If you work in downtown San Francisco, the station you walk to matters more than the city name on your address. On BART’s own published schedule for a weekday morning, the ride to Embarcadero takes 17 minutes from MacArthur and 28 minutes on a direct train from El Cerrito Plaza. Albany, El Cerrito, Temescal and Piedmont Avenue are served by stations 17 to 32 minutes from Embarcadero on that schedule.
This guide compares those four places on the parts of a commute you can check: train times, transfers, fares, parking and the bus option. It also sets out what homes have been selling for, using the Census Bureau and Redfin.
Key Takeaways
– MacArthur, a station near Temescal and Piedmont Avenue, is 17 minutes from Embarcadero with no transfer (BART schedule, October 21, 2026).
– From El Cerrito Plaza, direct San Francisco trains took 28 minutes; other trips needed a change at MacArthur.
– Daily BART parking runs from $3.40 at the El Cerrito stations to $6.00 at Rockridge; BART says the Oakland and North Berkeley prices already include local parking tax.
– Redfin’s Temescal median was $1.2 million for the three months ending September 2026.
How long is the BART ride to San Francisco from each area?
The ride to Embarcadero ranges from 17 to 32 minutes across the five stations that serve these areas. Those figures come from BART’s published schedule for trains leaving around 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Fares are BART’s adult Clipper fares for the same trips.
| Station (BART address) | Areas nearby | Time to Embarcadero | Transfer? | Clipper fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacArthur (555 40th Street, Oakland) | Temescal, Piedmont Avenue | 17 minutes | No | $4.80 |
| Rockridge (5660 College Avenue, Oakland) | Rockridge, Temescal | 20 minutes | No | $5.10 |
| North Berkeley (1750 Sacramento Street, Berkeley) | North Berkeley | 25 minutes direct | Some trains | $5.40 |
| El Cerrito Plaza (6699 Fairmount Avenue, El Cerrito) | Albany, El Cerrito | 28 minutes direct | Some trains | $5.70 |
| El Cerrito del Norte (6400 Cutting Blvd., El Cerrito) | El Cerrito | 32 minutes | Some trains | $5.90 |
A few minutes on a train can matter less than how often it runs. MacArthur had four direct trains to Embarcadero between 8:03 and 8:23 a.m. on that schedule, so missing one costs very little. The stations further north work differently, which is the next section.
Why does a direct train matter from Albany and El Cerrito?
From the northern stations, only some morning trains run straight to San Francisco. On BART’s schedule for October 21, 2026, direct trains left El Cerrito Plaza at 8:19 and 8:39 a.m. and took 28 minutes. The 8:11 and 8:31 a.m. trips ran toward Oakland Airport and Berryessa instead, with a change at MacArthur, and took 29 minutes.
So the total time barely changes. What changes is the routine: one trip is a single seat, the other means stepping off at MacArthur and catching a San Francisco train. The same pattern showed up at the other two northern stations:
- El Cerrito del Norte: direct trains at 8:15 and 8:35 a.m., with transfer trips at 8:08 and 8:28, all 32 minutes.
- North Berkeley: direct trains at 8:02 and 8:22 a.m. taking 25 minutes, with transfer trips at 8:14 and 8:34 taking 26.
If you’d rather not change trains, plan around the direct departures. They ran 20 minutes apart at each northern station in that window.
What does parking at the station cost?
Daily parking at these five stations ranges from $3.40 to $6.00. BART’s parking price list shows these daily fees:
- El Cerrito del Norte: $3.40
- El Cerrito Plaza: $3.40
- North Berkeley: $3.80
- MacArthur: $4.70
- Rockridge: $6.00
BART also notes that “select stations are subject to local parking taxes: Oakland (20%), Berkeley (10%), and San Francisco (25%).” BART’s station pages say the MacArthur and Rockridge prices include a 20% City of Oakland tax and the North Berkeley price includes a 10% City of Berkeley tax, so the fees above are the posted all-in prices. Reserved monthly permits are also listed, from $93.80 at El Cerrito del Norte to $126.00 at MacArthur and Rockridge.
Can you skip the car entirely? Depending on the street, a walk to MacArthur, Rockridge or one of the El Cerrito stations may be practical. Map the walk from any home you’re considering before counting on it.
Is there a bus option across the Bay?
Yes. AC Transit runs Transbay buses into San Francisco alongside BART. According to AC Transit, it operates 14 Transbay lines across two Bay Area bridges and makes about 350 trips each weekday into and out of downtown San Francisco.
AC Transit also says its lines reach “several Park & Ride lots in the East Bay,” so you can leave a car and board a Transbay bus. Lines and stops change, though. Check AC Transit’s current Transbay schedules for the stop nearest the home you’re considering before counting on a bus.
How do Temescal and Piedmont Avenue compare?
Both sit close to MacArthur station, but their recent sale prices look very different. That difference says as much about the mix of homes as about price. Over the three months ending September 2026, Temescal homes sold for a median price of $1.2 million, up 5.7% on a year earlier (Redfin, Temescal housing market).
Temescal also sold well above asking. Redfin put its September 2026 sale-to-list ratio at 128.6%, which means homes sold for roughly 29% over list price on that measure, though that month covered only 11 sales. Our guide to why Berkeley homes sell over asking explains how that pricing pattern works.
Piedmont Avenue tells a different story on paper. Redfin reported a three-month median of $600,000, down 26.4% on the prior year, with 25 sales in September 2026 (Redfin, Piedmont Avenue housing market). A swing that large can reflect which homes happened to sell in those months, so treat it with caution rather than as proof that values fell by a quarter.
The practical point is to compare like with like. Look at recent sales of the same type and size of home on similar streets, rather than an area median.
How do Albany and El Cerrito compare?
Albany is smaller and denser, and El Cerrito is larger with somewhat lower home values. The U.S. Census Bureau’s QuickFacts gives these figures:
| Measure (U.S. Census Bureau) | Albany | El Cerrito |
|---|---|---|
| Median value of owner-occupied homes, 2020-2024 | $1,202,200 | $1,124,400 |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2020-2024 | 53.1% | 58.6% |
| Median gross rent, 2020-2024 | $2,445 | $2,548 |
| Land area, 2020 (square miles) | 1.79 | 3.67 |
| Population per square mile, 2020 | 11,324.6 | 7,070.3 |
| Mean travel time to work, 2020-2024 | 30.8 minutes | 33.3 minutes |
Two readings stand out. First, more than 40% of occupied homes in both cities are rented, so expect rentals alongside owner-occupied streets. Second, the mean travel time covers every kind of commute, not just San Francisco trips by train. It’s a rough average, not a forecast of your ride.
If you’re weighing these against Berkeley proper, our comparison of North Berkeley and Montclair and our guide for buyers priced out of Berkeley cover the next step out. Our Berkeley community page has more on Berkeley itself.
How should you test a commute before you buy?
Ride it at the hour you’ll actually travel, on a weekday, before you write an offer. A schedule tells you the best case. A test run tells you about the walk, the parking lot and the platform change.
A simple routine works:
- Check the schedule for your date. BART’s trip planner shows direct and transfer trips for the day you choose. The times above are for October 21, 2026 and can change.
- Time the first mile. Walk or drive from the front door of the home to the station at your normal departure time.
- Check parking early. If you’ll drive to the station, arrive when you normally would and see whether daily spaces are still open.
- Try the backup. Look up the nearest AC Transit Transbay stop, in case BART is delayed.
- Price the month. Add the fare both ways and the daily parking fee. BART says the posted price at the Oakland and North Berkeley stations already includes the local tax.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is BART from MacArthur to Embarcadero?
BART’s published schedule for Wednesday, October 21, 2026 shows 17-minute trips from MacArthur to Embarcadero with no transfer, leaving at 8:03, 8:10, 8:14 and 8:23 a.m. The Clipper fare for that trip is $4.80. MacArthur, at 555 40th Street, is a station near Temescal and Piedmont Avenue.
Is there a direct BART train from El Cerrito to San Francisco?
Yes, but not on every train. On BART’s schedule for Wednesday, October 21, 2026, direct trains left El Cerrito Plaza for Embarcadero at 8:19 and 8:39 a.m. and took 28 minutes. The 8:11 and 8:31 a.m. trips needed a change at MacArthur and took 29 minutes. Check BART’s trip planner for your day.
How much does it cost to park at El Cerrito Plaza or MacArthur BART?
BART’s parking price list shows a $3.40 daily fee at El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte, $3.80 at North Berkeley, $4.70 at MacArthur and $6.00 at Rockridge. BART’s station pages say the MacArthur and Rockridge prices already include a 20% City of Oakland tax and the North Berkeley price a 10% City of Berkeley tax.
Are Albany and El Cerrito cheaper than Temescal?
Partly, though the two sources measure different things. The Census Bureau puts the 2020-2024 median value of owner-occupied homes at $1,202,200 in Albany and $1,124,400 in El Cerrito. Redfin reports a $1.2 million median sale price in Temescal for the three months ending September 2026. Compare recent sales of similar homes before deciding.
Planning a move closer to the train?
If a short ride to San Francisco is on your list, we can help you compare specific homes near these stations and check what recent sales say about price. Reach Rise Group Real Estate, under Radius Agent Realty (CA DRE #02051216), at 925.255.7321, or send us a message. You can also browse our East Bay community guides.
James Quintero is a principal of Rise Group Real Estate, serving the East Bay.
Train times and fares come from BART’s published schedule for Wednesday, October 21, 2026, retrieved on October 14, 2026. Schedules, fares and parking prices change, so confirm them with BART and AC Transit before you rely on them. Redfin and Census figures reflect the periods stated.
Sources
- Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), published schedule data via the official BART schedule API, departures for Wednesday, October 21, 2026 around 8:00 a.m. from MacArthur, Rockridge, North Berkeley, El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte to Embarcadero, retrieved 2026-10-14, https://api.bart.gov/api/sched.aspx
- Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), station pages for MacArthur, Rockridge, North Berkeley, El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte, retrieved 2026-10-14, https://www.bart.gov/stations
- Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Parking Prices & Maps, retrieved 2026-10-14, https://www.bart.gov/guide/parking/pricing
- AC Transit, Transbay, retrieved 2026-10-14, https://www.actransit.org/transbay
- U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Albany city, California; El Cerrito city, California, retrieved 2026-10-14, https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/albanycitycalifornia,elcerritocitycalifornia/HSG495224
- Redfin, Temescal, Oakland Housing Market (Redfin calculations of home data from MLS and/or public records), data through September 2026, retrieved 2026-10-14, https://www.redfin.com/neighborhood/2701/CA/Oakland/Temescal/housing-market
- Redfin, Piedmont Avenue, Oakland Housing Market (Redfin calculations of home data from MLS and/or public records), data through September 2026, retrieved 2026-10-14, https://www.redfin.com/neighborhood/2141/CA/Oakland/Piedmont-Avenue/housing-market
