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Stanford, California isn't really a town so much as a sprawling campus and census area on the Peninsula between Palo Alto and Menlo Park, an hour south of San Francisco. The university anchors everything, and students who live off campus spill into the surrounding neighborhoods rather than "Stanford" proper. You'll find them in College Terrace on the campus edge, in downtown Palo Alto along University Avenue, and across El Camino Real in Evergreen Park. It's leafy, low-slung, and bike-obsessed, with the Stanford Dish trails, the Baylands marsh preserve, and the Caltrain corridor all part of daily life. Living here as a student means sunshine, redwoods, and a front-row seat to Silicon Valley.
Right against the campus edge off El Camino Real, all cottages and small buildings, the classic Stanford-adjacent pick for walk-or-bike-to-class students.
Around University Avenue, this puts you near the Caltrain station, restaurants, and the busiest stretch of town, great if you want energy.
Just across El Camino, Evergreen Park and Mayfield lean a little quieter with more apartment-style options.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Stanford.
Stanford's free Marguerite shuttle loops campus and connects to the Palo Alto Transit Center, and you do not need a university ID to ride it. Caltrain runs up and down the Peninsula from the Palo Alto station, getting you to San Francisco or San Jose without a car. VTA and SamTrans buses fill in regional gaps. Between the shuttle and Caltrain, students can reach campus and the wider Peninsula without driving.
Stanford runs on bikes first. The campus and the flat Peninsula grid around it are built for two wheels, and most students pedal to class, to downtown Palo Alto, and along the bay trails. Walking works downtown and in College Terrace. The flat terrain and bike-friendly layout make cycling the default way to get around campus.
The wider valley sprawls, so a car helps for weekend trips to the coast or the city. Students living farther from campus may find a vehicle useful for trips beyond the bike-and-train range. Those staying close to campus can live car-free, but a car opens up the region on weekends. For most daily trips, though, the bike and the train do the work.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Stanford itself has almost no private rentals, so most students rent in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, or East Palo Alto. Sharing a place is how you make the Peninsula work. Per-person costs in a shared house or apartment commonly land around $1,400-$2,200/month depending on the neighborhood and how many roommates you split with. A solo studio or one-bedroom runs much higher, often $2,400-$3,000/month, which is why almost everyone shares.
Browse student housing near each Stanford-area university.