In the South Bay, at the San Jose Diridon Caltrain Station, the "Freedom Train" will depart at 9:30 a.m., according to Caltrain.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Santa Clara Valley runs the annual event.
The train, an annual service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will make stops at the Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and San Mateo stations before arriving at its final destination in San Francisco at 10:55 a.m.
There will be no special southbound service, but the train will depart southbound from San Francisco at 1 p.m.
In San Francisco, the Northern California Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Foundation will hold its "The Dream and 50 Years" celebration.
The event, taking place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and Yerba Buena Gardens, will feature several activities including film screenings, author conversations and award ceremonies throughout the day, according to the organization.
Events run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There will also be a one and a half mile march starting at the San Francisco Caltrain Station at 11 a.m., going to Willie Mays Plaza to commemorate the Civil Rights-era marches, and finishing up at Yerba Buena Gardens for an interfaith ceremony.
The Museum of the African Diaspora, at 685 Mission St., in San Francisco, will allow visitors in free of charge for the day in honor of Dr. King. It opens at 11 a.m.
In Oakland, at McClymonds High School, at 2607 Myrtle St., Dr. King passionate vision will be honored in the 15th annual "Make the Dream Real" celebration.
The event, presented by the Attitudinal Healing Connection, begins at 10 a.m. and is free to the public. It focuses on moving Dr. King's vision forward through building understanding, making the dream real for a quality education for all children.
In the Peninsula, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties will hold its annual celebration, beginning at 8:30 a.m., at the San Mateo Caltrain Station.
The "Freedom Train" will also make a stop during the food bank event.
In addition to these events, several regional parks will hold days of service and volunteer cleanup days in honor of the Civil Rights leader.