Eureka is 275 miles (440 km) north of San Francisco on Highway 101 — a drive of about five hours under normal conditions, longer in summer when the road through the Avenue of the Giants is a popular stop. The road along the Humboldt coast is beautiful, passing through redwood parks and coastal headlands, but it is not a fast road.
There is no rail service to Eureka. Greyhound buses connect Eureka to San Francisco via Highway 101, with a journey time of around six hours. Arcata-Eureka Airport (ACV), about 16 miles north of downtown in McKinleyville, has daily flights to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle. The airport is small; book well in advance in summer when it serves as a gateway to the redwood parks.