Visitor Information
If you plan to visit Stanford University and the surrounding area, be sure to take advantage of the wealth of information available online. Below are recommendations on Web sites and other resources to help you select your accomodations, transportation, as well as enjoy your stay in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Maps
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View Stanford University's detailed searchable campus map.
Directions to the Stanford Center for Professional Development
Stanford Center for Professional Development
Stanford University
496 Lomita Mall, Durand Building 3rd Floor
Stanford, CA 94305-4008
Telephone: 650 725-3016
scpd-customerservice@stanford.edu
From Highway 101 North or South
Take the Embarcadero Road exit west towards Stanford. At El Camino Real, Embarcadero Road becomes Galvez Road. Continue across El Camino Real to Campus Drive. Turn right onto Campus Drive and continue to Via Ortega. Turn left on Via Ortega to the intersection with Panama Street.
From Highway 280 North or South
Exit at Alpine Road. From the south, follow to the right onto Alpine Road. From the north, stay to your left and turn left onto Alpine Road. Continue on Alpine Road to the traffic light at Junipero Serra and turn right. Continue on Junipero Serra to the first traffic light and turn left onto Campus Drive. Take Campus Drive to the 4th stop sign and turn right onto Via Ortega. Continue to the intersection with Panama Street.
From El Camino Real
Exit El Camino Real at University Avenue, turning towards the hills away from Palo Alto. (If you are coming from the south turn left. If you are coming from the north turn right). University Avenue becomes Palm Drive. Continue on Palm Drive through the first traffic light to the stop sign at Campus Drive. Turn right onto Campus Drive and continue to Via Ortega. Turn left on Via Ortega to the intersection with Panama Street.
Parking for the Stanford Center for Professional Development
Park in the structure located at the northwest corner of the intersection. Metered parking (using quarters only) is available on the first floor. All other parking requires an A or C parking permit. From the parking structure, walk to Panama Street and turn left. At the end of Panama Street (a pedestrian only area), look ahead to your left. The Durand building is a 4-story building on the left, just past Green Earth Sciences building and across from Terman Engineering. Entry and elevators are in the middle of the building. The Stanford Center for Professional Development lobby is on the third floor.
Transportation
Car Rental
Vehicle rental services are available at the San Francisco and San Jose airports as well as several locations in Palo Alto.
Parking
Parking on campus is extremely limited. Some pay parking is available near to the Durand Building, on Santa Teresa Mall, and Lagunita Drive. Pay parking costs 25c for 10 minutes, $12 for a whole day. The meters only accept quarters. For individuals attending a course or program on campus, please park at the Stock Farm parking lot, unless your welcome pack indicates otherwise.
Parking is free on campus after 4pm, and on weekends. Please note that parking enforcement is extremely vigilant. The Stanford Center for Professional Development is not liable for any parking tickets incurred. Stanford University Parking & Transportation Services provides information useful to visitors.
Public Transportation
Stanford University is well served by the Caltrain network. Use the Palo Alto stop, which is in Zone 3. From the Palo Alto Caltrain station, you can use the complimentary Marguerite shuttle, operated by Stanford University.
There are several taxi services in the area:
- Yellow Cab - 877.589.8294
- Taxi - 650.367.6666
- Taxi - Palo Alto - 650.322.9999
Airports
The closest airports to Stanford are:
Lodging and Dining
Hotels
There are several local hotels with rooms available at varying rates. Check with your hotel of choice whether a Stanford rate is available. This special discount must be specifically requested. Please note that you must be affiliated with Stanford during the dates of your visit to qualify for a Stanford rate. Attending a course at Stanford through the Stanford Center for Professional Development is classed as an affiliation.
- Four Seasons (For 2010, the SCPD rate during on-campus professional education courses, and the weekends directly before and after, is $225/night. Please contact the hotel directly to make your reservation at this special rate.)
- Stanford Park Hotel
- The Sheraton
- The Westin
- Stanford Guest House
Dining
There are several places to dine on and around campus. View a list of campus eateries. University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto offers a wide variety of places to eat and drink.
Services
Post Office
A full service US Post Office is located in White Plaza.
Banking
Stanford Federal Credit Union has two locations on campus and Wells Fargo Bank, which will cash only American Express traveler's checks for non-customers. Bank of America has a Versateller ATM located at Tresidder Union and a branch across from the Stanford Shopping Center. For foreign currency services, Travelex Currency Exchange is located at 606 Stanford Shopping Center (650.321.3309).
Shipping
If you are attending a professional course at Stanford, we will have a shipping table and a member of our distribution team available at the end of your course. Please have your company account details or credit card details available for the waybill. The Stanford Center for Professional Development does not cover the shipping of materials back to your place of residence/work.
Climate
The Stanford climate varies throughout the year. The temperature is highest in the summer, and can reach 100 degrees Farenheit. To view current weather conditions in the area and a 10-day forecast, visit Google Weather. The temperature also varies in the lecture and seminar rooms. Evening weather tends to be noticeably cooler. We advise that you dress in layers when you come to campus.
Bay Area Activities
Enjoy the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. These popular Web sites may help you plan your sight-seeing agenda.
Plan your trip door-to-door using 511 Trip Planner.