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Visitor Parking

Whether you're visiting for an hour or a couple of days, we'll provide you with a place to park and easy access to the entire campus.

Parking for sporting events

For parking questions, please contact Stanford Athletics Operations & Events at (650) 736-PARK or athletics-parking@stanford.edu.
"Parking & Transportation" page on Football Central website

Parking options

Visitors have several payment options for parking:

Mobile payment option: Use the Parkmobile app or mobile website to pay using a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express) at metered, pay-and-display and pay-by-space parking locations. In addition to the visitor parking fee, Parkmobile charges 35 cents for each transaction. Not all visitor spaces are equipped to accept Parkmobile payments, so look for the green Parkmobile sticker posted on the parking meter or pay machine. Map of Parkmobile zones at Stanford (JPG, 369 KB)
$1.50/hour coin-metered spaces located throughout the campus (2-hour time limit).
One-day Visitor “scratcher” permits (which allow parking in Visitor Pay Parking lots and at meters), available for $16 each at the P&TS office (open weekdays 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.). One-day “scratcher” permits must be prominently displayed (hung from the rear view mirror) with the date of use properly scratched off. Posted time limits apply.
Parking permit machines
You may pay for parking at any machine in the lot or structure ($2.00 - $2.50 per hour). Most of the machines accept Visa, MasterCard, or Discover, bills, or coins; if you do not use your credit card, please bring cash in smaller denominations because these machines do not issue change.
Pay & Display permit dispenser locations
- 401 Quarry Road / Psychiatry lot (L-2) — 3-hour maximum; one visit per day.
The Visitor parking permit should be placed on the car dashboard with the expiration time and date facing up. A valid Pay & Display parking permit (properly displayed) may be used to park in any Visitor Pay & Display parking location (posted time limits apply), and at parking meters without space numbers, but are NOT valid in Pay By Space # locations.
Pay By Space # parking locations
- Cypress Lot on Via Ortega
- Encina Hall – 3-hour maximum; one visit per day
- LKSC / Beckman lot (L-15) — 3-hour maximum; one visit per day.
- Lomita Drive in front of the Cantor Arts Center — 4-hour maximum; one visit per day ($2.50/hour rate).
- Maples Lot (L-93) — 2-hour maximum; one visit per day
- Memorial Way (near Memorial Auditorium)
- Roth Way — 2-hour maximum; one visit per day ($2.50/hour rate).
- Roth Way Garage at Campus Drive West between Quarry Rd. and Roth Way — 4-hour maximum; one visit per day ($2.50/hour rate)
- Via Ortega Garage at Panama St. and Via Ortega
- Wilbur Field Garage (beneath Wilbur Field)
- Knight Management Center Garage
- Stock Farm lot (L-17) near Welch Rd. at Campus Drive West
- Tresidder Union lot (L-39)
- Visitor Center / Track House (L-95)
Remember your parking space # for payment — a Pay by Space parking receipt need not be displayed. The Pay by Space receipt is NOT valid in any other Visitor Pay Parking location.

For visitor parking locations, please visit our Maps page.

Enforcement Hours

"A," "C," and "shared" resident/commuter lots are enforced Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meters are generally enforced 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., unless otherwise posted. You are free to park in these areas after enforcement hours.

Stanford Hosts

Stanford hosts should remind visitors to bring change for the parking meters; visitors may need to park at a meter temporarily while picking up a scratcher. Departments are welcome to purchase up to 20 "A" scratchers for visitor use or 20 "Visitor" scratchers per month (which allow parking in Pay & Display lots and at meters).

Visiting residents on campus

Resident student lots are enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In order to park in these lots, you will need to have a one-day 'Resident' scratcher, valid until noon the next day. Residents in Stanford student housing are eligible to purchase up to five scratchers per month.

Parking for visitors with disabilities

We honor any state's disabled person placards in nearly all marked parking spaces on campus. Please visit our Persons with disabilities page for more information.

Parking for tour buses

Tour bus loading/off-loading of passengers at Stanford is strictly regulated. Read the Tour Bus Protocol at the Stanford University Oval, Main Quad and Pasteur Drive for the complete policy, which includes the designated loading/off-loading area.

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