Breadcrumb
Travel Information
Drive to Humboldt
(strongly encouraged)
Cal Poly Humboldt is located at 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521. It takes about six hours to drive to Arcata from San Francisco or Sacramento.
The Humboldt County Airport is notorious for having delays and cancellations due to coastal weather conditions. While this is less likely to be an issue in April, 2025 CSU Student Research Competition participants are strongly encouraged to drive or carpool.
Arrive by Bus
Both Greyhound and Amtrak bus lines service the Arcata Transit Center. After you arrive in Arcata, you can take an Arcata & Mad River Transit System (A&MRTS) bus from the Arcata Transit Center to campus. Amtrak also directly serves Cal Poly Humboldt at the College Creek Soccer Field Bus Stop. Note: There are no train services to Arcata.
Getting to the Bus Terminal from San Francisco Airport (SFO)
SFO is 16 miles south of Downtown San Francisco, which is where you will catch the bus.
From SFO, you can take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) or a Taxi to the bus station. If you take BART, get off at the Embarcadero Station. See a map of the route. If you take a taxi the Transbay Temporary Terminal is located at 200 Folsom Street #100, San Francisco, CA 94105.
Arrive by Air
The Humboldt County Airport is about a ten-minute drive from the Cal Poly Humboldt campus. It is serviced by United Airlines and Avelo only. The Humboldt County Airport is notorious for having delays and cancellations due to coastal weather conditions. While this is less likely to be an issue in April, 2025 CSU Student Research Competition participants are strongly encouraged to drive or carpool when feasible.
Ground Transportation
Rental cars are available at the airport through Enterprise, Avis, National, and Budget. Rental car locations may not be open after 5pm. Note: Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft do not service the Humboldt County airport and will not be consistently available near campus. If you do not plan to rent a car, you will need to arrange pick up from the airport by taxi or hotel shuttle.
Door To Door Airporter
Call: (707) 839-4186
Text: (707) 407-5528
Cab Louie
(707) 599-3391
City Cab
(707) 442-4551
Plaza Cab
(707) 822-4742
Supreme Rides
(707) 496-6669
Lodging
There are plenty of places to stay during your visit! Cal Poly Humboldt has arranged hotel blocks with discounted rates available for this event, however visitors to the Humboldt County area often enjoy staying at one of the many unique vacation rentals, ocean-view cabins, or Bed and Breakfasts! Click here for a comprehensive listing of lodging in the area.
Hotel Room Blocks
Blue Lake Casino and Hotel - (10 min drive from campus)
- 777 Casino Way, Blue Lake, CA 95525
- Starting at $139 + tax
- 15% off when mentioning Cal Poly Humboldt
- Must call 707-826-0217 by 3/14/25 for discount
Hotel Arcata - (4 min drive or 14 min walk from campus)
- 708 9th Street, Arcata, CA 95521
- 15% discount when mentioning Cal Poly Humboldt
- Call 707-826-0127
Holiday Inn Express - Airport - (9 min drive from campus)
- 3107 Concorde Drive, McKinleyville, CA 95519
- Book through link by 3/23/25 for 15 % discount
- Or call 707- 840-9305 and ask for the "Cal Poly Leisure Rate"
- Discount Flyer
Red Lion Hotel - (10 min drive from campus)
- 1929 4th Street, Eureka, CA 95501
- Starting at $119+
- Book by online or by calling 707-445-0844
- Use code CSUSRC by 4/8/25 for discounted rate
Best Western Humboldt Bay - (14 min drive from campus)
- 232 Fifth Street, Eureka, 95501
- Call discount 707-443-2234 directly for 10% discount
- Mention “Humboldt Student Research Competition”
Dining
Some meals will be provided for event participants who have registered using the 2025 CSU Student Research Competition RSVP Form by the March 14, 2025 deadline. For all other meals, you may choose one of the campus dining locations or take a short walk in to Arcata for a wider variety of options. Humboldt boasts both quality and quantity for vegan and vegetarian options! Stop by the info desk at registration for dining suggestions or learn more by clicking the links below.
Activities
Humboldt County is revered for its stunning natural beauty, and abundance of public art and outdoor activities. A quick 10 minute drive from the Cal Poly Humboldt campus can land you at the Humboldt Bay, the Pacific Ocean, the Arcata Marsh, Mad River, or a national forest filled with some of the worlds tallest trees. Be sure to plan some time for exploring!!!
- 101 Things to do in Humboldt County
- Humboldt County California Redwood Coast—Activities, dining, and more on the Redwood Coast.
- North Coast Journal’s Calendar—Check out what’s happening throughout the weekend.
Parking Information
Parking permits are required on campus Monday–Thursday 7am–10pm and Friday 7am–5pm!
Registered participants can receive a free parking permit for Friday April 25, 2025. Updates to our Passport Parking app are in progress. Check back in Spring for more details!
Note: Parking at Cal Poly Humboldt is hard to come by! Be advised that you should plan to arrive up to 30 minutes early to find parking on Friday. If you're unable to find parking on campus, there is free 4-hour parking nearby, and additional free parking in town. Arcata is very walkable. Many of our students opt not to park on campus and instead walk in from Arcata via the 14th Street or Sunset Ave. bridge.