Airports
Chapman's airport transportation page lists distances from the Orange campus:
- John Wayne Airport (SNA): 11 miles, about 20 minutes
- Long Beach Airport (LGB): 21 miles
- Ontario International Airport (ONT): 35 miles
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): 40 miles, 45 minutes to an hour
- Bob Hope Airport in Burbank (BUR): 48 miles
- San Diego International Airport (SAN): 92 miles
At SNA, Uber, Lyft and Wingz offer pickups, taxis wait in the Ground Transportation Center and in Terminal C on the Arrival (lower) Level, and shuttle service needs a reservation 24 hours ahead. From LAX, FlyAway buses to LA Union Station board at the blue FlyAway columns on the Lower/Arrivals Level in front of each terminal.
Train and bus
Orange station is on Metrolink's Orange County and Inland Empire Orange County lines and is served by the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner. Chapman describes it as a short walk to campus along Palm Avenue. OC Bus route 59 runs on Glassell with stops at Walnut and Palm.
Driving in
From State Route 55, exit Chapman Avenue, go west about a mile to the Orange Plaza traffic circle, then head north on Glassell. From the 22, take the Glassell Street exit and continue north through the circle. From the 57, exit Chapman Avenue, drive east to the circle and take the third exit onto Glassell.
Visitor parking
Chapman requires parking permits at all times, including weekends and holidays, and Parking Services notes that the streets next to campus are reserved for City of Orange resident permit parking. Visitor spaces are in two structures:
- Anderson Structure, 300 E. Walnut Avenue: 50 visitor spaces on Level B1
- Barrera Structure, 200 W. Sycamore Avenue: 25 visitor spaces on Level 1
Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors must use those marked spaces. After 4 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends, any unreserved space in the two structures is fine. The Cypress Lot (400 N. Cypress) and the Marion Knott Studios Lot (283 N. Cypress Street) take visitors in unreserved spaces all day. A permit is $5 for 3 hours or $10 for 12 hours from the machines, paid by plate or as a dashboard permit. For ticketed events such as Family Homecoming and the Parent Spring Summit, Chapman has offered free parking when you register your plate ahead of time. The older Maps and Directions page still shows lower rates, so go by the Parking Services visitor page. Questions: (714) 997-6560 or parking@chapman.edu.
Where parents stay
Chapman keeps a Lodging Near Chapman page listing hotels within 5 miles, several with a Chapman discount link. They fall into a few areas:
- Old Towne Orange. The Richland, 0.3 miles from campus, is the only listed hotel you could walk from. Best Western Orange Plaza (1.1 miles) and Days Inn Orange Anaheim (1.4 miles) are a short drive.
- West Orange. Along The City Drive, West Chapman Avenue and State College Boulevard, Embassy Suites, Ayres Hotel Orange, ALO Hotel Orange and Hotel Fera sit 2.5 to 2.9 miles out.
- Anaheim and Garden Grove. Ayres Hotel Anaheim (2.3 miles), TownePlace Suites (2.8 miles), The Viv Hotel (3.7 miles) and Hyatt Regency Orange County (4.2 miles) are all within 5 miles.
The three Ayres properties on the list, Ayres Hotel Anaheim, Ayres Hotel Orange and ALO Hotel Orange, share one Chapman booking page, and Ayres Hotels was thanked as a sponsor on the Parent Spring Summit page. If you land late at SNA, the same Chapman page lists hotels within a few miles of the airport in Irvine and Costa Mesa.
Weekends to plan early
The trips most families plan around are move in in mid August, Family Homecoming in early October, the Parent Spring Summit in late February and Commencement, May 21 to 23, 2027. Book as soon as your dates are firm, and check the Chapman discount links before booking elsewhere.