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San Luis Obispo, California is a small Central Coast city of around 47,000 sitting halfway between LA and the Bay, and it's about as classic a college town as California offers. California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) sits on the north edge of town, and with tens of thousands of Mustangs, students are a huge share of the population and shape the whole place. The walkable downtown grid centers on the historic mission and the creek running through it, with a famous Thursday farmers market filling the streets each week. Hiking the volcanic Morros, the nearby beaches, and Bishop Peak are all part of student life here, and the weather stays mild year-round.
The student-heavy strip right by Cal Poly's entrance, packed with apartments and the obvious pick for walking or biking to class.
The walkable historic core around the mission and creek, great if you want nightlife, the farmers market, and city life over campus proximity.
Residential streets between downtown and campus, a balance of quiet and convenience for roommate groups.
Here's what you need to know about getting around San Luis Obispo.
SLO Transit runs city bus routes, and Cal Poly students ride free with their ID, which covers the campus-to-downtown loop and most residential areas. Regional buses and the Amtrak station extend your reach up and down the coast. The free bus makes daily campus trips easy for students without a car. For trips beyond town, the regional buses and Amtrak fill the gaps.
The town is compact, so walking and biking handle most daily trips. The bike network connecting campus, downtown, and the neighborhoods is genuinely usable. Many Cal Poly students get by without a car thanks to the short distances and bike-friendly streets. Living car-light near campus is realistic given how walkable the core is.
Many students still keep a car for beach trips and weekend escapes beyond town. A car opens up the coast and the trailheads outside the city. Students who drive should expect to use a vehicle mainly for getting out of town rather than daily errands. For most day-to-day life near campus, though, the car can stay parked.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
SLO is a tight, in-demand market, so most students share to bring their costs down. A shared room or per-person rate near Cal Poly often runs about $700-$1,000/month, while a private room in a shared apartment or house tends to land around $900-$1,400/month. Splitting a house with several roommates is the standard way students keep their share manageable here.
Browse student housing near each San Luis Obispo-area university.