Stanford University is one of the world's leading research universities. It is known for its entrepreneurial character, drawn from the legacy of its founders, Jane and Leland Stanford, and its relationship to Silicon Valley. Areas of excellence range from the humanities to social sciences to engineering and the sciences. Stanford is located in California's Bay Area, one of the most intellectually dynamic and culturally diverse areas of the nation.
In 2016, Stanford University will celebrate its 125th anniversary — looking to the future, even as it builds on and honors its past.
This is my 16th and last year as Stanford’s president — and my 38th year as a member of the faculty — and the strength of the university’s foundations and its pioneering spirit has never been more palpable. As was evident in the activities and achievements of 2015, the adventurous spirit of our community and its commitment to making a difference continue to distinguish Stanford and draw people to the university.
The Birth of the University
In 1876, former California Governor Leland Stanford purchased 650 acres of Rancho San Francisquito for a country home and began the development of his famous Palo Alto Stock Farm. He later bought adjoining properties totaling more than 8,000 acres.
The little town that was beginning to emerge near the land took the name Palo Alto (tall tree) after a giant California redwood on the bank of San Francisquito Creek. The tree itself is still there and would later become the university's symbol and centerpiece of its official seal.
Leland Stanford, who grew up and studied law in New York, moved West after the gold rush and, like many of his wealthy contemporaries, made his fortune in the railroads. He was a leader of the Republican Party, governor of California and later a U.S. senator. He and Jane had one son, who died of typhoid fever in 1884 when the family was traveling in Italy. Leland Jr. was just 15. Within weeks of his death, the Stanfords decided that, because they no longer could do anything for their own child, "the children of California shall be our children." They quickly set about to find a lasting way to memorialize their beloved son.
The Stanfords considered several possibilities – a university, a technical school, a museum. While on the East Coast, they visited Harvard, MIT, Cornell and Johns Hopkins to seek advice on starting a new university in California. (See note regarding accounts of the Stanfords visit with Harvard President Charles W. Eliot.) Ultimately, they decided to establish two institutions in Leland Junior's name - the University and a museum. From the outset they made some untraditional choices: the university would be coeducational, in a time when most were all-male; non-denominational, when most were associated with a religious organization; and avowedly practical, producing "cultured and useful citizens."
On October 1, 1891, Stanford University opened its doors after six years of planning and building. The prediction of a New York newspaper that Stanford professors would "lecture in marble halls to empty benches" was quickly disproved. The first student body consisted of 555 men and women, and the original faculty of 15 was expanded to 49 for the second year. The university’s first president was David Starr Jordan, a graduate of Cornell, who left his post as president of Indiana University to join the adventure out West.
The Stanfords engaged Frederick Law Olmsted, the famed landscape architect who created New York’s Central Park, to design the physical plan for the university. The collaboration was contentious, but finally resulted in an organization of quadrangles on an east-west axis. Today, as Stanford continues to expand, the university’s architects attempt to respect those original university plans.
Maps & Directions
Stanford is easily accessible from throughout the San Francisco Bay area, including San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Jose.
Maps
We encourage you to download and print both the
Parking and Circulation Map and the
Visitor Map and bring them with you.
Campus maps
Transportation maps
Area maps
If you are using a maps Web site to plan your route, the easiest way to locate Stanford is to enter our zip code
94305.
Directions
The following driving directions are to the Stanford Visitor Center.
From Highway 101 North & South
Exit onto Embarcadero Road and travel west, following the signs directing you to Stanford University. About three miles after you exit the freeway, Embarcadero Road becomes Galvez Street as you cross El Camino Real. Stay in the left lane and continue past the stadium. The entrance to the Visitor Center Lot is on the left just beyond Nelson Road.
From Highway 280 North & South
Exit onto Sand Hill Road and follow the signs for Stanford University. Heading east, drive approximately 3 miles to the Stanford Shopping Center. Turn right onto Arboretum Road (Nordstrom is on your right). Stay on Arboretum until it ends, then turn right onto Galvez Street. Move to the left lane and continue past the stadium. The entrance to the Visitor Center Lot is on the left just beyond Nelson Road.
Parking
The Visitor Center Lot (L-95 on the campus map) is located on Galvez Street between Nelson Road & Campus Drive, near the Stanford Stadium. If the Visitor Center Lot is full (possible in the afternoon), purchase a permit at the Visitor Center Lot and drive to the Varsity Lot at the end of Nelson Road, behind the stadium. (*See additional important instructions below.) Permits are required in both lots. If you park in the Varsity Lot, you must first purchase a permit at the Visitor Center Lot.
Upon entering the Visitor Center Lot, turn right. The parking permit vending machine is located near the Stanford Athletics Store. Purchase a parking permit and display on your dashboard. The vending machine accepts credit cards, bills, or coins. You should allow at least three hours. Parking is free after 4 PM. Please note that the parking lots are monitored regularly and violations are expensive.
Park only in spaces designated "P" or "E". (Do not park in spaces with only a "C" sign.) "E" parking is located at the left end of the lot, along Nelson Road across from the stadium.
The Visitor Center is located at 295 Galvez Street at Campus Drive, adjacent to the parking lot and Athletics Store.
Important instructions
*If the Visitor Center Lot is full, overflow parking is usually available in the Galvez Lot, located across the street on the north side of Galvez Street. During the hours of 8:00am–4:00pm, Mon-Fri, be sure to pay for your space at the payment kiosks, located on the west side of the lot.
