Sacramento (SMF) — the closest
Straight up I-80, and comfortably the shortest drive from anywhere in Solano County. Two terminals, rarely chaotic, and easy to get in and out of.
The catch is route coverage. Domestic connections are good; international options are limited, and fares to some destinations run higher than the Bay Area airports simply because fewer carriers compete on them.
San Francisco (SFO) — the most useful
Further, busier, and where most itineraries out of this region actually route. If you are flying internationally — and particularly to Asia out of the International Terminal — this is usually the one.
Allow more time than the map suggests. Traffic into the peninsula is the variable, not the distance.
Oakland (OAK) and San José (SJC)
Both are worth checking rather than assuming. Oakland is often quicker to move through than SFO and can be cheaper on specific carriers. San José is the furthest from Fairfield but occasionally wins outright on price for particular routes.
The honest advice is to price the flight at all four before deciding, because the ground transport difference between them is smaller than people expect and the airfare difference is often larger.
If you are at Travis AFB
The same logic, with one addition: PCS and TDY itineraries frequently route through SFO regardless of what is closest, so check the orders before optimising the drive.
We pick up on base — billeting, base housing, the dorms and the passenger terminal — at any hour, with receipts formatted for a travel voucher.
