Getting to Bay Area Maker Faire 2009 by Car

Maker Faire is very well attended! We strongly suggest you share rides or take alternative transportation instead of driving.

If you are coming by car, please follow these directions to drive and park. Parking is available at the San Mateo County Event Center for $12 per car per day, however, we recommend a quick walk to Maker Faire from the free parking lots!

Carpooling

Don't come in a half-empty vehicle! To catch, or give, a ride from anywhere, sign up for a free account at PickupPal and join the Maker Faire 2009 group, then follow the instructions to request or offer a ride. Drivers can follow our driving and parking directions (below) depending on which direction you're coming from.

Traffic

To minimize traffic and use the optimal routes and exits, use:

• Twitter -- http://twitter.com/makerfaire
• 511 traffic phone service and http://511.org
• Radio traffic reports on KCBS 740 AM and FM 106.9, and KGO AM 810

Parking

Please visit the parking map and information page for more details on where to park at Maker Faire.

Driving Directions to Free Parking with Shuttles

We've got more than 2,000 free parking spaces served by free shuttles running every 20-30 minutes.

From San Francisco and the North Bay, take Hwy 101 South, exit onto 92 West, then exit onto Delaware Street , turn left on Delaware St. and drive a block north to the K-Mart parking lot at 1700 S. Delaware St., San Mateo. 500 free parking spaces and free shuttle. Walk time is 15-20 minutes.

From San Jose and the South Bay, take Hwy 101 North, exit on Hillsdale Blvd., turn left and drive east on E. Hillsdale, then turn right on Saratoga Drive and left into the Franklin Templeton parking lot at 1 Franklin Parkway, San Mateo. 1,800 complimentary parking spaces and free shuttle. Walk time is 15-20 minutes.

From the East Bay, take 92 West to 101 South, exit onto Franklin Parkway and continue straight into the Franklin Templeton parking lot at 1 Franklin Parkway, San Mateo.

From the West, take 92 East, exit Delaware. Take left on Delaware, right on Concar and right on South Grant. There are 1,000 spots available and free shuttle. Walk time is aprrox. 20 minutes.

Driving Directions to Event Center Parking

The Event Center will charge $12 per car per day -- cash only. The only entrance into the Event Center parking lot is on Saratoga Drive. There are 3,600 spots available.

• From San Francisco and the North Bay, take Hwy 101 South, exit onto 92 West, then exit onto Delaware Street, turn right on Delaware St. and drive south and make a left on Saratoga Drive.
• From San Jose and the South Bay, take Hwy 101 North, exit on Hillsdale Blvd., turn left and drive east on E. Hillsdale and turn right on Saratoga Drive.
• From the East Bay, take Hwy 92 east, exit on Delaware Street, turn right and drive south on Delaware and make a left on Saratoga Drive.

Street Parking

When our "official" parking spots run out, you may look for residential / street parking. If so, please be respectful of our San Mateo neighbors as you park. If you plan to come later in the day, don't spend your precious Maker Faire time circling for a free spot. Save everyone a lot of headache and pollution and bring a local street map so you can go straight to an area that's a walkable distance away. Remember that you can probably walk a mile in less than half an hour.

Bring Your Bike

You can park your car a bike-able distance from Maker Faire and arrive in style, and get a steep discount on admission. We recommend parking at the Burlingame Caltrain Station, which charges $1, or anywhere along our suggested bike routes. See our alternative transportation page for bike routes.