Living On and Off Campus

Exploring Housing Options

On-Campus

R&DE Housing Assignments Office
408 Panama Mall
Suite 101
Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: 650-725-2810
Email: studenthousing@stanford.edu

The Stanford University Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) includes the Student Housing Operations for on-campus housing. The information below provides a general overview and informal advice only. If you need more detailed information about housing or housing policies, please contact the R&DE Student Housing Office directly. Please visit this website to learn more. Information regarding on-campus housing for the next academic year will be available in March.

As an incoming law student, you are guaranteed placement in on-campus housing as long as you apply for housing in early May. Should you miss the May housing application deadline, the deadline for the wait list for campus housing typically takes place in July. Initial assignments from the wait list will be announced in late-July.  Please refer to the housing website for complete deadline information.

On-campus graduate residences include: Munger Graduate Residence (single students or couples with some priority to students in the Law School), Escondido Village (single students, couples, and families with children), Lyman Graduate Residences (single students only), Liliore Green Rains Houses (single students only), Kennedy Graduate Residences (single students and couples), and GSB Residences (single students only with priority to students in the Graduate School of Business). All campus residences are furnished and include draperies or window shades, but do not have linens or kitchen utensils. Some apartments have small storage spaces. You may request an unfurnished apartment, if you prefer, but the cost is the same. All apartments are heated by individually controlled heating units.

As law students will have some priority in the Munger Graduate Residence Hall, please make sure to read through the description of this living space.

Off-Campus

Rental housing is available near Stanford, but the University is located in a highly-desirable suburban area in the heart of Silicon Valley. Consequently, off-campus rental rates are relatively high compared to many other regions of the United States and even other parts of the Bay Area.

If you decide to live off campus, plan to arrive at Stanford at least two weeks early to take advantage of a wider range of housing choices.

You can check local rental listings, accessible only to Stanford students and affiliates on the  Community Housing website.

Getting Around Campus and the Bay Area

Below you will find information about getting around campus and the Bay Area including information about alternative transportation, parking on campus, and links to the DMV to learn more about your driver’s license and car registration.

Biking on Campus

Many students without cars use bikes as their main source of transportation. Stanford University offers a program for bike commuters, which gives information about route planning, bicycle parking, security, bike shops in the area, and locker rentals. Visit the Stanford University Transportation website for program information.

Marguerite Shuttle

Stanford University operates a free shuttle service that circles the campus, Caltrain station, and the Stanford Shopping Center.  For more details, visit the Stanford University Transportation website for schedules and route maps.

Carpooling

Carpool information is also available through the Stanford Transportation Office.  For more details on ride share options, visit their website.

Caltrain

Caltrain is a commuter rail service that runs along the San Francisco Peninsula, through the South Bay to San Jose and Gilroy. Stanford’s free Marguerite Campus Shuttle meets trains at the California Avenue and Downtown Palo Alto stations between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. on weekdays. Marguerite also provides late-night and weekend service to the Palo Alto station during the academic year.  For more details, visit the Caltrain website.

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)

The BART system serves the San Francisco Peninsula connecting communities in the East Bay and South Bay.  BART currently extends as far as Millbrae, Richmond, Antioch, Dublin/Pleasanton, and Berrysea/North San Jose.  BART also serves South San Francisco, San Bruno, San Francisco International Airport and Millbrae, with connecting service to Oakland International Airport. Unfortunately, it does not extend as far south as Palo Alto; however, it does connect with Caltrain in Millbrae. For more details, visit the BART website.

Express Buss

Other express shuttle bus services runs weekdays between the East Bay and the Stanford campus.  These services may be free for Stanford faculty, staff, students, and hospital employees depending on the location of their residence.  For more details, visit the Stanford Transportation website.

SamTrans

The bus system for San Mateo County is known as SamTrans. It offers routes from Palo Alto to all of San Mateo County (north of campus), including service to the San Francisco International Airport.  For more details, visit the SamTrans website.

Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)

The VTA connects 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.  For VTA information, visit the VTA website.

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)

San Francisco’s network of Muni buses, light rail Metro train, historic streetcars and iconic cable cars covers all corners of the city. For more details, visit the SFMTA website.

Other Alternative Transportation Options

Public transportation is available through a variety of systems described in detail, with links to other sites, through 511.org.  In addition, you may visit the Stanford Transportation website for more information about alternative transportation options and how to “s at Stanford” without a car.

Parking on Campus

In the event you do bring a car to Stanford, you must purchase a parking permit in order to park on campus. Students with partners or spouses who live in on-campus residences are allowed to purchase permits for two vehicles.

Various types of parking permits are available for different lengths of time, e.g., 9 months or a full year. For those who live on campus, you will need to buy a “Resident” permit for the appropriate residential area. For those who live off campus and will commute to SLS, “A” permits, which are typically closer to campus buildings, and “C” permits are available for purchase.   The closest parking lot to Stanford Law School is Parking Structure 6 which offers “A” and “C” permit parking spaces.

Temporary permits are also available for purchase online on the Stanford Transportation website.  Please be aware that you will need a parking permit to park in Parking Structure 6 during Orientation as “A” and “C” permit parking is enforced M-F from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For additional questions, you can contact the Stanford Transportation office at 650.723.9362, transportation@stanford.edu.

Free Transit and Commuter Benefits

If you use alternative transportation options and do not purchase a parking sticker, may be be eligible for free transit and other benefits. For more information, visit the Stanford Transportation website.

Driver’s License and Car Registration

For full details regarding driver’s license and car registration requirements, please visit the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website.

To avoid a long wait, please be sure to schedule an online appointment prior to your visit to the DMV.

Living in Palo Alto

Stanford Law School, located in the city of Palo Alto at the heart of Silicon Valley, is 45 minutes from San Francisco, 30 minutes from the beach, and 3½ hours from the snow. More than 100 years old, Palo Alto is home to approximately 69,700 residents. The city encompasses an area of approximately 26 square miles, of which one-third is open space. Known as the “Birthplace of the Silicon Valley,” Palo Alto was also, in 1994, the first U.S. city to have an Internet home page. Palo Alto has over 300 local restaurants and offers access to outdoor hiking and a myriad of cultural activities.

  • The city of Palo Alto is more than 100 years old, and is named after a majestic 1000 year old coastal redwood tree along San Francisquito Creek, where early Spanish explorers settled.
  • The city encompasses an area of approximately 26 square miles, of which one-third is open space.
  • First city to open a public children’s library (1940).
  • First U.S. city to have an Internet home page (1994).
  • Palo Alto is strategically located and easily accessible to major surface routes, including Interstate 280, Highway 101, Highway 84 – the Dumbarton Bridge and Highway 92 – the Hayward-San Mateo Bridge.
  • Population: 69,700 residents (approximately)
  • Movie theaters within 15 miles: 26 (approximately)
  • Restaurants within 15 miles: 4,511 (approximately)
  • Restaurants within downtown Palo Alto: 80 (approximately)
  • Public golf courses within 30 miles: 61 (approximately)
  • Libraries within 15 miles: 69 (approximately)
  • Museums within 30 miles: 13 (approximately)
  • Palo Alto city-owned parks: 34 (approximately)
  • Annual precipitation (inches) 15.7
  • High temp in July °F 78.80°
  • Low temp in Jan °F 40.40°

To learn more about local resources in Palo Alto, visit the Graduate Life Office website.