Amtrak Train Station Martinez, CA (MTZ)

Martinez Amtrak Station is the main train station in Martinez, California, and is located at 601 Marina Vista Avenue, Martinez, CA 94553-1132.

The station is also known as Martinez Intermodal Station, and the present building opened on 22 September 2001. 

Four Amtrak routes call here. The Capitol Corridor links Martinez with Sacramento, Oakland and San Jose; the Gold Runner service, branded San Joaquins until November 2025, runs toward Bakersfield; and two long-distance trains, the California Zephyr and the Coast Starlight, stop as well.

Passengers planning travel from Martinez should know how early to arrive at an Amtrak station, especially if it’s their first time using one. 

Why is the Martinez Amtrak Station important?

Martinez is the busiest Amtrak station in Contra Costa County and serves East Bay residents who would otherwise travel to Oakland or Emeryville. The city of Martinez owns the building and the parking lot; Union Pacific owns the platform and the track. 

Capitol Corridor trains provide the frequent service, with Gold Runner trains adding Central Valley connections toward Bakersfield. Both are state-supported corridor services rather than long-distance trains.

The California Zephyr runs between Chicago and the Bay Area and is one of the most scenic routes in the country. The Coast Starlight, between Seattle and Los Angeles, also calls at Martinez, which makes this one of relatively few stations where two major long-distance routes meet a busy commuter corridor. 

Amtrak recorded 272,067 passengers at Martinez in fiscal year 2025, by far the highest total of any station in the county. The facility sits beside downtown Martinez and the waterfront.

Residents also rely on the Martinez timetable to avoid driving into the busier Bay Area hubs. 

Pro tip: Before traveling to and from Martinez, many passengers compare cost, travel time, and comfort. At times, understanding the Amtrak vs flights cost comparison becomes important. 

How to Get to the Amtrak Station in Martinez?

Travelers can reach the station by car, by bus, and by taxi or rideshare. No BART line reaches Martinez, so connections to BART are made by bus. 

By car: for directions, enter 601 Marina Vista Avenue, Martinez, CA 94553. The station lies close to State Route 4 and Interstate 680. 

Taxis and rideshare: Uber and Lyft operate in Martinez, and the drop-off zone is at the station entrance. Fares change constantly and are not published by Amtrak, so no figures are quoted here. 

Bus service: County Connection routes 16, 18, 19, 28, 98X, 99X and 316 serve the station, using the bus bays built into the forecourt. Fares and timetables are set by County Connection rather than by Amtrak and should be checked with the operator.

Route	Operator	Serves Martinez station	Notes
16	County Connection	Yes	Wikipedia lists this among the routes calling at the station
18	County Connection	Yes	Local service through central Contra Costa County
19	County Connection	Yes	Local service through central Contra Costa County
28	County Connection	Yes	Local service through central Contra Costa County
98X	County Connection	Yes	Express service
99X	County Connection	Yes	Express service
316	County Connection	Yes	Timetables and fares are published by County Connection, not by Amtrak

Amtrak Routes from Martinez, CA

Martinez Amtrak Station (MTZ) connects passengers to Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago. Fares are not fixed, because Amtrak prices by date and demand.

Route	Train Service	Frequency	Service type	Overnight	Additional info
Martinez to Emeryville	Capitol Corridor	Multiple daily	Regional corridor	No	Amtrak buses connect Emeryville with San Francisco
Martinez to Sacramento	Capitol Corridor	Multiple daily	Regional corridor	No	The corridor continues to Roseville and Auburn
Martinez to Bakersfield	Gold Runner	Several daily	Regional corridor	No	Branded San Joaquins until November 2025
Martinez to Chicago	California Zephyr	One daily	Long-distance	Yes	Crosses the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains
Martinez to Los Angeles	Coast Starlight	One daily	Long-distance	Yes	Follows the coast south of San Luis Obispo
Martinez to San Jose	Capitol Corridor	Several daily	Regional corridor	No	Not every Capitol Corridor train continues past Oakland
Martinez to Reno, NV	California Zephyr	One daily	Long-distance	No	Crosses Donner Pass in daylight eastbound
Martinez to Portland, OR	Coast Starlight	One daily	Long-distance	Yes	Through the Cascade Range
Martinez to Seattle, WA	Coast Starlight	One daily	Long-distance	Yes	Northern end of the route
Martinez to Salt Lake City, UT	California Zephyr	One daily	Long-distance	Yes	Across the Nevada desert
Martinez to Denver, CO	California Zephyr	One daily	Long-distance	Yes	Through the Moffat Tunnel under the Continental Divide

For instance, travelers on overnight routes like Coast Starlight often look for essential information regarding sleeping on Amtrak coach seats. Many also review Amtrak’s seating policy and seat selection to decide between coach, business, or first class.

Amtrak Station Martinez, CA Parking Guide

Amtrak lists same-day and overnight parking at Martinez with fees possible, and gives the parking hours as 24 hours a day. It publishes no number of spaces, so figures claiming a specific count are not supported by Amtrak data; the lot belongs to the city of Martinez.

Item	What Amtrak publishes	Cost	Hours	Ownership	Note
Same-day parking	Listed as available	Fees may apply	24 hours	City of Martinez	Amtrak publishes no count of spaces
Overnight parking	Listed as available	Fees may apply	24 hours	City of Martinez	Multi-day stays are best confirmed with the city
Accessible parking	Listed as available, same-day and overnight	Fees may apply	24 hours	City of Martinez	An accessible path runs from the bus drop-off through the depot to the platform
Bicycle storage	Bicycle lockers at the station	Not published	Not published	City of Martinez	Bike boxes are also sold at the ticket counter
Carpool and vanpool lots	Listed in Amtrak station information	Not published	Not published	City of Martinez	Bus bays occupy the same forecourt

Facilities at Martinez Amtrak Train Station

The Martinez train station is one of the better equipped mid-sized stations in California, and the facilities below come from Amtrak’s own station listing:

Waiting room: inside the main station building, directly accessible from the front entrance, with indoor seating and canopied benches. A balcony overlooks the tracks. The building also houses the Martinez Visitors Center, run by the Martinez Chamber of Commerce from 603 Marina Vista Avenue. 

Restrooms: inside the station and listed by Amtrak as accessible. They were renovated as part of an $8.5 million accessibility project completed in June 2024. 

Ticket counters: a staffed ticket office operates daily from 6:30 A.M. to 10:30 P.M., the same hours Amtrak publishes for the waiting room, passenger assistance and checked baggage. Quik-Trak kiosks are available during those hours, and the counter itself was replaced in the 2024 project. 

Check out our detailed guide on can you buy Amtrak tickets at the station, which also offers essential information related to availability, fares, and peak-time queues. 

Accessibility: Amtrak lists an accessible platform, waiting room, restrooms and ticket office, with both a wheelchair and a wheelchair lift kept at the station. The 2024 work resurfaced the platform with tactile warning surfaces along the edge and built an accessible path from the bus drop-off through the depot to the platform. 

Wi-Fi: Amtrak lists no Wi-Fi at Martinez station, although Wi-Fi is available on board Capitol Corridor trains. 

Bike facilities: bicycle lockers stand outside the station near the parking area, and Amtrak also sells bike boxes at the ticket counter. 

Food Options at Martinez Amtrak Station

Amtrak lists vending machines at Martinez and no cafe, restaurant or shop. Anything more substantial comes from downtown Martinez, a short walk away, or from the dining and cafe cars on board.

Food Option	Type	Location	Details
Vending machines	Snacks and drinks	Station building	The only food service Amtrak lists at Martinez
Cafe or restaurant	None listed	Not applicable	Amtrak lists no cafe, restaurant or shop inside the station
Onboard dining	Dining and cafe cars	On the train	The California Zephyr and Coast Starlight both carry dining service
Downtown Martinez	Restaurants and shops	A short walk from the station	Amtrak publishes no list of affiliated businesses

Many passengers bring their own food, which Amtrak permits in coach seats on all of these routes.

Hotels Near Martinez Amtrak Station

Amtrak publishes no list of hotels affiliated with Martinez station, and this page does not name properties or quote rates it cannot verify. What Amtrak does describe is a shuttle from the station to the Martinez waterfront and downtown.

Lodging question	What Amtrak publishes	Verified here	Where to check
Hotels affiliated with the station	Nothing	Amtrak lists no affiliated lodging at Martinez	Hotel websites and booking services
Nearest hotel	Nothing	Not verified by this page	Mapping services
Nightly rates	Nothing	Not verified by this page	Hotel websites
Hotel shuttle to the station	Nothing	Amtrak lists no hotel shuttle	The individual hotel
Station shuttle	A shuttle to the Martinez waterfront and downtown	Described in Amtrak station information	Amtrak.com station page

Car Rental Near Martinez Amtrak Station

Amtrak lists no car rental counter at Martinez station. Rather than quote agency names and prices that cannot be verified, the table below sets out what Amtrak publishes and what remains unverified. 

Topic	What Amtrak publishes	At the station	Verified here	Where to check
On-site car rental	Nothing	Not available	Amtrak lists no car rental at Martinez	Amtrak.com station page
Agency names nearby	Nothing	Not applicable	Not verified by this page	Agency websites
Daily rates	Nothing	Not applicable	Not verified by this page	Agency websites
Station parking	Same-day and overnight parking, fees may apply	Available	Listed with parking hours of 24 hours	Amtrak.com station page
Bicycle facilities	Bicycle lockers, and bike boxes for sale	Available	Listed in Amtrak station facilities	Amtrak.com station page

Martinez Amtrak Station Contact Details 

Martinez Amtrak Station has a staffed ticket office, so questions can be settled in person during its daily hours as well as by telephone. 

Service	Details
Customer Service	1-800-872-7245
Ticketing Help	Call 1-800-872-7245, use a Quik-Trak kiosk, or speak with the station agent between 6:30 A.M. and 10:30 P.M.
Lost & Found	Call 1-800-872-7245 or submit a report through the Amtrak online lost item form.

Martinez Amtrak Station Map

Martinez Amtrak station occupies a single main building that holds the waiting room and the Martinez Visitors Center.

The waiting room and the ticket counter are on the ground floor, with a balcony above overlooking the tracks. 

Parking and bus stops lie across from the station, and further parking sits across the tracks on Ferry Street. A September 11 memorial, built by the city in 2003 with two steel girders from the World Trade Center, stands just outside the Visitors Center.

The map above helps locate the platform, the entrance, the parking and the bus bays. 

Martinez works well as a Bay Area railhead because it combines frequent corridor service with two long-distance routes, a staffed ticket office, checked baggage and an accessible building rebuilt to current standards in 2024. 

Trains from Martinez reach Sacramento, Emeryville and San Jose on the Capitol Corridor and Bakersfield on the Gold Runner service. The long-distance options are the California Zephyr to Chicago and the Coast Starlight to Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle.

Amtrak lists a staffed ticket counter, restrooms, vending machines, checked baggage, baggage carts, bag storage for a fee and bike boxes for sale. It lists no Wi-Fi and no ATM. 

County Connection buses link the station to BART stations elsewhere in the county, since no BART line reaches Martinez itself, and taxis and rideshare serve the entrance. Amtrak publishes no affiliated hotel list. 

Travelers making the most of their travel must consider exploring Amtrak first upgrades, business class seating, and also learn how to make an Amtrak reservation to secure the best deals. 

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