Transportation

Directions

To Viejas Arena: With some ceremonies reaching the arena's 12,000-person capacity, we recommend using alternate routes and multiple parking locations to help ease traffic congestion. 

Please allow at least 20 minutes to reach the arena from any parking area east of College Avenue. Traffic across campus will be heavily impacted, arrive at least one hour before your ceremony.

Take I-8 west to College Avenue, then proceed south on College Avenue. At the first intersection of College/Alvarado Road, turn right onto Canyon Crest Drive, then proceed west to Parking Structure 12. 

Take Route 94 or another east/west route to College Avenue north, then left on Montezuma Road, then right on 55th Street to Parking Structure 7.

Take I-8 to Fairmount Avenue, east on Montezuma Road to 55th Street, then left on 55th Street to Parking Structure 7.

Parking

The parking fee for commencement is $5 for guests who prepay and $10 during commencement weekend. The pre-payment link is available here and only requires a license plate number and credit/debit card payment. Vehicles that are linked to an active student or employee parking permit do not need to pay the fee. 

The parking fee funds traffic control services for congestion mitigation, so that all commencement guests can have access to parking spaces and a smoother travel experience. Guests may park in all parking lots and structures in any non-reserved spaces. Please observe all posted signage and consult the campus map to locate parking areas and other services (e.g., EV charging).

The garage clearance heights are as follows: Parking Structures 7 and 12 have a clearance of 7 feet, while Parking Structure 6 has a clearance of 6 feet 3 inches. For oversized vehicles, parking is available in Parking Structure 15 or Parking Lot 2B.

Please do not park in residential neighborhoods. The City of San Diego's Residential Parking Permit is enforced. We suggest carpooling with family members and arriving early (remember to note which area you are in before leaving your vehicle). 

Disabled Parking

For information about disabled parking, visit Disability Access.

For those who prefer to be dropped off closer to the venue, there is an ADA drop-off area on 55th Street outside Viejas Arena.

Candidates or guests with a DMV-issued disabled plate or placard may park in any ADA, Student, Faculty/Staff, or Service/Vendor parking stall on campus. Parking fees apply to ADA parking areas and placard/plate holders are expected to pre-pay or pay upon arrival. The following areas have ADA parking stalls:

A courtesy shuttle will be available at the Calpulli Center located east of Parking 6 on Hardy Avenue. Be advised there are no shuttle stops located around Parking 7 or Parking 12. Please consult the campus map to locate shuttle sites.

Campus Shuttle Service

Limited courtesy shuttle service will be available from parking areas on the east side of campus to Viejas Arena. Due to limited shuttles, we urge you to walk to the ceremonies if possible and to reserve the shuttles for those who may have difficulty with a 10-15 minute uphill walk.

Shuttle service will start one hour before each ceremony and will run every 15-20 minutes from the shuttle sites below:

Consult the campus map to locate shuttle sites. 

 

Trolley

Students and guests should consider taking the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System green line trolley to SDSU on commencement day. Families visiting our beautiful city will be able to commute to SDSU and to other attractions in San Diego by trolley. For more information, visit the MTS website.