Directions to Stanford University

By Car

Driving Directions

From Highway 101 North & South: Take the Embarcadero Road exit west toward Stanford. At El Camino Real, Embarcadero turns into Galvez Street as it enters the university. Stay in the left lane and continue toward the center of campus. There is parking in a lot on the right side Galvez Street, just past Memorial Way. A few hundred feet beyond this lot, Galvez ends at Serra Street, where there is more parking.

From Highway 280 North & South: Exit 280 at Sand Hill Road, heading east. Make a right turn on Santa Cruz Avenue, then a left turn onto Junipero Serra Boulevard. Turn left at the second stoplight, Campus Drive East. Continue around Campus Drive East and turn left when you reach Palm Drive. Follow Palm Drive towards the Oval to the parking or drop-off areas indicated below.

From El Camino Real: Exit El Camino Real at University Avenue. Turn toward the hills (away from the center of Palo Alto). As you enter Stanford, University Avenue becomes Palm Drive. Follow Palm Drive towards the Oval to the parking or drop-off areas indicated below.

NB: On the mornings of Splash, the main entrance to Stanford via Palm Drive typically experiences high volumes of traffic. Thus, we advise people try to arrive earlier and budget extra time to find parking spaces.

Parking and Drop-off Info (see map below)

For student drop-off only, please use the the area around Museum Way and Roth Way. Please drop off your students quickly to aid in the flow of traffic. 

You can park in any "A" "P" or "C" lot on campus, but we recommend all cars park in the Roth Way Garage (Parking Structure 1), as that is the closest to student check-in.

1. Parking Structure 1 (NW of the Oval on the map). At the stop sign after the traffic light, turn right off of Palm Drive onto Campus Drive East. Continue until you reach signs for Parking Structure 1 on the left.

Click below for a larger map!

By Caltrain

Caltrain is a commuter rail service that runs between Gilroy and San Francisco. There are two stops close to Stanford: one on California Avenue and another at the end of Palm Drive in downtown Palo Alto. More information is available at caltrain.com.

We recommend getting off at the Palo Alto - University Avenue station. It's the one after Menlo Park (if you're coming from points north) or after California Avenue (if you're coming from points south).