Parking at SJSU: Tips + Tricks

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on the opinions and experiences of a student. For official information on parking, please visit the Parking Services site here.

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Are you new to San Jose State and want to know your options for parking on campus? While many SJSU students live on-campus and within a few blocks of campus, SJSU is for the most part a commuter school. San Jose State is nestled right in the middle of downtown San Jose. The downtown location makes for plenty of things to do and plenty of options to eat for students, but more on that later. Although there are a few options for parking on campus, space in downtown San Jose is a finite resource and as a result so are parking spots. This can be a struggle for students who commute from the surrounding areas as the student population is so large causing traffic & parking to be headache for newcomers especially.

There is the South Garage, West Garage, North Garage, the Park & Ride Lot and also Perimeter Parking.

The North Garage is located at South 10th Street & East San Fernando Street. This is technically across the street from campus. The SJSU Student Services Center is located underneath the North Garage.

The West Garage is located at South 4th Street & East San Salvador Street on the southwest corner of campus.

The South Garage is located at the intersection of South 7th Street & East San Salvador Street on the southern part of the main campus.

The Park & Ride Lot is located on South 7th Street across from CEFCU Stadium about eight blocks south of campus. There is a free shuttle that runs between the Park & Lot and Duncan Hall that runs roughly every ten minutes.

San Jose State’s on campus garages generally fill up in between 9:30 a.m. and around 12 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

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General rule of thumb is to arrive before 9:00 a.m. to beat the crowd of students filling up the parking garages. Once in the garages, it’s best to go as far up as you can before you start seeing empty spaces. Many students make the mistake of sifting through the aisles on the lower levels of the garage because they would prefer to have a spot that is close to the ground floor as possible. However, I like to find counterintuitive solutions so I’d use reverse psychology and go straight to the top or at least as far up as I can until I see plenty of empty parking spaces.

When the main on campus garages fill up and there’s no parking left, there is still the Park & Ride Lot on South 7th Street. If your class is in between in the 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. time window, it may be a better idea to cut your losses, not test your luck and go straight to the Park & Ride Lot. It may take a little longer for you to get from your car to class, but there’s generally more open spaces for your car and for your sanity. Traffic can be a pain in the Bay Area, so I’d recommend getting to the parking garages or lots about at least 20 min before your class starts. (But probably even earlier during the first few weeks of school before the add deadline.)

SJSU also has limited parking on its perimeters. These parking spots are prime real estate for early-risers and those who happen to make it just at the right moment. During peak hours, parking here is near impossible.

There are also city garages and motorcycle spaces around campus that could provide viable parking options for students.

Any other parking tips? Any questions? Let us know in the comments below!