the top of Nob Hill, then runs back downhill to Van Ness.

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Historic Transit Route Map The F-line's vintage streetcars and the world-famous cable car lines – the Powell-Hyde line, the Powell-Mason line, and the California Street line – currently operate between 7 a.m. – 11 p.m. every day.

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The ride is a gentle one, the rotating state-of-the-art cable car taking visitors from the lower station to the top in around 5 minutes. It operates seven days a week and trips occur within 10 to 15 minutes of each other. The time of the day's last excursion varies throughout the year.

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