Danforth Campus
The main campus is centered around One Brookings Drive and stretches between Skinker, Forest Park Parkway, Big Bend and Wydown.
Relocating for work
Moving to St. Louis for WashU
WashU is really two relocation problems: the Danforth Campus and the Medical Campus sit in different parts of the central corridor. Start with the campus you will actually use.
Work location
Start with the exact worksite.
Medical Campus
WashU Medicine is tied closely to the Barnes-Jewish medical campus near Kingshighway and Forest Park Avenue.
Transit
The Danforth Campus is served by MetroLink at the Skinker and University City–Big Bend area; the Medical Campus is served by the Central West End station.
Where to start
Compare the commute with the rest of your week.
First: which WashU?
If you work or study on Danforth, your St. Louis map should center on University City, Clayton, Richmond Heights, Maplewood, Brentwood, Webster Groves and nearby city neighborhoods. If your daily destination is the Medical Campus, the Central West End, Forest Park Southeast, Shaw, Tower Grove, University City and close-in County options become more relevant. Do not build a housing search around “WashU” until you know the campus.
If Danforth is your daily destination
The useful question is how much you value walking, MetroLink or a very short drive versus a larger detached home. University City and Clayton put you close. Richmond Heights, Brentwood, Maplewood, Kirkwood and Webster Groves widen the housing choices while keeping the campus practical for many routines.
If the Medical Campus is your daily destination
The Central West End is the obvious close-in option, but it is not the only one. Forest Park Southeast, Shaw, Tower Grove South, University City, Richmond Heights and Maplewood can all make sense depending on whether you want walkability, detached housing, a shorter drive or more space.
Three options
The real WashU move is campus + lifestyle + housing—not “near the university.”
I want to walk, bike or use MetroLink
Danforth points you first toward University City and nearby central locations. The Medical Campus points much more strongly toward the Central West End and Forest Park Southeast. If car-light living is a real goal, start with the transit line and the exact building—not a generic radius.
I want a detached home without a long commute
For Danforth, compare Richmond Heights, Brentwood, Maplewood, Webster Groves and Kirkwood. For the Medical Campus, Richmond Heights, Maplewood, University City, Shaw and Tower Grove can widen the housing choices while staying reasonably close.
I want more space and I am willing to drive
You can push farther west or south, but do it intentionally. WashU sits centrally enough that a larger house farther out can create a commute you never needed to accept in the first place.
Should you rent first for a WashU move?
Renting first makes the most sense when you still do not know which campus will dominate your week, whether a partner has a job elsewhere, or whether you want city living versus a close-in suburb. If the campus is fixed and you already know the housing type you want, the region is compact enough that buying immediately can be reasonable—after you test the actual commute.
If two people are commuting
A WashU household can go wrong by optimizing one campus commute and ignoring the second worker entirely. Danforth + Clayton is easy to solve differently from Medical Campus + West County. Put both work locations on the map before choosing a community.
Scouting trip
A one-day plan.
1
Drive from two or three realistic neighborhoods to the exact WashU building at the hour you would normally arrive.
2
Spend one evening in the neighborhood, not on campus. Grocery, dinner, gym and the trip home matter more than a campus tour.
3
Compare one “very close” option with one “more house” option so you can feel the real trade.
4
If MetroLink matters, ride the exact trip once. Station proximity on a map is not the same as a routine you will actually use.
Before you commit
Check these four things.
Confirm Danforth vs. Medical Campus vs. another WashU work location.
Ask whether parking is assigned, paid, waitlisted or likely to change for your role.
Test the commute during the hours you will actually travel.
Check whether your housing choice still works if a partner’s job is somewhere else in the metro.
Places to compare
Six places to start.
They are deliberately different so you can compare commute, housing type, walkability and space.
University City
Close to Danforth, older housing and strong local commercial areas.
Open guideClayton
Very close to Danforth and a major employment center in its own right.
Open guideRichmond Heights
Central location with quick access to both Danforth and the Medical Campus.
Open guideMaplewood
A compact local center with practical access to the central corridor.
Open guideCentral West End
The obvious place to investigate for the Medical Campus and one of the region’s most urban routines.
Open guideWebster Groves
Established detached housing and a real local center with a longer but still manageable trip for many WashU routines.
Open guideThree things to watch.
1
Searching “near WashU” before confirming which campus you actually need.
2
Assuming proximity to campus matters more than the rest of your weekly routine.
3
Ignoring parking, shift hours or late-night travel if your schedule is not a standard workday.
FAQ
Washington University relocation FAQ
What St. Louis neighborhood is closest to WashU Danforth?
University City sits immediately north and east of much of the Danforth Campus, with Clayton to the west and nearby central neighborhoods to the east. “Closest” is not always “best,” so compare the exact building and housing type you want.
What if I work at WashU Medicine instead of Danforth?
Treat it as a completely different search. The Medical Campus is tied to the Central West End / Barnes-Jewish area, which shifts the housing map east and south.
Can I live without a car for a WashU move?
Possibly, especially for specific Danforth or Medical Campus routines that line up with MetroLink and walkable neighborhoods. But test the complete weekly routine before committing to a car-light plan.
What if my partner works in Clayton or West County?
That can push Richmond Heights, Maplewood, University City, Brentwood or other central locations higher because they split the difference better than living directly beside one WashU campus.
Want a shortlist built around your actual move?
Add your budget, home type, commute and must-haves. The planner will compare communities across the region instead of forcing you into the six places on this page.
Build my relocation planSources
The employer and worksite facts come from the organizations themselves where available. Community recommendations are CityHub’s housing-and-commute judgment, not employer guidance.
See all work-relocation guides