Caltech Parents & Families Guide
Pasadena, CA · For families of students far from home
Caltech is in Pasadena, about 17 miles from Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) and 28 miles from LAX. The year runs in three terms, first year Family Weekend falls in late January (Jan 29 to 31, 2027), and undergraduates live in the North and South Houses, Avery House, Bechtel Residence or Marks and Braun.
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Caltech Parents & Families: Far From Home
A private group for parents and families of Caltech students who live far from home. Ask questions, share tips, and get answers from families who've been there.
Coming up
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Thanksgiving (Institute holiday)Add to calendar: Thanksgiving (Institute holiday)Source: Academic Calendar 2026-27, Caltech Office of the Registrar | Thu, Nov 26 to Fri, Nov 27, 2026 |
| Last day of fall term classesAdd to calendar: Last day of fall term classesSource: Academic Calendar 2026-27, Caltech Office of the Registrar | Wed, Dec 2, 2026 |
| Fall term final examinationsAdd to calendar: Fall term final examinationsSource: Academic Calendar 2026-27, Caltech Office of the Registrar | Mon, Dec 7 to Fri, Dec 11, 2026 |
| Winter recessAdd to calendar: Winter recessSource: Academic Calendar 2026-27, Caltech Office of the Registrar | Sat, Dec 12, 2026 to Sun, Jan 3, 2027 |
| Winter term instruction beginsAdd to calendar: Winter term instruction beginsSource: Academic Calendar 2026-27, Caltech Office of the Registrar | Mon, Jan 4, 20278 AM |
Quick answers
Key dates
- Family Weekend: Jan 29 to 31, 2027
- Thanksgiving break: Nov 26 to 27, 2026
- Commencement: Jun 11, 2027
Getting there
- Nearest airport: BUR
- Also: LAX, about 45 min by car
- Where families stay: Next to campus, 551 South Hill Ave, Pasadena, near campus and Central Pasadena
Move in & move out
- Move in: Sep 19, 2026
- Move out: Jun 12, 2027
Health & safety
- Student Wellness Services (health and counseling): (626) 395-8331
- Caltech Campus Security: (626) 395-4701
- Urgent care: Exer Urgent Care, Pasadena East Del Mar Blvd
A small campus in Pasadena
Caltech covers about 124 acres in Pasadena, with fewer than 1,000 undergraduates on a campus whose mailing address is 1200 East California Boulevard. South Lake Avenue, west of campus, has a Trader Joe's at No. 345 and a Walgreens at No. 310, and several of the hotels Caltech lists for families sit in central Pasadena and Old Pasadena.
Getting here from out of town
Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) is the closest, about 17 miles away according to directions from Caltech's Keck Institute for Space Studies. LAX is about 28 miles, and the Family Weekend travel page says to allow roughly 45 minutes by car, longer in traffic. Ontario (ONT) is 37 miles out. If you land at LAX without a car, the FlyAway bus to Union Station and Metro light rail to Pasadena is the transit route Caltech suggests.
Three terms, not two semesters
The registrar splits the year into fall, winter and spring terms. Fall instruction begins Monday, Sept 28, 2026. Thanksgiving is only Thursday and Friday, Nov 26 to 27, and fall finals run Dec 7 to 11. Winter recess covers Dec 12 to Jan 3, spring recess is March 20 to 28, and undergraduate finals end Friday, June 11, 2027, the same day as Commencement at 10 a.m.
Where students live
Caltech guarantees housing for first year and transfer students and requires first and second year students to live in campus housing. Housing groups its options into affiliated housing (the North Houses, the South Houses and Avery House) and unaffiliated residences (Bechtel Residence and Marks and Braun). The house names your student will mention include Blacker, Dabney, Fleming, Lloyd, Page, Ricketts and Venerable. Housing's Resident Guide says Caltech Housing is open year round, with breaks included in the contract, and asks residents to tell Housing if they will be on campus during a break.
The family office and Family Weekend
Parent and Family Engagement sits within Student and Family Engagement and answers at SFE@caltech.edu. Its big event is First Year Student Family Weekend, set for Jan 29 to 31, 2027, with registration opening in November 2026. A shorter Family Orientation runs on move in day, Saturday, Sept 19, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
What is in this hub
The Dates page lays out every term, recess and finals week for 2026 to 27. Travel covers airports, Honk visitor parking and the hotels Caltech lists for Family Weekend. Move In and Move Out explains Move In Day, the June 12 housing deadline and what Housing will not store. Local Life gathers Student Wellness Services, Caltech Security and the Tech Express mailroom in one place.
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Questions Caltech parents ask
Is this the official California Institute of Technology parent group?
No. Far From Home is an independent parent community supported by College Cubbies. For official information, visit the California Institute of Technology parent and family page.
When is move in day at Caltech for fall 2026?
New undergraduates move in on Saturday, Sept 19, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Family Orientation follows the same day from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
When is Caltech Family Weekend?
First Year Student Family Weekend for the Class of 2030 is Jan 29 to 31, 2027. Student and Family Engagement says registration opens in November 2026.
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