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Plan Your Visit

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When planning your trip, consider browsing the links below to find resources for transportation, campus information, lodging, and places of interest in and around the Stanford community.

Banner hung above Palm Drive reads welcome to Stanford

Getting Here

For general information about transportation to campus, visit the Stanford Transportation website.

Airports

San Francisco International (SFO) is approximately 25 miles north and San Jose International (SJC) approximately 20 miles south of Stanford. Both airports offer public transport, shuttle, and hire car options that will get you here. Oakland International (OAK) is also an option but is further from campus and can be more difficult to travel to/from using public transport and shuttles.

Public Transportation

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) provides limited transit service on the San Francisco Peninsula and throughout the East Bay. BART services do not extend past the Millbrae Station. Stanford riders can connect to BART via Caltrain and bus connections at the following stations:

Millbrae – served by Caltrain
Fremont – served by the Line U East Bay Express
Union City – served by the Dumbarton Express

Caltrain connects San Francisco and San Jose (including both airports) with a stop in Palo Alto. Attendees using Caltrain should get off at the Palo Alto station.

Campus Transportation

Marguerite, Stanford's free shuttle service, meets most Caltrain services at the Palo Alto station and can take you to many popular destinations on campus. See the Live Shuttle Map

Additionally, there will be some special shuttle routes added on Saturday and Sunday for the Caltrain, the President's Reception, and to the parking lots. Details will be posted closer to the weekend.

Parking

Information about parking for Commencement will be added as we get closer to the weekend.

Man in chef hat and chef coat checking food station while people in background get food from bar.

Lodging & Dining

The Stanford campus and surrounding areas offer a wide range of lodging and dining options, however not all locations may be open or available during Commencement Weekend. Please contact establishments directly to confirm status and hours of operation. 

Lodging

On Campus

The only hotel owned and operated by Stanford University, Stanford Guest House welcomes guests of Stanford University, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford Medicine. Guests require both an affiliation to one of these organizations and an educational purpose for their visit.

Stanford Guest House 

Off Campus

We recommend contacting the hotels directly to inquire about special rates as all pricing and reservations are handled separately through the hotels and not by the university. Please note that the lodging options linked below are not operated by Stanford University and are included as a courtesy.

Lodging in Palo Alto

Lodging in Redwood City

Lodging in the Silicon Valley area

Lodging in the Bay Area

Wheelchair accessible hotels
 

Dining

Campus eateries map

Cafe and retail food locations on campus

Dining options at the Stanford Shopping Center

Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce restaurants and cafes list

Palo Alto Online's Best of 2024 restaurants

Palo Alto Online's Best of 2024 food and drink

*Check with establishments to confirm operating status and hours.

 

Map of campus

Campus maps and points of interest

Commencement Maps (links will be added closer to the weekend)

Stanford Commencement Map

Stanford Stadium Map

School, Department, and Program Ceremonies Map

Stanford maps

Stanford online searchable map

Live Marguerite shuttle map

Campus outdoor art map

Other campus maps and resources

Points of interest and things to do on campus

Please reach out to confirm hours of operation as some attractions may not be open during Commencement

Self-guided and virtual tours of campus

Anderson Collection

Bookstore

Cantor Arts Center

Hoover Tower

Memorial Church

Stanford Dish

Stanford Arts

Stanford Athletics

Stanford Live

Stanford Libraries

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory visitor information

View of Stanford Campus from the foothills looking across to the bay and mountains beyond.

Stanford University's Land Acknowledgment Statement

Stanford sits on the ancestral land of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. This land was and continues to be of great importance to the Ohlone people. Consistent with our values of community and inclusion, we have a responsibility to acknowledge, honor, and make visible the University’s relationship to Native peoples.

Please note that some of these websites are not maintained by Stanford University and may change without notice. The information on this page is provided for your convenience and does not constitute an endorsement.