Directions to Computer Science Department, Stanford University

The department is in the Gates Computer Science Building, a new building located on Campus Drive between Roth Way and Via Ortega. Guest parking is available in a parking structure at the corner of Campus Drive and Roth Way, one block east of Gates. The structure includes pay parking (bring lots of quarters!), as well as "A" and "C" permit parking (get a one-day hanging permit from your host, or park by a meter instead).

Note that not all of the entrances to the Gates Building are labelled as such. The entrance nearest the parking lot is labelled "Gates Bldg" in a new wooden sign, and another entrance is grandly labelled "Engineering Fund Venture Laboratories." (Stanford's Engineering Venture Fund donated the "naming" gift of the B-wing after William Gates of Microsoft donated the "naming" gift of the A-wing.) If you are unsure, the official label of "William Gates Computer Science" can be found at the entrance on Serra Mall (on the A-wing side).

The street address of the Gates Computer Science Building is 

353 Serra Street
Stanford, CA  94305
Click here for directions.

Click here for nearby hotels.

You can also get various campus maps here, including a Searchable Campus Map.

                                                                            |
                                                                  Alpine Rd |
                                                                 (to I-280) |
                                                                            |
                      --------Junipero Serra --------------------------X----X
                                                /                    C |     \
   \      _____________________________________/                     a |
Bow-\    /           Campus Dr                                       m |
doin \ /                                                             p |
     /                                                        |V     u |
    |                                                         |i     s |
    |                 Central Stanford Campus                 |a       |
    |                                                         |      D |
  C |                      .............                      |O     r |
  a |                      .   Quad    .                      |r       |
  m |           Hoover     .           .                      |t     W |
  p |           Tower      .............                      |e     e |
  u |-------------)(--Serra St ----------------Serra Mall--)(/g      s |
  s |          |                /^\                  GATES   |a      t /
    |          |G              |   |                 BLDG. --|--------/
  D |          |a               \ /                      /      Campus Dr
   r \         |l                |                      |
      \        |v              P |-------Roth Way ------|
       \       |e              a |              PARKING | Stanford
        \      |z              l |             STRUCTURE| Hospital
         \     |               m |                   \Q /
          \    |                 |                    \u
           \---|-----------------|------Campus Dr-----/\a
               |               D |                      \r
               |  more trees   r |                       \r
               |                 |                       |y
               |-----------------X------Arboretum Rd-----X---> to Stanford
              /                  |                       |R       Shopping Ctr
      Galvez /   lots of trees   |                       |d
        St  /       here        /|\                      \            |
===========X=====================|====El Camino Real==================X=======
          /           underpass \|/
-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-|-Caltrain-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--
        /                      	 | Station
       / Embarcadero             |
      /   Rd                     |University Ave.
     / (to US 101)               |
    /                     (Downtown Palo Alto)
Legend:
   X:  traffic light
  )(:  traffic barrier

Directions to the Gates Computer Science Building

  • From San Francisco or the SF Airport: Take US 101 South to Embarcadero Rd West. Stay on Embarcadero for about 10 min. When you cross El Camino (major road), the road renames to Galvez Street. Go two blocks and turn right on Campus Drive, and then turn left on Quarry Road. The parking structure is just ahead. Walk in the same direction for one block to the Gates Computer Science Building.
  • From San Jose: Take US 101 North to Embarcadero Road West. Continue as above.
  • Via El Camino Real (northbound) from Mountain View direction: Turn left on Galvez Street. On your right at the same intersection is Embarcadero Road. Continue as above.
  • Via El Camino Real (southbound) from Menlo Park direction: Turn right on Quarry Road just past the Stanford Shopping Center. Quarry Road terminates at the parking structure. Walk in the same direction for one block to the Gates Building.
  • You may also come in from SF & SJ via I-280. Take it to Alpine Rd East. Go right onto Junipero Serra Blvd. Turn left onto Campus Drive West. Turn right onto Roth Way. The parking structure is on your left and the Gates Building is one block to your right.
  • By CalTrain (From San Francisco or San Jose): Get off at University Ave. Station in Palo Alto. Form there you can take the Marguerite Shuttle (red & white bus). Line "X" of the shuttle goes by Hospital. The nearest stop is at Roth Way. The next stop is the LKSC, where you can get off and walk back. Line "Y" goes up Galvez St. and eventually stops at Via Ortega and Campus Drive; this is not quite as convenient. You can also walk from the train station; it takes about 25 minutes. An alternative CalTrain station is the California Ave. Station, served less regularly by Marguerite Shuttle Line "V."
  • For more information about public transit to the Gates Building, click here.
  • The only VTA bus that still goes to Stanford is the 35. VTA buses that go to Palo Alto within walking distance or a Marguerite Shuttle ride are 22, and Rapid 522.
  • From BART, at the Union City BART station, take the Dumbarton Express DB bus to the Palo Alto Transit Center (also known as the Palo Alto Caltrain station) and either walk or take the Marguerite Shuttle. Alternatively, take BART to the Millbrae BART station, then transfer to Caltrain to Palo Alto.
  • Samtrans buses to Palo Alto are 280 and 281 (which go to the Stanford Shopping Center), 390 (which goes from the Daly City BART station to the Palo Alto Transit Center), Express Route KX (which goes from San Francisco to the San Francisco Airport to the Palo Alto Transit Center).

    Hotels near Stanford

    Hotels in Palo Alto

    Sheraton Palo Alto
    625 El Camino Real
    Palo Alto, CA
    tel +1(650)328-2800
    Airport Shuttle: Airport Connection
    Transportation to Stanford can be arranged.
    Marguerite shuttle Lines "X" and "Y" stop at the CalTrain station nearby.
    About 20 minute walk to Gates Building.

    Westin Palo Alto
    675 El Camino Real
    Palo Alto, CA
    tel +1(650)321-4422
    Airport Shuttle: Airport Connection
    Transportation to Stanford can be arranged.
    Marguerite shuttle Lines "X" and "Y" stop at the CalTrain station nearby.
    About 20 minute walk to Gates Building.

    Garden Court Hotel
    520 Cowper Ave.
    Palo Alto, CA
    tel: +1(650)322-9000 or +1(800)824-9028
    Airport Shuttle: Day porter service.
    Transportation to Stanford can be arranged.

    Stanford Terrace Inn
    531 Stanford Ave.
    Palo Alto, CA
    tel: +1(650)857-0333, +1(800)729-0332
    Shuttle: Airport Connection
    Adjacent to Stanford campus.
    Marguerite shuttle Line "V" stops right nearby.
    About 25 minute walk to Gates Building.

    Crowne Plaza Cabana Palo Alto
    4290 El Camino Real
    Palo Alto, CA
    tel: +1(650)857-0787

    Menlo Park hotels

    Stanford Park Hotel
    100 El Camino Real
    Menlo Park, CA
    tel: +1(866)241-2431
    Airport Shuttle: Airport Connection
    Transportation to Stanford can be arranged.

    Rosewood Sand Hill
    2825 Sand Hill Road
    Menlo Park, CA
    tel: +1(650) 561-1500

    For more hotel listings, click here.

    Since February 16, 1999, this page has been accessed times.

    Arthur M. Keller, Stanford University, ark@cs.stanford.edu