SFO Terminal 3

SFO Terminal 3 is a major domestic terminal serving United Airlines flights at San Francisco International Airport. The terminal has two boarding areas: Boarding Area E, with 12 gates, and Boarding Area F, with 17 gates, for a total of 29 gates as of March 2026. Passengers can find United check-in facilities, security screening, dining, shopping, lounges, and other traveler amenities throughout the terminal. Terminal 3 also provides a convenient post-security connection to the International Terminal’s G Gates, with the connector located near Gate F1.

SFO Terminal 3 is currently undergoing the $2.6 billion Terminal 3 West Modernization Project, which is bringing significant changes to the terminal. The project includes a larger check-in lobby with self-bag-drop facilities, new centralized security checkpoints, expanded shopping and dining space, additional international-capable swing gates, upgraded passenger amenities, and a new connection toward the International Terminal’s G Gates.

During construction, the Terminal 3 AirTrain station is closed until the new facility opens in 2027, with the Terminal 2 station renamed the Terminals 2 & 3 AirTrain Station to serve both terminals. United’s west-end Terminal 3 ticket counters are also closed, while passengers departing from D and E Gates should check in at the Terminal 2 counters and passengers departing from F Gates should use the Terminal 3 counters. The Terminal 3 departures curb between Doors 6 and 13 is closed during construction, and passengers are advised to use Terminal 2 or the Terminal 3 arrivals level for drop-off.

Onsite and offsite SFO parking are dual options for travelers. You can explore offsite SFO Parking. You can also check out the comparative table on onsite and offsite parking.

Thirteen gates, E1 through E13. The farthest gate from the checkpoint runs about a three-minute walk. This boarding area went through a $138 million renovation that added interactive displays, a yoga room, and rotating art installations; the same upgrade pattern later used in Terminal 2.

Shops include Chalo, carrying local, artisan-made goods; Jo Malone location that also stocks Tom Ford and Aveda.

United Club: A smaller, newer club sits near Gate E2, more convenient if your gate falls in this concourse than walking to the F rotunda.

Twenty-two gates, F1 through F22, and the larger of the two concourses. Most of Terminal 3’s dining sits here, built around a central food court.

Two United Clubs cover the terminal, one near Gate E2 and the larger one in the F rotunda. Both are free for eligible elites and paid Star Alliance Day-pass holders when space allows, typically around $59 at the door. Neither has showers. The Polaris Lounge, which does, sits in the International Terminal, not Terminal 3, so don’t plan on it if you’re departing on a same-terminal domestic connection.

The Centurion Lounge’s permanent home is near Gate F2, but it’s currently closed as part of the T3 West Modernization project. A temporary Centurion Lounge is operating out of Terminal 2, Concourse D, near gate D12, until the permanent space reopens.

SFO is rebuilding roughly 650,000 square feet across the western half of Terminal 3, a $2.6 billion project that includes a seismic retrofit, an expanded security checkpoint, and 200,000 square feet of new space for food, beverage, and retail. The expanded section is expected to open in fall 2027.

Which exact gates sit in the construction zone shifts as the project phases in, so treat any specific gate closure as temporary and confirm current signage on arrival. Build a few extra minutes into your connection time if your gate or the Centurion Lounge is part of your plan, since walkways and checkpoint lanes are more likely to be rerouted here than anywhere else in the airport right now.

The Domestic Garage sits closest, with the standard AirTrain and walkway access shared with Terminal 1 and 2. Terminal 3 also connects airside directly to Boarding Area G of the International Terminal, useful if you’re arriving internationally and connecting onward domestically on United, since you won’t need to leave security to make the transfer.

Check your current SFO flight status before you head out, and if your flight departs during a busy window, SFO TSA wait times will tell you what the checkpoint looks like before you commit to a route through the terminal.