Manteca sits on Highway 99, the main north–south corridor through California's Central Valley, about 75 miles east of San Francisco and 15 miles south of Stockton. Interstate 5 runs parallel to the west, accessible via the Highway 120 connector through Lathrop.
By train, the Lathrop/Manteca station on the border with the city of Lathrop is served by the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE), which runs commuter trains to the San Jose area on weekdays. Amtrak's San Joaquin route stops in Stockton, 15 miles north, with connecting bus service.
The nearest major airports are Sacramento (60 miles north) and San Francisco International (65 miles west). Modesto City-County Airport is closer at 25 miles but has limited services.