I am not too keen on the dumbarton bridge, it feels finicky, and the cost has gone up significantly since the decade from being $5 to around $8+ dollars now. I have driven on this bridge quite a lot especially a decade ago when I lived in the east bay and drove to the peninsula for work I don't like that it doesn't have the big poles or big railing; and the cars shake when driving over the bridge due to the wind. It was never my favorite bridge even a decade ago due to the shakiness, it's not good. I have arial photos from early 2020, thankfully the bridge is only 15 mins or so. But I think they could make it feel a bit more secure (I am sure structurally it's okay , the wind is wild though) read more

See all

The Dumbarton Bridge as we know it today was opened in 1982. The original span was opened in 1927, and was the first vehicle bridge to cross SF Bay. Today's Dumbarton Bridge is 3 lanes in each direction, and has a pedestrian/bike lane. The span is only 1.6 miles long, and the bridge has no emergency shoulders. Seems longer than 1.6 miles right? I think they don't count the long approaches. I have never used the Dumbarton Bridge during the morning commute, I mostly use it in the evening going eastbound. I never really got stuck in traffic on this bridge. Being a modern span, I think traffic engineers did a good job designing the Menlo Park/Palo Alto approach. You can't please everyone, someone's going to sit in traffic during the commute. Notes: On the westbound approach, you will go pass the KGO-810 AM transmitter. In Menlo Park, at Willow Rd, on the right is Facebook HQs (formerly Sun Microsystems). Sometimes on the Newark side, there's a foul smell from the swampy marshlands. In 2023, the toll for a regular car is $7.00. There's no toll takers. Toll is collected by Fastrak Transponders or they take a photo of your license plate. The bridge links Newark (Eastbay) to East Palo Alto (Peninsula) via CA-84. read more

Dumbarton Bridge - Eastbound - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

It's a great bridge! Provides easy access to East palo alto if your ever hanging out in Newark. I never hang out in Newark. But I cross that bridge on a occasion. The east bay side of the bridge smells like farts and sewage. read more

My Favorite Bridge in the Bay Area!!!! Low Traffic, Modern Design an Big Toll Plaza !!!! Make this a Baller On a Budget Approved Bridge!!! The Gateway to Palo Alto and Menlo Park!!! read more

Toll for car is $6.00 and toll for car pool is $3.00 The Dumbarton Bridge is the southernmost of the highway bridges across San Francisco Bay in California It is the shortest bridge across San Francisco Bay at 1.63 miles Its eastern end is in Fremont, near Newark in the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and its western end is in Menlo Park. Bridging State Route 84 across the bay, it has three lanes each way and a separated bike/pedestrian lane along its south side. read more

Hmmmm my first bridge review. We tend to think of bridges as simply part of the roadway and lets be honest they are taken for granted. That is till they are not there or closed. That being said, the Dumbarton will always have a special place in my heart. You see I grew up in Palo Alto, and I can still remember crossing the Old Dumbarton bridge and sheer delight in getting help up because the drawbridge was being used by one ship or another. As with many things in our youth they are often replaced with bigger and better things. But enough wandering down memory lane.... For us Bay Area natives, we know the Dumbarton as the last bridge that crosses the Bay. After this, you need to head further south to Hwy 237 to cross over. The bridge connects the lower Peninsula with the East Bay. On the East Bay side, Hwy 880 connects directly to it. However, for those of us on the Peninsula side, We have 3 options to get to the bridge and 2 of which involve meandering through city streets. Tolls are taken Westbound and unless you are in arental car and staying for a few days, do yourself A HUGE favor and get a FasTrak transponder. Its just easier. If you look South while crossing, you will see where the water from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir crosses and goes under the Bay. Aside from that its pretty much a bridge linking you from A to B. However, the Dumbarton has an interesting advantage. It has a legit bike lane. You can ride over the bridge and visit the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. If you keep going, you can actually cross over to the other side on a roadway/bridge that goes over the toll booths and enter the Coyote Hills Regional Park. (lots of cool biking trails there too) read more

See all

I usually take this bridge from the peninsula inland towards Hayward or Fremont, and I actually enjoy this bridge. It's not big and flashy like the Golden Gate Bridge or her long sister The Bay Bridge, but the Dumbarton does the job very well. She is seldomly ever congested if you don't go during rush hour. She is short and sweet. Straight to the point! There is an aroma of bay wetlands on the Fremont-Hayward side. Overall; a nice quick connector with a fair view. read more

Dumbarton Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

The best place I have ever had! Every time I drove there, it makes me feel happy. I go there on the weekends, especially on any special occasions. read more

Dumbarton Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

See all

I've had to commute this bridge throughout the decades for various jobs. You pay 6$ to - Lose health points every time you soak in that funk asshole smell through your entire respiratory system and skin pores - Shitty bumps at the end of west bound bridge has been shit for over 2 decades - Shitty bumps entering and exiting east bound bridge has been shit for over 2 decades - short bridge without zero aesthetics. San Mateo bridge for example is same price and you get your money's worth in comparison. Ex) no funk ass smell, no bumps ( road is loud though ) better view etc. - Depending on season you will be covered in bugs if you ride a motorcycle. Maybe depending on your level of gear pick bugs out your teeth, hair, eyeballs, etc. if you go fast enough you might merge a bunch of bugs with your skin for a sick temporary 3D tattoo. - If in car/truck/suv gets peppered with bugs. For those who don't know, bug guts and carcasses are corrosive and will eventually eat through your clear coat or sacrificial layer( wax, coatings) before reaching the clear. Only one pro I can think of is if you ride a bicycle you can skip toll on bike lane through pier. -3 stars Precovid -30 stars out of 5. The traffic was demons armpit which had 3 buttholes. People would soak in all that smell while moving 2 millimeters every 30 second increment. read more

I had more of a history with this bridge when I used to work for Raychem in Menlo Park in the 1980s. And although close to 30 years have passed, traffic is still a mess as bridge traffic meets University, Willow, and the Bay Front Expressway on the Menlo Park side. So when Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam was killed in 2007 at the corner of Willow and the Bayfront Expressway, many folks were stunned, but not surprised. On a happier note, there are some interesting outdoor activities available on either side or the Dumbarton Bridge. On the Menlo side is Bayfront Park, East Palo Alto's Ravenswood Open Space Preserve, and Palo Alto's Baylands Nature Preserve. An accessible portion of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge lies immediately north of the western bridge terminus, where the Ravenswood trail runs. On both sides of the eastern terminus are large salt ponds and levee trails belonging to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The headquarters and visitor center for the refuge is on a hill south of the bridge approach. And for you rail buffs, just to the south of the car bridge lies the Dumbarton Rail Bridge. Built in 1910, the rail bridge has been unused since 1982 and its western approach collapsed in a fire in 1998. Plans to restore this artifact for commuter rail purposes have yet to be taken seriously. read more

Bridges make connections - that's what they do. This particular bridge connects you to the Peninsula from the East Bay (Menlo Park to Fremont to be exact) and vice versa. It serves the same purpose as the humongoloid 92 bridge, just on a smaller, stinkier scale. Stinky since you can see, and smell, that build-up that settles along the start of the bridge where the water starts. I just like this bridge since it doesn't seem to shake when it's ridiculously windy out, nor does it get super backed up when traffic hits. Toll is collected when traveling Westbound towards the Peninsula, so have that $5 handy or your Fastrak out for a speedy roll through. read more

I like Dumbarton Bridge. Both biking and driving is enjoyable. The scenery is very unique. I like marsh land near this bridge. I like biking or hiking on the trail nearby and looking at Dumbarton Bridge. read more

Ever have to go from the East Bay to the peninsula? If you're in between Hayward and Fremont and are getting to somewhere like Palo Alto I would recommend this bridge over the San Mateo bridge. It's shorter and the toll lines are usually pretty short as well. The only downside to this bridges is that you do get a sulfur smell right after you cross the toll plaza. It's from the natural salt marsh preserve that is right off the bridge entrance. read more

Views , can't go wrong with views. Had to pass threw cause we were eating lunch with the Ohana.. come by this bridge every so often.. no complaints thus far especially during traffic haha.. idk what else to say haha.. read more

It's like your average bay area bridge, unfortunately I have to cross this thing twice a day 5 days a week to commute to and from work and boy is it a hassle. I live in Fremont off of Decoto Road which turns into 84 and goes straight to the bridge. Traffic is usually backed up all the way over the overpass and it can take quite a bit of time to get to the toll plaza. Going over this bridge always makes me nervous because people just are always flying by and sometimes the wind can really move your car around. There is nothing that I like about this bridge and the smell is horrible and if you have the vents open and the air on then the smell can linger in your car for a little while. read more

Dumbarton Bridge - Not too bad this morning - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

I drive over this bridge everyday! Of all the bridges in the bay, this one probably has the least traffic. But like all the rest.. always always traffic getting on and off the bridge. There is also a very DISTINCT odor on one end of the bridge by the Toll Plaza. Nasty. Smells like Milpitas. read more

The Dumbarton Bridge connects the East Bay to the South Bay; while it's not of the most architecturally interesting bridges in the area, it gets the job done. I don't drive across it enough to give you a sense of traffic patterns, but I haven't found it as congested or heavily trafficked compared to times when I've driven across the Bay Bridge. I always notice the swampy smell as I start transversing it, but there's no way you can control the odors that emanate from marshland. It's relatively well-maintained in terms of road conditions. read more

The views from Coyote Regional Park(Fremont) of the Dumbarton Bridge are so nice. First a lovely walk through the park and then you see the bay and the Dumbarton bridge. Nice walk. Note: Its nicer to see the bridge from here than when you drive over it. read more

Dumbarton Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

See all

The traffic in the morning going from Newark to Menlo Park is terrible during commute hours, esp. during the rain and any accident. You are driving with the herd as you see Facebook building on your right. It can be just as bad going back from Menlo Park to Fremont. That is, after you are off the bridge you deal with merging traffic on Hwy 880 going south to San Jose or north to Oakland. The only nice part about the commute is east bound, you enjoy the view coming down the bridge. Otherwise, west bound is full of power lines around the marsh before hitting Menlo Park. read more

Dumbarton Bridge - Heading towards Newark. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

So you are racing to the peninsula and want to get to Stanford or somewhere else on the south peninsula or the inverse... Well this might just be the fastest route around. The western end is on the edge of some semi shady areas but there are multiple ways to get to the bridge so that is not a major issue. All of ese feeders to the bridge originate at the 101. The eastern end is at the bord of Newark and Fremont. It also has quick access to 880 here. Pro tip: The toll plaza is at the eastern end of the bridge and like all of the east-west bay area bridges, only charges for West bound traffic. I have almost never taken this bridge westbound as it was almost always easier for me to take 237 across than to pay the extra arm & a leg that they want to charge you for heading westbound. I have travelled extensively a eastbound though. Overall I think this is my least favorite of the bay area bridges as it is the least picturesque and it just wasn't that helpful to me for where I wanted to go to. But I know some people who really liked it. read more

I drove past this bridge a couple of times and I was surprised that the times I've been there, it wasn't congested like the other bridges such as the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge. I've read that there's a scenic route for biking and hiking so it would be interesting to bike around this area for next time. If you go westbound, toll is collected so make sure you have some change or a FasTrak. read more

This bridge stinks! Not in personality, architecture or drivability. It literally smells like dead fish and rotten debris from the bottom of a stagnant lake. Yuck! It's my least favorite thing about the bridge. People are pushy drivers and want to blast past you. I usually just stay in the slow lane. The view isn't as spectacular as the San Mateo Bridge, where you can see the bay and San Francisco. To be honest, its a boring bridge and the fact that is smells terrible doesn't make it better. Its functional, that is all. read more

Perhaps you've stumbled-upon this review because you were interested in biking across this bridge. I've done it a few times, so here are some pointers: 1) It's windy. 2) The bike lane is narrow and foot/bike traffic goes both ways. Stick to the right side and slow down when you pass someone going the opposite direction. 3) Don't get discouraged when you go significantly slower than usual on the level pavement. It's the wind. 4) It's windy. 5) Watch out for the man. read more

Ah, yes .... you are stinky on the Newark side, so very stinky! It's an interesting bouquet, a combo of sea salt wafting over hot, wet, garbage. But I do like you, Mr. Dumbarton Bridge. I do. You give me the opportunity to see so many birds, and I always look forward to my glimpse at the White Pelicans. I wish I could reenact the Harold and Maude scene where Maude is skidding away from a motorcycle cop across the Dumbarton bridge ... but who am I kidding? It's no longer a 2 lane bridge (thank god!) and I'm also not 79 years old in a stolen El Camino with a tree in tow. Whew! Go check out that movie to see how SMALL that bridge used to be. Or you could check out the Dumbarton Pier, since that is the original bridge from way back when. read more

An Ode to the Dumbarton: The Northern brethren bridges enjoy many Yelp reviews and much traffic. But love? Ha! Southbayers streaking, zooming, whizzing across the bay. Oops! In toll lane with carpool. "Let Us Go, Mister Tolltaker. Excuse us for our moronic ways." NO!!! Sigh... Incredibly responsible employee especially for high occupational suicide rate. One Dollar, two, three dollar, four. Streaking, zooming, whizzing. Shhh, sustain said secret, silent, stay away San Mateo scavnegers. read more

Dumbarton Bridge, you are so confusing to get onto. There is no single clear way to get on like the Golden Gate, Bay, or San Mateo. You are also sinfully ugly. But you do save some time and well, quick franky, you're the only bridge outside of Golden Gate with a pedestrian/bike path. Yes that's right, there's a protected path about 5-6' wide for pedestrians and bicycles. Once I found this, it opened everything up for me. 13 miles from my place in Sunnyvale to the Dumbarton Bridge, I could now get to Fremont to Milpitas and complete an awesome 60-mile South Bay Bike Loop. For this reason alone, you rock. Also, I see people fishing off of this bridge. So um, thanks for that. read more

Okay...so I was on this bridge 23SEP11 and need to rant about my experiences officially in a review: I was heading into Mountain View. I took 880S, then merged onto 84. After paying the toll, and driving onto the bridge, the most horrid eye watering smell inundated my olfactory senses. I used to think that the Berkeley Marina smelled horrid during the summer low tides, well....The Dumbarton Bridge Marshes has the Berkeley Marina (and most sewage plants) beat. Let me illustrate how horrid the smell was on the bridge that night: Imagine two dozen port-a-potties filled to capacity, then imagine someone taking those two dozen port-a-potties, emptying them in a garbage truck, letting the contents of the truck fester in this awesome heat wave we've had this summer for about a month or two. Then, imagine that after a month or two...someone emptied the ripe contents into the Marsh. My description doesn't do the smell any justice- in fact; my description is an understatement- that's how bad the smell was. I dry heaved, and my eyes watered until well past the half-way point on the bridge. I figured that by the time I'd come back, the smell would be gone. So, around midnight, when I was driving across the bridge toward Castro Valley, the smell was still there as I neared the end. I've been hip deep in marshes before, marshes smell bad, but not this bad!! The smell at Dumbarton Bridge makes it clear to me that there are chemicals or sewage being dumped into the area (no...it's not the salt farming activities that cause the smell). Sadly, I've smelled some NASTY things during my travels...the Dumbarton Bridge is the winner...so ONE STAR rating for the throw up factor (wish there was a negative 5 star option). read more

Even though it reeks of rotten eggs, I still like this bridge. It rarely have much traffic and I usually find this route to SF to be faster.

So I drove across the bridge today (06/30/2011 @ 12:50 pm) thru the middle lane. I got this really mean Chinese/Asian lady. I gave her all quarters for bridge toll. I had no one behind me the whole time I was at her post.... I asked her if all the money was there. She said " Ask yourself if all the money is there" I said "excuse me". She said you heard me... I assumed it was all there and drove off. Ya know those operators make good money. If people are miserable in the work they do, give another Californian who needs a job apparently much more then this lady it and fire this crazy lady.... read more

I'm actually driven across this bridge many times, strangely enough. I won't tell you exactly why because someone might be on Yelp and that would be bad. Anyway, it's a cool little bridge for what it is. I'm not exactly sure why they sited it where they did or why they made the approaches so odd. Theoretically, this was all open land when they built this guy, so they could have done a better job and made it longer. In any case, I actually prefer it to the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. And the toll collectors on this bridge are always really nice. read more

I love the Dumbarton Bridge. I love all the San Franciso Bay Area Bridges. Its just one of those things in life that I am really proud of as a native Californian. The beautiful Dumbarton Bridge is just part of everyday life here in the Bay Area. I go across the bridge more often when going from west to east then from east to west. Wondering why? Cuz I save myself the $4.00 toll by driving down a bit further and coming back across from east to west at highway 237. Wow, come to think of it I haven't paid a Dumbarton Bridge Toll in years. When you live in the Bay Area you know how to work the bridges hence eliminating as many tolls as possible since are wallets are already stretched pretty slim because of the high tech, high priced area in California that we choose to live in, but you know baby I wouldn't have it any other way. read more

No, I am not running out of things to review. I was surprised to stumble upon Dumbarton bridge on yelp and decided I would chime in. I love Dumbarton Bridge. There was a time around 1997-1998 when crossing this bridge was a nightmare. Since then with the economic slowdown and Fasttrak, getting across the bridge is a breeze. Talking about breeze, it is very windy though and I have trouble on my motorbike especially in the evenings. This is actually my favorite bridge among the others in the area. It is easy to get on to and for most part, traffic flows pretty smoothly. My car broke down once when it was raining on top of the bridge and the bridge maintenance folks came to help quickly towed my car. Nice job guys. read more

listening to rosko in a rothko dream parallel to the picture feature the future flee explosive expulsion of nitric gasoline sixty-three one molar mass culine with the lure you implore your american dream .... yeah, it's pretty much like that. read more

Dumbarton Bridge - southern view - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

I drove on this bridge a couple times. Not as busy as San Mateo, so that's a plus. read more

This bridge is the best bridge to drive over because there's never as much traffic as there is on the 92 or the bay bridge the problem I see with it is that it does not run into a freeway it runs onto streets read more

Not quite as epic as the San Mateo Bridge, but a quick route across the bay if you're coming from Menlo park or Palo Alto.

The reason I liked his bridge is because there's no traffic, it's fast and the view that it provides at night of the bay.

What can I say, its a bridge, and it costs $5 to get across a couple miles. During commute hours it can get to a standstill and carpool doesnt matter after the toll plaza. Outside of grid lock its not too bad. It's not as long as the other bay bridges and slightly disconnected from freeways so it helps ease traffic just a bit. It is surrounded on ponds on the east bay side so it can smell like fish at times, but hey its nature. This bridge also has a bike/running route which is great if your'e up for the windy trek. read more

2nd best among the 3 bridges. Short, yes. But you're going to have to go through all the stop lights at 84, and it smells very foul here most of the time. If you try to drive here very early in the morning though, around sunrise, the marsh area can provide a very beautiful view. read more

Very convenient for me since I work right near the west side of the bridge. Sometimes smells like rotten eggs/dead fish (I think when it's low tide, and maybe temperature plays a roll too?). Speed limit is 55 mph but everyone drives way faster. It's amusing to get a Waze alert that there's a police officer camped out by the radio tower trying to catch speeders, and then see everyone slow down to 55 as they notice the police car, but then immediately speed back up to 75 once they feel they're far enough away. Sometimes I get distracted on the drive to work by people being lowered from helicopters to do maintenance on the power lines. Looks kind of dangerous... read more