Atascadero sits on U.S. 101 about halfway between San Francisco (210 miles north) and Los Angeles (210 miles south). The 101 is the most likely arrival route for nearly every visitor; the town has direct exits at Santa Rosa Road, Curbaril Avenue, and Traffic Way.
Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and Coast Starlight stop at Paso Robles (10 miles north) and San Luis Obispo (20 miles south); there is no Atascadero stop. The nearest commercial airport is San Luis Obispo (SBP), about 30 minutes away, with daily flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Seattle.