Flying into SJC
SJC is the easy choice for most SCU families. The university's Campus Recreation guide calls it less than 10 minutes by car, and SCU's Conference Services office measures the distance at 3.1 miles.
Rideshare. At Terminal A, Lyft, Tesla, Uber and Wingz pick up at the arrivals curb and Ground Transportation Island Stop 1, with Waymo at Stop 9. At Terminal B, look for Ground Transportation Island Stops 7 (Waymo), 8 (Tesla, Uber), 9 (Uber) and 10 (Lyft, Wingz).
Bus. VTA Route 60 boards at Terminal A Stop 7 and Terminal B Stop 5 and, per the airport, is free to ride in either direction from SJC. It connects to the Santa Clara Transit Center, which Conference Services describes as across the street from campus. If your student is traveling light, this is the cheapest way back to campus after a break.
SFO and Oakland
San Francisco International (SFO) and Oakland International (OAK) each sit about 45 minutes from campus, according to the Campus Recreation guide. They can make sense for nonstop routes or lower fares, but that estimate assumes reasonable traffic, so build in a cushion at weekday rush hours.
Driving and parking on campus
SCU requires a visible parking permit Monday to Friday, 6am to 8pm. The Campus Recreation guide notes that weekends and school holidays are excluded, which helps if you visit on a Saturday.
On weekdays, Parking and Transportation Services offers:
- A free 2 hour visitor permit (one visitor permit per 24 hours)
- Half day parking for $4 to $5 and full day parking for $6 to $9, depending on the zone
- Payment by phone through the AMP Park app, or a daily hang tag from the Main Entrance Kiosk, the Parking and Transportation Services office, or Campus Safety
Visitor spaces are in the Main Parking Structure and the visitor lot next to it, Guadalupe "F" Lot, Leavey "F" Lot, Loyola Hall, the Performing Arts Annex "F" lot and University Villas. The parking office is on the first floor of the Main Parking Structure, weekdays 8am to 5pm, (408) 551-7080, transportation@scu.edu.
For move in, the Welcome Weekend page points families to the Main Parking Structure in the middle of campus or the North Campus Parking Structure on the north end. During 2026 orientation sessions, families used the North Campus Garage off Benton Street, between Alviso Street and The Alameda, with free permits.
Where SCU families stay
Plan on a car or rideshare to reach campus from any of the hotels below.
- North Santa Clara. Hyatt Regency Santa Clara on Great America Parkway, Santa Clara Marriott on Mission College Boulevard, and Delta Hotels by Marriott on Laurelwood Road. Discover Santa Clara puts the Hyatt half a mile from Levi's Stadium, so check the stadium's event calendar before you book.
- North First Street, San Jose. Fairfield Inn & Suites San Jose Airport, handy for early flights out of SJC.
- Santana Row, San Jose. Hotel Valencia, on Santana Row itself.
Booking for Family Weekend
SCU's Family Weekend 2027 travel page lists Delta Hotels Santa Clara Silicon Valley and Fairfield Inn & Suites San Jose Airport, with check in dates listed as flexible based on availability. It calls Hotel Valencia a long time partner without a room block, and notes a 15% discount off the best available rate at Signia by Hilton San Jose with corporate code 3028681 ((408) 998-1900).
The page does not give a booking deadline. Because the weekend is Feb. 19 to 20 and registration for the 2026 event opened in mid December, booking a refundable room in the fall and adjusting later is a low risk approach. For commencement weekend in June, the same advice applies, only more so.