Penn State Apartments on a Bus Route: 10 State College Picks for Living Car-Free

The Penn State apartments on a bus route that cost you nothing to ride are all downtown. CATA's fare-free service is three routes this fall (the Blue Loop, the White Loop and the Red Link), and the off-campus apartments they pass are downtown, mostly along East Beaver Avenue and East College Avenue. Park Forest, Waupelani Drive, Blue Course Drive and Toftrees have bus stops too, several named after the complexes, but those are community routes, and every ride is $2.50 unless you hold a pass.

How we mapped this: on October 27, 2026, we pulled the stop list for every CATABUS route from CATA's real-time system and measured the straight-line distance from each of the 31 places on our off-campus housing near Penn State page to the nearest stop on each route. Prices are base rent from live Find My Place listings the same day. Full disclosure: every building below is one we list.

Key Takeaways

• Three fare-free routes for fall 2026: Blue Loop, White Loop, Red Link. The Green Link is no longer on CATA's campus schedule page.
• Want a free bus at your door? Look on East Beaver Avenue. The White Loop has stops named for Calder Commons, Beaver Hill Apartments and The Meridian.
• The Red Link never leaves campus (West Deck, Pattee Transit Center, Porter Road at Medlar Field), so no apartment is "on" it.
• Outer complexes like The Brexx, The Yards at Old State and Park Forest Apartments get stops with their own names on paid community routes.
• $2.50 a ride, $98 for a one-month OnePass, $383 for four months (CATA fare page, updated October 20, 2026).
• Undergrads don't get a discount. Penn State's $24-a-month RIDEpass is for grad students, faculty and staff.

Which CATA Routes Are Fare-Free for Penn State Students in 2026?

The Blue Loop, White Loop and Red Link are free for everyone, no ID needed. CATA's fares page says the LOOP and LINK routes are fare-free, while community routes and CATAGO! charge for every one-way trip. A Penn State ID does not change that.

So the real question isn't "is my apartment near a bus." It's "is it near a free one." Penn State's fall 2026 transportation update keeps RIDEpass at $24 a month for faculty, staff and graduate students, and grad students can now buy it online without proving where they live. Undergrads pay CATA's regular fares.

Frequency is the other reason the free routes matter. On full-service weekdays (Monday through Thursday), the White Loop runs about every 5 minutes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to its route page. The Blue Loop comes about every 10 minutes from 8:40 a.m. to 10:25 p.m.

1. Meridian on College Avenue: A White Loop Stop With the Building's Name on It

Meridian is the best fare-free setup on this list. CATA's "University Drive ramp at The Meridian" stop, a White Loop stop, sits about 140 feet from the listing's map pin. You can be at Pattee Transit Center before your coffee cools.

Meridian on College Avenue is 0.5 miles from Penn State and lists from $765, but that two-bedroom "whole unit" price is lower than its $1,195 private-room price, so ask what the $765 covers. Five resident reviews give it a 4.6 FMP score.

2. The Legacy and RISE at State College: The Calder Commons Stop

Both buildings share a free White Loop stop, "E Beaver Ave at Calder Commons," about 390 feet from The Legacy and 450 feet from RISE. Each is 0.3 miles from campus, so honestly, you'll walk most days and save the bus for February.

The Legacy at State College on E Calder Way is unusually clear on price: a shared bedroom in a four-bedroom lists at $1,046 a person and a private room at $1,546, with a 4.2 score from five reviews. RISE at State College at 532 E College Ave lists from $1,179, but its prices zigzag across 13 floor plans (a 4x4 at $1,299, a 2x2 at $2,139), so confirm per-bed or per-unit before you budget.

3. Penn Tower: Two Free Loops Within 600 Feet

Penn Tower at 255 E Beaver Ave is one of two places on this list within about 600 feet of both free loops (Americana House is the other). The White Loop's Beaver Hill Apartments stop is roughly 470 feet away, and the Blue Loop's "E College Ave at Atherton Hall" stop is about 550.

That matters on game days and during reduced service, when one loop is thin or rerouted. A one-bedroom at Penn Tower lists at $1,770, 0.2 miles from campus. Four reviews average 4.0.

4. Americana House: Closest Blue Loop Stop on Our Map

Americana House on Locust Lane is about 320 feet from the Blue Loop's Atherton Hall stop on East College Avenue, the shortest Blue Loop walk of any place we list. The White Loop stop at Beaver Hill Apartments is about 380 feet the other way.

It's a solo-living building. Furnished studios at Americana House list at $1,375, a semi one-bedroom at $1,675 and a two-bedroom at $2,800 (rent climbs with size, so whole-unit prices, and no reviews yet).

5. Yugo Echelon: West-Side Downtown, Still on the White Loop

Most free-bus apartments cluster on the east side of downtown. Yugo Echelon at 330 W College Ave is the west-side exception, about 310 feet from the White Loop's "S Burrowes St at the James Elliott Bldg" stop (the paid AC route stops there too).

It's 0.5 miles from campus and lists from $999. Pricing is a puzzle, though: a five-occupant three-bedroom shows $999, while a five-bedroom "Elm" plan shows $6,900. Ask the leasing office which numbers are per person.

6. The Brexx and Executive House: Waupelani Drive's Named Stops

Waupelani Drive has two paid-route stops CATA named after the buildings: "Waupelani Dr at Executive House," about 190 feet from that property, and "Waupelani Dr at Brexx," about 570 feet from The Brexx. Routes R, RC and RP serve both (the UP stops at the Brexx too).

The Brexx at State College, 1.3 miles out, lists five-bedroom plans at $799 and four-bedrooms at $899, falling as units grow, which only works as per-bed pricing. Executive House Apartments goes the other way (a one-bedroom at $950, a three-bedroom at $1,470, whole-unit prices), and both carry a 3.4 score. One catch: since August, the RC doesn't leave campus outbound before 10:30 a.m., so take the R for an early ride home.

7. The Yards at Old State: A Route Literally Named for It

The RP is officially "The Yards/Waupelani Dr/Downtown," and its stop called "The Yards at Old State" is about 460 feet from the listing. The R and RC stop there too. That's as close to a private shuttle as State College gets, minus the free part.

The Yards at Old State is 2.0 miles from campus off Blue Course Drive, with no reviews yet. A room in a five-bedroom lists from $799, four-bedrooms from $899 and the two-bedroom at $1,600 (per-bed, since rent falls as bedrooms rise).

8. Park Forest Apartments: Three Routes at "801 W Aaron Dr"

Park Forest Apartments has its own stop: "801 W Aaron Dr at Park Forest Apartments," about 460 feet from the listing. The N (Martin St/Aaron Dr/Downtown), the NE express to Pattee and the NV all stop there. Three routes at one curb is rare this far out.

It's 2.0 miles from campus. A one-bedroom at Park Forest Apartments lists at $930 and a two-bedroom at $1,175 (whole-unit prices, and the cheapest solo apartment on this list), though reviews are mixed at 3.2 from five.

9. The Heights at State College: Best-Reviewed Place on a Bus Line

The Heights scores a 5.0 from five reviews, the highest of anything here, and CATA has a "Havershire Blvd. at The Heights" stop about 690 feet from it. The WE (Havershire/Campus Express) uses that one, and the W and NV stop across Havershire Boulevard.

The Heights at State College is 2.1 miles from campus at 201 Northwick Blvd. Floor plans list from $940, but a three-bedroom ($940) and a four-bedroom ($950) cost about the same, so the listing doesn't tell you whether that's per bed. Ask.

10. The Valley (Toftrees): The Express-Route Option Up North

The Valley at 870 Toftrees Ave is about 670 feet from the "Toftrees Ave at The View" stop. Three routes use it: the H, the NV and the HU, the Toftrees/Campus Express. CATA's HU page lists weekday service only, so weekends mean the H or NV.

It's 2.0 miles from campus, and The Valley is new to Find My Place, with no reviews yet. A room in a five-bedroom townhome lists from $799, four-bedrooms from $860 and two-bedrooms at $1,199, falling as the unit grows (per-bed).

What About Vairo Boulevard and Blue Course Drive?

Both corridors have bus stops, just paid ones. On Vairo Boulevard, the V, VE and NV stop at "Vairo Blvd at The Pointe" and near Tremont Student Living. The Pointe State College lists from $799 for a room in a four-bedroom. Both complexes sit at 1.9 out of 5 on Find My Place, though, so read the reviews before the bus schedule.

Alight State College on Blue Course Drive is about 600 feet from "Blue Course Dr at Blue Course Commons," a W and WE stop. Same advice: low score, check reviews first.

Is a Paid Bus Route Still Worth It?

Often, yes. Rooms on Waupelani Drive, Blue Course Drive and in Toftrees list from $799, while the free-loop buildings downtown mostly start above $1,000. A 4-month OnePass at $383 works out to about $96 a month.

Do the math with your own lease. And ask the leasing office whether a pass is included, because CATA tells apartment renters to check with their rental office about bus passes. For a block-by-block feel, read our guide to State College neighborhoods for Penn State students.

Frequently Asked Questions About Penn State Apartments on a Bus Route

Do Penn State students ride every CATA bus free?

No. Only the Blue Loop, White Loop and Red Link are fare-free, and they're free for anyone. Community routes like the R, N, V, W and H cost $2.50 a ride.

Which Penn State apartments are on a free bus route?

Downtown buildings, mostly along East Beaver and East College Avenue. Meridian on College Avenue, The Legacy, RISE, Penn Tower and Americana House all sit within about 600 feet of a White Loop or Blue Loop stop.

Is there still a Green Link?

Not on CATA's fall 2026 campus schedule. Its fare-free list names the Blue Loop, White Loop and Red Link only.

Do CATA buses run on weekends?

Some do. The Blue and White Loops run Saturdays and Sundays during full service, but the Red Link dropped weekends this fall, and express routes like the HU run weekdays only.