Stanford University Stanford University (Stanford University), full name Xiao Lilan Stanford University (Leland Stanford Junior University), referred to as "Stanford", is located in the southern city of Palo Alto, San Francisco Bay Area, California, near the famous high-tech park Silicon Valley (Silicon Valley), is a world-renowned private research university. Founded in 1885, Stanford University officially enrolled in 1891, covering an area of about 33 square kilometers (8,180 acres), is the sixth largest university in the United States, and is a beautiful campus.