Petaluma is about 40 miles north of San Francisco, just off US Highway 101. By car it is around 45–60 minutes from the city depending on traffic; the evening commute north on 101 can add significant time on weekdays. From Santa Rosa, it is about 20 minutes south on the freeway.
SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit) trains connect Petaluma to San Rafael and Larkspur in the south (with a ferry connection to San Francisco) and to Santa Rosa in the north. Petaluma has two stations: Petaluma Downtown, near the river and old warehouse district, and Petaluma North, on the north side of town. The train is the most pleasant way to arrive from San Francisco — about 90 minutes with the ferry connection at Larkspur. Golden Gate Transit buses also run from San Francisco to the North Bay and stop in Petaluma.
There is no commercial airport in Petaluma. San Francisco International, Oakland, and Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport (in Santa Rosa) are the nearest flight options.