Palo Alto on a long SFO layover

SFO is the Bay Area's main international gateway and a long layover there raises an obvious question: is there time to see Silicon Valley? Palo Alto is about 20 miles south of the airport, with Stanford University, the HP Garage and a walkable downtown. Getting there is simple. The catch is time. Between travel, security and airline buffers, a Palo Alto visit eats most of a layover, so it only makes sense on the long ones.

This page gives you the honest math, the two ways to get there, what to do with your bags and a plan for six to eight hours. It ends with the situations where you should stay at the airport or choose San Francisco instead. For every transport option in detail, see our SFO to Palo Alto guide.

Does it fit? The time math

Work backward from your next departure. SFO's own advice is to check with your airline, noting that most suggest arriving two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international one. Then add travel time in both directions.

These figures assume about 30 minutes to get off the plane and out of the terminal on a domestic arrival. If you land on an international flight, immigration and customs come first and can take an hour or more on a busy morning. In that case, subtract it from your time in town.

Two ways to get there

BART and Caltrain: cheaper, about 60 to 90 minutes

Take the free AirTrain to the BART station on the Departures level of the International Terminal. Ride BART a short distance to Millbrae, then cross the platform area to Caltrain and take a southbound train to Palo Alto. On weekdays, southbound trains from Millbrae reach Palo Alto in about 20 to 30 minutes. Caltrain runs about four trains an hour at peak times and two an hour off peak and on weekends, so the Millbrae connection decides your total time. The joint BART and Caltrain transfer timetable shows which connections line up. Tap a contactless card or phone on each system. The Caltrain leg is two zones, which cost $6.25 for an adult in October 2026. BART charges its own fare.

Use our Caltrain guide for fares and the Palo Alto station guide for what is around you when you step off.

Rideshare or a prebooked car: faster, 25 to 60 minutes

Uber and Lyft pick up on Level 5 of the Domestic Garage at the domestic terminals and at the center island zones 12 to 17 on the Departures level at the International Terminal. Drive time depends almost entirely on Highway 101 traffic. A quiet weekend morning can take under half an hour. A weekday afternoon can take more than an hour. For a fixed price and a driver waiting at arrivals, you can prebook an SFO transfer both ways. Waymo serves Palo Alto, but at SFO it is still a limited pilot for select riders, so do not count on it. Our rideshare guide has the details.

What to do with your bags

• Checked through. If your airline has checked your bags to your final destination, you only carry what you have on board. That is the ideal layover setup.
• SFO's storage desk. SFO says baggage storage is available only at the Airport Travel Agency, on the Departures/Ticketing level of the International Terminal near Gates G1 to G14. It is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. No reservation is needed and all baggage is x-rayed. Rates are charged per 24-hour period and vary by size, so even a few hours costs a full day. Details and the phone number are on SFO's FAQ page.
• Storage in Palo Alto. Luggage apps such as Radical Storage list partner shops in Palo Alto. We could not confirm specific addresses, so check the app's map for a partner near Palo Alto station and its hours before you rely on it.

Pack a small day bag before you leave the airport. A rolling suitcase on Palm Drive gets old fast.

A 6 to 8 hour plan

With 2.5 to 3.5 hours on the ground

1. Arrive at Palo Alto station. Coupa Cafe on Lytton Avenue faces the platforms for a quick coffee.
2. Ride or walk to Stanford. On weekdays, Marguerite Line P runs free from the transit center up Palm Drive to the Oval, about every 15 minutes. On weekends, walk the mile or take a short ride. Our Marguerite guide explains the lines.
3. See the Main Quad and the Cantor. Walk the sandstone arcades and Memorial Court, then cross to the free Cantor Arts Center, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. The Rodin Sculpture Garden outside is open around the clock, so it works any day.
4. Lunch on University Avenue. Head back downtown. Our guide to where to eat near the Caltrain stations lists quick options.
5. The HP Garage, if time allows. It is about a 20-minute walk from the station at 367 Addison Avenue, viewed from the sidewalk. See our HP Garage page.
6. Head back. Leave Palo Alto with the full return trip and your airline's buffer in hand.

With only 1.5 hours on the ground

Take a car straight to the Oval at the top of Palm Drive. Walk the Main Quad and the Rodin garden for an hour, then ride back. Skip downtown. It is a glimpse, not a visit, so think hard about whether San Francisco would serve you better.

When not to try it

• Under six hours. The travel and buffers leave too little time to enjoy anything.
• Uncertain entry. If you arrive internationally, you need a valid visa or an approved ESTA to leave the airport. Without one, stay airside.
• Weekday rush hours. Highway 101 is slow in both directions on weekday afternoons. Avoid a car trip back to SFO between about 3 and 7 p.m.
• Late at night. After 9 p.m., a BART shuttle train runs between Millbrae and SFO only. Caltrain also warns of delays of up to 30 minutes on Sunday to Thursday nights from 9 p.m. during BART's train control work.
• A tight connection on one ticket. If your inbound flight is late, your layover shrinks while the buffer does not. Check the arrival before you leave the terminal.
• Bad weather or a bad night. If you are exhausted, a lounge or an airport hotel may serve you better.

The closer alternative

For layovers under about seven hours, San Francisco is usually the smarter choice. During the day, BART runs directly from the SFO station to downtown San Francisco without a transfer, so you spend less time in transit and more on the ground. Our San Francisco guide covers the waterfront, North Beach and the Ferry Building. If you prefer a guide, several San Francisco tours are short enough to fit a layover. Save Palo Alto for the longer gaps or a stopover night, when you can add dinner downtown and a classic film at the Stanford Theatre.

Frequently asked questions