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Major city · United States

UkiahUkiah, California

Give Ukiah one night as a US-101 stop between the redwoods and wine country, or two if you want the hot springs and the temple.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Ukiah is the seat of Mendocino County, a small inland valley town on US-101 about two hours north of San Francisco by car. It is not a coastal redwood town: the coast is roughly an hour west over the hills. Most travellers use it as a bed-and-food stop on the drive north, or as a cheaper base for the Anderson Valley wineries and the redwood parks. One night covers the town; two lets you add Vichy Springs and the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas without rushing.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
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More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (inland heat), Dec–Feb (rain)
Airports
SFO · STS · OAK
Nights
1–2
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Entry rules depend on your passport. Full visa guide

Checking your follows…
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Ukiah911 ▾

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Ukiah, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$4–6
  • Sit-down mealSit-down dinner, one mainAdd 18–22% tip and sales tax.$18–32
  • Street or quick mealDeli sandwich or burrito$10–16
  • BeerDraft beer or a glass of local wine$7–14
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25
  • Budget bedHostel or shared-room bed, a night, per personUS$45
  • Mid-range bedMotel double room, a night, per roomUS$140
  • High-end bedMotel double room, a night, per roomUS$220

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$90 · Mid US$170 · High US$320

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

City of Ten Thousand BuddhasGrace Hudson Museum and Sun HouseVichy Springs hot springsMendocino County wine countryUS-101 redwood corridor
Airports
SFO San Francisco International (About 2 h 30 min by car north on US-101; the usual arrival airport for this region.) · STS Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County (Santa Rosa) (About 1 h 15 min south by car; smaller, fewer flights.) · OAK Oakland International (About 2 h 45 min by car; check traffic on the Bay Area bridges before you commit.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    14°C (57°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    16°C (61°F)

  3. Mar

    not flagged

    18°C (64°F)

  4. Apr

    Best

    21°C (70°F)

  5. May

    Best

    25°C (77°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    29°C (84°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid

    33°C (91°F)

  8. Aug

    Avoid

    33°C (91°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    31°C (88°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    26°C (79°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    18°C (64°F)

  12. Dec

    Avoid

    14°C (57°F)

Best: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Avoid: Jul–Aug, Dec–Feb. Month by month →

Warmest Jul (33°C (91°F)), coolest Dec (2°C (36°F) low), wettest Jan (12 rain days), driest Jul (0). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Ukiah: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

14°C (57°F)

3°C (37°F)

12 rd

Feb

16°C (61°F)

4°C (39°F)

11 rd

Mar

18°C (64°F)

5°C (41°F)

11 rd

Apr

21°C (70°F)

6°C (43°F)

7 rd

May

25°C (77°F)

8°C (46°F)

4 rd

Jun

29°C (84°F)

10°C (50°F)

2 rd

Jul

33°C (91°F)

12°C (54°F)

0 rd

Aug

33°C (91°F)

12°C (54°F)

1 rd

Sep

31°C (88°F)

10°C (50°F)

2 rd

Oct

26°C (79°F)

7°C (45°F)

5 rd

Nov

18°C (64°F)

4°C (39°F)

10 rd

Dec

14°C (57°F)

2°C (36°F)

12 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is the practical choice: sights are spread along US-101 and the hot springs and temple sit outside the centre. Mendocino Transit Authority runs local routes in town and longer routes to the coast and to Santa Rosa; Greyhound and Lake Transit also stop here. In town, walking works for State Street, but the airport strip and the temple need wheels or a bus.

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

go

Door to door: About 20 min

Drive east on Talmage Road, about 10 min from downtown

Large Buddhist monastery and campus with a vegan restaurant; check visiting hours and rules before you go.

Vichy Springs Resort

go

Door to door: About 20 min

Drive northeast of town, about 10 min

Warm mineral baths; day use is by timed session and costs around $35–60 per person (2026 estimate, check).

Anderson Valley (Philo and Boonville)

go

Door to door: About 45–60 min

Drive west on CA-253 over the hills, or south on US-101 then west on CA-128

Tasting rooms along CA-128; the hill road is winding — go slow and do not drink and drive.

Willits and the Skunk Train

go

Door to door: About 40 min

Drive north on US-101, about 30 min

Heritage rail line through the redwoods toward Fort Bragg; book ahead in summer.

Mendocino and Fort Bragg

overnight

Door to door: About 1–1.5 h

Drive west on CA-20 then north or south on CA-1

The coast deserves its own night; a return day trip leaves you little time on the headlands.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Downtown / South State Street

Walkable to the Grace Hudson Museum, the co-op and most restaurants; motels and the older motor courts sit along this strip.

Airport Park Boulevard (north edge)

Chain hotels clustered near the airport and the US-101 interchange; free parking, but you drive to dinner.

North State Street

Highway-side motels on the way to Redwood Valley; cheapest beds, most road noise.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$80–130 excl. bed
Mid
$130–220 excl. bed
High
$220+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel double room1 × 1 night × US$140US$140
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$170US$340
Rental car, one day, compact1 × US$70 · Fuel extra; book from SFO or Santa RosaUS$70
Vichy Springs day session2 × US$45 · check — timed sessions, reserve aheadUS$90
Grace Hudson Museum entry2 × US$7 · check — free on first FridaysUS$14
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$68
Trip total≈ US$376 per person per day, bed includedUS$752

2026 estimate in US dollars; sales tax is added at the till and is not included here. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$4–6
Deli sandwich or burrito$10–16
Sit-down dinner, one mainAdd 18–22% tip and sales tax.$18–32
Draft beer or a glass of local wine$7–14
Gallon of gascheck — varies by season$4.50–5.50
Motel room, one nightRates jump on summer weekends and holidays.$90–220
eSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Ukiah is a small city with ordinary small-city risk: property crime exists, so lock the car and do not leave bags visible. The bigger hazards are practical — summer heat inland, fast traffic on US-101, and winding unlit hill roads after dark.
  • Summer afternoons inland run hot — 35 °C (95 °F) or more — while the coast an hour west stays cool and foggy: pack layers for both.
  • US-101 through town is a busy commercial strip with fast traffic and few crossings; cross at signals.
  • Cell coverage drops on the hill roads west to the coast and in parts of the redwood parks.
  • The temple is a working religious community: dress modestly and follow posted rules on photography and quiet.
  • Some rural roads have no lighting and no shoulder; avoid driving them after dark if you are not used to them.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Ukiah Police (non-emergency)
707-463-6262
Poison control (24 h)
1-800-222-1222

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

UkiahUkiah, California

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Please take me to this addressPlease take me to this address

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Ukiah Police (non-emergency)707-463-6262
  • Poison control (24 h)1-800-222-1222

Embassy

No consulates in Ukiah; the nearest are in San Francisco (most countries) and Sacramento (a few).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Vichy Springs day session: about $35–60 per person, timed (check)
  • Grace Hudson Museum entry: $7, free first Fridays (check)
  • MTA bus, local route in town: low single-digit fare, exact change (check)

Say or show

  • Where is the restroom? — Where is the restroom?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • A table for two, please — A table for two, please
  • Is there parking here? — Is there parking here?
  • How far is the coast? — How far is the coast?
  • Thanks, that's all — Thanks, that's all

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Ukiah. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (inland heat), Dec–Feb (rain) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for SFO, STS and OAK: drive times by time of day, last bus options, and a motel fallback near the US-101 interchange.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: downtown State Street, the Grace Hudson Museum, the airport hotel strip, and the temple and hot springs east of town.
  3. Place pages with verified hours and fees (Grace Hudson Museum, City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, Vichy Springs) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Coast and valley day-trip fixtures so the Mendocino, Willits and Anderson Valley pages can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources

Ask about Ukiah

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