VTA buses and shuttles in Palo Alto

Palo Alto sits right on the border between Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. That gives it an unusual mix of buses. VTA, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, runs routes south toward San Jose. SamTrans covers San Mateo County to the north. Stanford adds a free shuttle network and a commuter bus called the Dumbarton Express crosses the bay from the East Bay. Nearly all of them meet at one place, the Palo Alto Transit Center beside the Caltrain station.

Buses are slower than Caltrain, but they reach places the train does not, from Stanford Shopping Center to the El Camino Real corridor. This guide explains the routes most useful to visitors and residents and what changed when the city's on-demand shuttle ended.

The Palo Alto Transit Center

The transit center wraps around the Palo Alto Caltrain station at 95 University Avenue. Most VTA, SamTrans and Dumbarton Express buses use the bus plaza northwest of the historic station building. Caltrain lists these connections at the station:

• VTA: routes 21, 22 and Rapid 522.
• SamTrans: ECR, 280, 281, 296 Owl and 397.
• Dumbarton Express to Union City BART.
• Stanford Marguerite: lines P, X, Y, S, Medical Center and Research Park.

Check the bay number on the timetable before you walk over. The plaza is compact but buses for different systems leave from different bays.

VTA Route 22 and Rapid 522

These two routes are the backbone of bus travel south of Palo Alto. Both start at the transit center and run down El Camino Real through Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara to downtown San Jose. They end at Eastridge Transit Center in east San Jose.

In VTA's October 2026 weekday timetable, Rapid 522 buses left Palo Alto about every 13 to 15 minutes through the middle of the day. VTA notes that Rapid buses may leave up to five minutes early if traffic allows, so be at the stop ahead of time. Route 22 had eastbound trips leaving Palo Alto as late as 1:47 a.m., which makes it the late night option along El Camino. Timetables are on the Rapid 522 page and the Route 22 page.

The Galvez stop on the 522 is the closest to Stanford Stadium. The California Avenue stop puts you a short walk from the shops on California Avenue.

Other VTA routes

• Route 21 runs from Stanford Shopping Center through the Palo Alto Transit Center and south to Santa Clara Transit Center, with service every day. It is the easy way between the train and the mall. See our Stanford Shopping Center guide.
• Route 89 links California Avenue Caltrain station with Stanford Research Park and the Palo Alto VA Hospital on weekdays.
• Express routes 101 to 104 bring weekday commuters from San Jose and Milpitas to Stanford Research Park in the peak direction only.

VTA fares

These were the fares on VTA's fare page in October 2026:

Children under five ride free. On Clipper, the day pass works as an accumulator: once your rides in a day add up to the pass price, the rest of the day is free. Rapid buses cost the same as local buses. Caltrain monthly pass holders who tag on a VTA Clipper reader get a local fare credit.

SamTrans to the north

SamTrans buses connect Palo Alto with Menlo Park, Redwood City and the rest of San Mateo County. The routes most riders use from the transit center:

• ECR runs the length of El Camino Real from the Palo Alto Transit Center to Daly City BART. It is the main SamTrans line and runs seven days a week.
• Routes 280 and 281 link Stanford and the transit center with East Palo Alto and the Belle Haven area of Menlo Park.
• Route 296 Owl is a limited overnight service between Redwood City Transit Center and Palo Alto.
• Route 397 is a limited overnight service from San Francisco through SFO to the Palo Alto Transit Center. Our SFO guide explains how to use it from the airport.

SamTrans listed an adult fare of $2.25 in cash or $2.05 on Clipper in October 2026, with youth and eligible discount fares around $1. Schedules are on samtrans.com. For destinations north of town, read our guides to Menlo Park and East Palo Alto.

The Stanford Marguerite shuttle

Stanford's Marguerite shuttle is free and open to the public. You do not need a Stanford ID. The main lines run Monday through Friday and skip university holidays. All buses are wheelchair accessible and carry bike racks.

For visitors, Line P is the key route. It runs from the transit center up Palm Drive to the Oval in front of the Main Quad. Lines X and Y loop the campus in opposite directions. Other lines reach the medical center, Stanford Research Park and Sand Hill Road. Routes change by academic quarter, so check Stanford's shuttle lines and schedules page or the live bus map before you ride. Our page on Stanford parking and transit lists the lines in detail.

The Dumbarton Express

The Dumbarton Express is a weekday commuter bus across the Dumbarton Bridge. Both of its lines start at Union City BART in the East Bay. Line DB serves the Palo Alto Caltrain station, Stanford Medical Center and the Stanford Oval. Line DB1 serves Stanford Research Park and the Palo Alto VA Hospital.

The Dumbarton Express site, updated in May 2026, describes service from about 5:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. on weekdays, with buses roughly every 20 minutes at peak times. It does not run on Saturdays, Sundays or major holidays. AC Transit administers the service and riders pay with Clipper. It is also a useful way to reach Palo Alto from Oakland airport on a weekday.

Palo Alto Link has ended

For several years the city ran Palo Alto Link, an on-demand shuttle that riders booked ahead. It served most of the city on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The city's Palo Alto Link page says the service ceased on Friday, October 30, 2026. It also noted that the city paid about $26 per ride to run it.

In its place the city is steering riders toward targeted programs:

• Palo Alto Transportation Management Association. From October 1, 2026, the city expanded work with this nonprofit to offer qualifying seniors, people with disabilities and low-income residents and workers free train and bus passes, free refurbished bikes and free accessible rides.
• Avenidas. Through a city partnership, residents 65 and older and people with disabilities can book rides within Palo Alto and Stanford for medical appointments, errands and work.
• Paratransit. VTA ACCESS and SamTrans Redi-Wheels serve riders who cannot use regular buses. Our accessible travel guide explains how they work.

Older residents can find more options in our page on resources for older adults.

Which bus should you take?

Heading to Stanford on a weekday, take Marguerite Line P from the transit center. Going to Stanford Shopping Center, take VTA 21 or walk, since the mall is less than a mile from the station. Traveling along El Camino Real to Mountain View or San Jose, the Rapid 522 beats driving at rush hour. Heading north to Menlo Park or Redwood City, SamTrans ECR runs every day. For anything farther up the Peninsula, Caltrain is faster than any bus. Buses do not reach the coast or the Santa Cruz Mountains, so for those trips compare rental cars nearby or book a ride. Landing at an airport with bags and kids? A prebooked airport pickup skips the bus transfer entirely.

Frequently asked questions