Purchase Permit Visitor Parking Plan Your Commute
Stanford
Transportation

Public Transit

Stanford University partners with public transit agencies to seamlessly facilitate car-free access to all Stanford locations, local communities, and the Bay Area. Additionally, the university offers a complimentary Marguerite shuttle service that connects passengers between the Palo Alto Transit Center and various sites on the Stanford campus, providing essential first-mile and last-mile transportation. See more information on the different modes of public transit:

 

Quick Links

EPX SamTrans bus stopping at Redwood City Stanford

Eligible Stanford affiliates, including employees and postdocs, receive Stanford-issued Clipper Cards, which allow free, unlimited travel on Caltrain, VTA, and AC Transit, including the Dumbarton Express, for eligible employees and *postdocs. Free monthly SamTrans passes for eligible employees at Stanford Redwood City. Free transit on AC Transit’s Line U East Bay express bus (with Stanford ID), Stanford’s Marguerite Shuttle, and Commute.org’s Redwood City-Midpoint Caltrain Shuttle. Savings on transit fares and parking at transit stations through pre-tax payroll deduction. 

 
Meet Phillip, who commutes daily from the East Bay on Line AE-F.

Caltrain Go Pass

The Go Pass is available FREE to eligible university employees and postdoctoral scholars. The pass allows unlimited travel on Caltrain between all zones.

VTA SmartPass

The SmartPass is available FREE to eligible university employees and postdoctoral scholars. It allows unlimited travel on VTA buses and VTA light rail.

AC Transit EasyPass

AC Transit's EasyPass is available to eligible university employees, SLAC employees, and postdoctoral scholars who reside in the East Bay. It provides unlimited travel on all AC Transit services, both local and Transbay (including the Dumbarton Express).

SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit District)

SamTrans connects the Palo Alto train station (and the free Marguerite shuttle service) and Stanford Redwood City to San Mateo County, including the SFO service. Eligible employees at Stanford Redwood City (SRWC) can request a free SamTrans pass.

SamTrans (Route 281)

SamTrans extended Route 281, which now provides a direct route from East Palo Alto to the Stanford Oval and Stanford Medical Center. Streamlined service will also get you to the campus faster and more direct from East Palo Alto.

Train

ACE

Check ACE Schedules and View Maps  Request ACE Passes or Tickets* 
*Stanford employees can purchase tickets on a monthly recurring basis via pre-tax payroll deduction.
The ACE Community Assistance Program also offers up to 50% discounts for those who qualify. 
The ACE train runs weekdays between Stockton and San Jose, serving the following stations:

  • Stockton
  • Lathrop-Manteca
  • Tracy
  • Vasco Road
  • Livermore
  • Pleasanton
  • Fremont
  • Great America
  • Santa Clara
  • San Jose Diridon

Stanford commuters can transfer from the Fremont station to the Line U bus, which runs directly to campus (and is free with a Stanford ID). The ACE train also connects to Caltrain at the Santa Clara and San Jose Diridon stations. Commuters to the main campus or Research Park can take Caltrain to the Palo Alto station on University Avenue, then transfer to a free Marguerite shuttle or bike or walk to their Stanford destination.
Learn more about the ACE train. 

BART

Check BART Schedules View BART Maps Request BART Passes or Tickets*
*Stanford employees can purchase tickets on a monthly recurring basis via pre-tax payroll deduction.
BART provides transit service throughout the San Francisco Peninsula and East Bay.  Stanford riders can connect to BART at the following stations:

Caltrain

Check Caltrain Schedule View Caltrain Map Request Caltrain Go Pass

Caltrain is a commuter rail service that runs between Gilroy and San Francisco. Stanford riders can connect to the Marguerite Shuttle at Palo Alto Transit Center.
Incentives:

  • Ride Caltrain free with a Go Pass
  • Accommodates 48 to 80 bikes aboard every train
  • Park all day at most Caltrain lots

Learn about Caltrain's Stanford Stadium Station for Stanford Football home games.

Capitol Corridor / Amtrak

Check Capital Corridor Schedules View Capital Corridor Route Map Request Capital Corridor Passes or Tickets

The Capitol Corridor train runs between San Jose and Sacramento, with limited service north to Auburn. Stanford riders can connect to the Capitol Corridor in Fremont (via the Line U Stanford Express) or in San Jose (via Caltrain).
Stanford riders can also access Amtrak's national rail network via San Jose and San Francisco connections.

Express Bus

Dumbarton Express (DB) 

Check DB Schedule View DB Route Map Request EasyPass

Dumbarton Express (DB1)

Check DB1 Schedule View DB1 Route Map Request EasyPass

The Dumbarton Express (DB & DB1) runs weekdays from the Union City BART station across the Dumbarton Bridge to Stanford or Deer Creek Road in Palo Alto.

  • Line DB travels from the Union City BART station and Ardenwood Park & Ride lot to the Stanford Oval, with stops at Menlo Park, the Palo Alto Caltrain station, and Stanford Medical Center (Roth Way at Campus Drive).
  • Line DB1 travels from the Union City BART station to Deer Creek Road, serving Stanford Research Park and the Palo Alto VA Hospital.

All Dumbarton Express buses are equipped with Wi-Fi and bike racks. If you are a benefits-eligible East Bay resident employee, you can use your EasyPass to take Dumbarton Express for free. A fare of $6.00 in each direction applies to all other riders.
Our East Bay Commute Guide will help you plan your commute using the Dumbarton Express Line DB and the Line U, and shows connections with BART and Marguerite. You can also view the Line DB and Line DB1 schedules on the Dumbarton Express website.

Santa Cruz Metro (SCMTD) (e.g., Highway 17 Express Bus)

Check SCMTD Schedule View SCMTD Map Request SCMTD Passes or Tickets

Highway 17 Express Bus provides service between downtown Santa Cruz (Metro Center), Soquel, Scotts Valley, and San Jose State University (San Fernando Street by 7th Street). 
Service is offered 7 days a week. On weekends, service is available from San Jose Diridon Station only. The Metro Center connects to other Santa Cruz Metro buses throughout Santa Cruz County. 

Monterey -Salinas Transit (MST)

Check MST Schedules and View Maps  Request MST Passes or Tickets

MST provides bus service to the greater Monterey and Salinas areas as far south as Paso Robles and Big Sur and as far north as Santa Cruz and San Jose.

Line U

Check Line U Schedule and View Map  Request EasyPass

AC Transit runs a weekday express shuttle bus service between the East Bay and the Stanford campus. This service is FREE for Stanford faculty, staff, students, hospital employees, and SLAC employees with a valid university ID card, hospital ID badge, or SLAC ID badge. For all other riders, a fare of $4.20 in each direction applies.
Learn more about the Line U.

Bus and Light Rail

AC Transit (Alameda - Contra Costa County Transit)

Check AC Transit Schedules and View Maps  Request EasyPass

AC Transit buses serve 13 cities and adjacent areas in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. For AC Transit information, visit actransit.org or use AC Transit's mobile app. 
If you are an eligible commuting employee, ride AC Transit for free with the EasyPass. 
Stanford Riders can connect with AC Transit at the following locations:

Muni (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency)

Check Muni Schedule View Muni Map Request Passes or Tickets via Edenred

Muni buses serve San Francisco, with a few stops in Daly City as well. Muni Metro also provides subway and light rail service to various locations. For Muni information, visit sfmta.com.
Stanford Riders can connect with Muni at the following locations:

  • San Francisco Caltrain Station (4th and King) Served by Caltrain. Muni Bus service at this station includes Routes 10, 30, 45, and 47. The N and T Light Rail Lines also connect with Caltrain at this point.
  • BART Stations: Served by BART, via Caltrain from Palo Alto to Millbrae (transfer to BART at Millbrae).
  • 22nd Street Caltrain Station: A number of Muni routes are within a short walk of the 22nd Street Station, including Muni Metro Line T and 48 Bus.

SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit District)

Check SamTrans Schedules and View Maps Request Passes or Tickets via Edenred

SamTrans connects the Palo Alto train station (and the free Marguerite shuttle service), Stanford Redwood City, and the Redwood City Transit Center to all of San Mateo County (north of campus), including service to the San Francisco International Airport. For SamTrans information, visit samtrans.com.
Five SamTrans bus routes serve Stanford at the Palo Alto Transit Center and twelve SamTrans bus routes stop at the Redwood City Transit Center. Visit our SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit District) webpage to learn more.
Benefits-eligible university employees working at Stanford Redwood City can request a free monthly pass to receive unlimited travel on SamTrans.
For more information about transit to San Francisco International Airport, please call the Bay Area Transit Information Hotline by dialing 511 from within the San Francisco Bay Area or (510) 817-1717 from outside the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit 511.org for information about San Jose or Oakland airports.

VTA (Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency)

Use VTA Trip Planner  View VTA Maps Request VTA SmartPass

VTA buses connect the Palo Alto train station (and the free Marguerite shuttle service) to Santa Clara County (south of campus). VTA also provides light rail service in the South Bay. All VTA buses have 2-bike front-mounted racks. For VTA information, visit vta.org or use the VTA-endorsed Transit app.
If you are an eligible commuting employee, ride VTA for free with the SmartPass.
Three VTA bus routes serve Stanford at the Palo Alto Transit Center:

  • The 22 operates along El Camino, running north to the Menlo Park train station and south to San Jose. It runs 24 hours a day with service approximately every 12 minutes during daytime hours.
  • The Rapid 522 is a limited stop service between the Palo Alto train station and San Jose. It runs along El Camino like the 22, but with fewer stops and service every 15 minutes.
  • The 21 runs between Santa Clara Transit Center and the Stanford Shopping Center, serving the Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara neighborhoods.

Community Shuttles

Airport Shuttles

Open Airport Shuttles configuration options

Private shuttle operators offer service between Stanford and area airports, which can be found through airport websites (These links lead to non-Stanford websites and are provided as a convenience, not as an endorsement of the vendors or websites listed.):

Online reviews

Before booking with a specific transportation provider, please read online reviews. Popular sites include:

Menlo Park Shuttle

Menlo Park Shuttle Schedules and Maps  

This free shuttle runs weekdays from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. The shuttle serves various locations throughout Menlo Park, including the Menlo Park Library, downtown Menlo Park, the Menlo Park Caltrain station, Safeway, the Stanford Shopping Center, and Stanford Medical Center.

Commute.org: Redwood City-Midpoint Caltrain

View MPT Schedule and Map

This Commute.org free shuttle runs weekdays and provides peak-commute service. The shuttle serves the Redwood City Transit Center to and from Stanford Redwood City at 505 Broadway.  During midday service, Stanford’s free Marguerite shuttle will serve Stanford Redwood City.
To sign up for real-time alerts from Commute.org regarding service changes on the Redwood City/Midpoint shuttle, text "MPTALERTS" to: (833) 426-6688

Stanford Research Park (Marguerite Shuttles)

Research Park (RP) Schedule and Map  Cal Ave Express (CAX) Schedule and Map 1050A Schedule and Map