California Avenue parking

California Avenue is Palo Alto's second downtown. It has restaurants, cafes, a Sunday farmers market and its own Caltrain station. What it does not have is parking on the main street. Since 2020 the block from El Camino Real to Birch Street has been closed to cars, so tables and planters fill the roadway. Everyone who drives parks on the side streets or in one of the city's lots and garages and walks the last block or two.

The good news is that those lots and garages are close and free for short stays. This page lists them as the city does and explains the rules. For the street itself, see our California Avenue guide. For downtown, see the companion page on downtown parking garages.

The city's lots and garages

The city's California Avenue parking facilities page lists nine sites. Unlike downtown, they are numbered rather than lettered.

The city's facility pages are thin. They do not give street addresses, space counts or hours. The parking section also carries an "update in progress" notice. The names tell you where to look, though. Cambridge Avenue runs parallel to California Avenue on its north side. Sherman Avenue runs parallel on the south side. Park Boulevard, Birch Street and Ash Street cross them.

The garages

• 350 Sherman Avenue (Lot 7). The biggest city garage in the district and the one most visitors end up in. It sits on Sherman Avenue, a short walk south of California Avenue.
• The Cambridge Avenue garages (Lots 3 and 5). The city's EV charger list names a Ted Thompson garage at 275 Cambridge Avenue and a Cambridge garage at 475 Cambridge Avenue. Both are a short walk north of the main street.

Driving in

California Avenue sits between El Camino Real and the Caltrain tracks in the middle of Palo Alto. From US 101, take the Oregon Expressway exit and head west, then turn north into the district on one of the cross streets. From Interstate 280, take Page Mill Road east past Stanford Research Park to El Camino Real. Page Mill becomes Oregon Expressway at El Camino. The district lies just to the north. From downtown, El Camino Real or Alma Street both get you there in a few minutes. Our driving guide explains every exit.

Because the main block is closed to cars, a navigation app pointed at a restaurant address may send you to a dead end. Point it at a garage or lot instead, then walk.

Time limits

The same citywide rules apply as downtown. The city's free hourly parking page allows two hours free on the street and in surface lots and three hours free in garages, except in areas marked for permit holders. The California Avenue facilities page describes it as 2 to 3 hours of free parking for customers of local businesses. Posted signs at each lot take priority.

The downtown color zone system does not cover California Avenue. Even so, read the signs carefully. Some spaces are reserved for permit holders. Loading and short-term spaces have their own limits. The residential streets around the district, such as those in Evergreen Park, are covered by residential permit rules. Visitors can park there for up to two hours without a permit. Our guide to residential parking permits explains how the districts work.

Daily permits

Staying longer than three hours? Buy a daily permit. The city's all day visitor permit page listed $25.70 a day in October 2026, good in public garages and lots in both California Avenue and downtown. The Lot 7 and Lot 5 pages still showed $20 a day, so confirm the price when you buy.

In the district, the city lists permit sales on the main level of the 350 Sherman garage. The Lot 5 and Lot 7 pages also mention the Cambridge/Birch Lot. The other option is Revenue Collections at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Avenue downtown, which takes cash. Each permit is valid only on the date bought.

Sunday market mornings

The California Avenue farmers market runs every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., year-round. It fills the car-free block and draws crowds from across the area. Parking is at its hardest then.

1. Arrive before 9 a.m. The garages and closest lots fill first.
2. Head for 350 Sherman. It has the most spaces. If it is full, try the Cambridge Avenue garages.
3. Watch the limits. A long brunch after shopping can run past the free window. Buy a permit or move the car.
4. Consider the train or a bike. California Avenue station is at the end of the street, so the train drops you at the market.

Our farmers markets guide covers what to expect at the stalls.

The Caltrain lot

Caltrain runs its own paid lot at California Avenue station, separate from the city system. It has 185 spaces. A permit is required at all hours. In October 2026 a daily permit cost $5.50, paid at a station ticket machine with your stall number or through ParkMobile zone 99615. Cars with a California disabled person plate or placard park free. The lot is meant for train riders. If you are only visiting the shops, use a city lot instead. Our page on California Avenue station covers the trains and bike lockers.

EV charging

California Avenue is one of the best places in town to charge an electric car. The city's charger list in October 2026 showed three garages with public Level 2 ports:

The city charged $0.35 per kWh and promoted overnight charging from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. with no overstay fees. During the day the normal garage time limits still apply. See our EV charging guide for every site in town.

Once you have parked

Every lot and garage on the list is a few minutes on foot from the restaurants. The car-free block is pleasant to walk, with outdoor tables in the old roadway. For ideas on what to do, read our guides to shopping on California Avenue and the California Avenue walking tour, which covers the district's history as the main street of old Mayfield.

Frequently asked questions