Dodger Stadium was carved directly into a hillside in Chavez Ravine, and that single fact changes everything about how a 45-foot coach gets a group in and out on game night. This isn't a flat parking lot with one gate and one exit. It's a terraced bowl with five separate gates, each one feeding a different cluster of lots stacked up the hillside at different elevations — which means the gate a bus enters through decides which hill your group ends up parked on, how close you land to the gates, and how bad the exit is when 45,000-plus people try to leave at once.
TLDR: Charter buses and party buses headed to Dodger Stadium are directed to Sunset Gate A on Vin Scully Avenue and park in Lot 12, the oversized-vehicle lot, for a pre-purchased fee. That single routing decision is also what makes the exit painless — while thousands of cars funnel down through Sunset Blvd, Stadium Way, and Academy Rd, your bus is already staged and ready to roll. Below is everything a Long Beach group needs to plan the trip: the gate, the lot, the cost, the exit, and how a charter bus, party bus, or minibus rental compares to driving yourself or Ubering out to Chavez Ravine.
Why Long Beach Groups Charter a Bus to Dodger Stadium
Long Beach sits about 26 miles south of Dodger Stadium, and the drive up I-710 into I-5 or the 110 runs anywhere from 30 minutes off-peak to well over an hour once game-day traffic stacks up near Chavez Ravine. Send a group up in separate cars and you're managing 5, 8, or 12 different arrival times, 5 to 12 separate parking transactions, and a caravan that almost never reunites at the exit. Put the same group on one Dodger Stadium sporting event charter and it becomes one pickup, one gate, one lot, and one pickup time when the last out is recorded.
This is one of the most requested regional trips on this site, and it isn't just Long Beach fans making the drive. Groups from Lakewood, Carson, Compton, Paramount, Torrance, and Gardena book the same run, often stacking multiple pickup stops onto one route before the bus ever points north toward Chavez Ravine. One quote request or a call to 562-800-9980 covers all of it — multiple pickups, one bus, one price for the whole group.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Drop-Off at Dodger Stadium: Gate A and Lot 12
Dodger Stadium's five gates each open into a different section of the hillside. Sunset Gate A sits off Vin Scully Avenue (the road formerly named Elysian Park Avenue) on the stadium's southwest side; Scott Gate B and Golden State Gate C come in from the west and northwest; Academy Gate D serves the hillside lots to the north; and Downtown Gate E is the entrance most cars hit coming off the 110 North. According to the official Dodgers parking page, oversized vehicles — charter buses, party buses, limousines, and motorhomes — are routed to Sunset Gate A and directed into Lot 12, the lot set aside specifically for buses and limos.
That single gate assignment is the reason a charter bus doesn't get funneled into the same maze of car traffic that clogs the other four entrances on a sellout night. A 45-foot coach isn't guessing which gate to try or getting waved off at the wrong one; Gate A and Lot 12 are the fixed answer for every Dodgers home date, from a Tuesday game against the Rockies to a packed October night.
Below is Dodger Stadium's exact address so you can see how Lot 12 and Gate A sit relative to the rest of the hillside parking system.
Why the Gate You Enter Decides Where Your Bus Ends Up
Moving Dodger Stadium's lots into the hillside took more than 8 million cubic yards of earth, and the payoff is a stadium with 21 entrances spread across six seating levels — but the tradeoff is that the lots aren't one connected surface lot. They're arranged in tiers, roughly an outer ring, a middle ring, and an inner ring closest to the seats, each one reached from a specific gate. A car or bus that enters at the wrong gate for its assigned lot has to work its way around the perimeter roads to get to the right tier, which is exactly the kind of maneuver you don't want a 45-foot coach making in bumper-to-bumper game-day traffic.
That's why the fixed Gate A / Lot 12 routing for buses matters so much. It removes the guesswork entirely: every charter bus and party bus headed to a Dodgers game uses the same entrance and lands in the same lot, regardless of which of the 81 home dates it is or how big the crowd. Compare vehicle options for your group size through the full bus and party bus lineup, and the gate assignment stays the same no matter which size you land on.
Dodger Stadium Bus Parking Cost & the Cashless Rule
Bus and limo parking in Lot 12 is priced separately from standard car parking, and it has to be purchased ahead of time. Published rates on the official parking page run $65 in advance or $70 at the gate for oversized vehicles, a flat cost split across your whole group rather than a per-car pass multiplied by every vehicle in a caravan.
Dodger Stadium is also a fully cashless facility. Every gate takes prepaid parking passes or a credit or debit card only — cash isn't accepted at the parking booths, though cash-to-card kiosks are available on the concourse for fans who show up without a card. Parking gates open 2.5 hours before first pitch, with the stadium gates following 30 minutes later at the 2-hour mark, and prepaid parking sales cut off three hours before first pitch — so locking in the pass early and building in that lead time (plus the drive up from Long Beach) keeps your group from arriving to a line at Gate A rather than a straight roll into Lot 12.
Leaving Dodger Stadium After the Game: Why Groups Charter a Bus for the Exit
Getting into Chavez Ravine is the easy half. Getting 45,000-plus fans back out through a hillside built with three narrow outbound roads — Sunset Blvd, Stadium Way, and Academy Rd — is the part that turns a two-hour ballgame into a four-hour night for anyone who drove themselves. On a sellout crowd, the parking lots can take 45 to 60 minutes to fully clear, and Gate A itself tends to run the slowest exit of the five because it absorbs so much of the outbound Sunset Blvd traffic.
That staggered exit is the entire reason groups charter a bus for Dodger Stadium in the first place. Instead of every member of your group getting into a separate car and merging into that same 45-to-60-minute crawl one vehicle at a time, one bus holds its spot in Lot 12, everyone climbs on board once, and the whole group leaves together on one exit path rather than scattering into a dozen individual cars each hunting their own gap in traffic. There's no post-game rideshare surge to wait out and no risk of someone getting separated from the group at the gate — the bus is parked, it's ready, and it pulls out as one unit.
What Size Bus Fits Your Dodger Stadium Group?
Group size at Dodger Stadium runs the full range, from a suite of eight to a 50-person fan block, and the right vehicle depends on your headcount and how much gear (jerseys, signs, coolers for the parking lot, not the ride) your group is hauling. A 14-passenger Sprinter limo or the Sprinter Van Rental with Driver fits small groups and suite holders well, with room to stretch out for the drive up I-710. A 20-passenger or 25-passenger party bus works for a mid-size fan group, while a 40-passenger or 50-passenger party bus keeps a large crew together for a company outing or a birthday game night.
For the biggest groups — a company suite buyout, a league night, a full section of season-ticket holders — a 40-56 passenger charter bus brings undercarriage storage for gear and onboard restrooms for the ride home after the exit crawl clears. A 15-35 passenger minibus splits the difference nicely for groups in the 20 to 35 range who don't need a full-size coach. Whatever the headcount, every one of these vehicles uses the same Gate A / Lot 12 routing, so the size of your group changes the vehicle, not the plan.
Driving from Long Beach to Dodger Stadium
The most common route from Long Beach runs north on I-710 to either I-5 North or the 110 North (Arroyo Seco Parkway), covering the roughly 26 miles to Chavez Ravine in about 30 to 35 minutes off-peak. That number climbs fast on a weeknight game with a 5:00 or 6:00 PM start, since it overlaps directly with the tail end of LA's evening rush hour on both the 710 and the 110 corridor into downtown.
That's exactly the stretch of drive a bus rental takes off your plate. Instead of a group of Long Beach-area cars merging into the 710/110 crawl separately and then hunting for the correct gate on arrival, one bus makes the same run with a single pickup point, drops the whole group at Gate A, and stages in Lot 12 until it's time to head back down I-710 toward home.
Flying Into Long Beach for a Dodgers Game?
Out-of-town groups landing at Long Beach Airport (LGB) for a Dodgers weekend have about 24 miles and a 35-minute drive to Chavez Ravine, which makes a single bus pickup at baggage claim a clean way to start the trip instead of splitting the group across several rideshares straight off the plane. The Long Beach airport transportation page covers pickup logistics for arriving flights, and the LGB shuttle guide breaks down terminal pickup in more detail.
Dodger Stadium Party Bus & Charter Bus Rental Prices
Every quote for a Dodger Stadium trip is shaped by a few things: vehicle size, total hours booked (including the pre-game window and the post-game wait through that 45-to-60-minute exit crawl), the date on the schedule, and how far the pickup point sits from Chavez Ravine. To give you an idea of what that looks like: 14-passenger Sprinter limos typically run $160–$400/hour; 15–20 passenger party buses run $150–$300/hour; 20–30 passenger party buses run $180–$380/hour; 35–50 passenger party buses and minibuses run $280–$480/hour; and 40–56 passenger charter buses run $150–$300/hour or $1,200–$2,400/day. The Lot 12 bus parking fee is separate from this rate and gets purchased alongside the vehicle.
Pricing moves with the date, the vehicle, the hours booked, and demand around the schedule — but you don't have to guess at any of that. Fill out the quick form or call 562-800-9980 and you could have real pricing for your Dodger Stadium trip in about a minute, no account required. Check the Long Beach party bus prices page for a broader look at rate ranges across vehicle types.
Dodger Stadium Express, Uber, and the Other Ways In
A private bus isn't the only way to reach Chavez Ravine, and it's worth knowing the alternatives so you can pick the right one for your group's size. The Dodger Stadium Express is a free shuttle, run in partnership with LA Metro, that connects Union Station and several J Line stations (Slauson, Manchester, Harbor Freeway, Rosecrans, and Harbor Gateway Transit Center) directly to the stadium. Per the official Metro Dodger Stadium Express page, buses run every 5 to 10 minutes from Union Station starting three hours before first pitch through the end of the second inning, and return service begins after the seventh inning and continues until about an hour after the final out.
Getting to a pickup station still requires a standard Metro fare, and it's a solid option for a pair of fans — it isn't built to move a coordinated group of 20 or 40 people together.
Uber is the stadium's official rideshare partner, with pickup and drop-off now staged in Lot 1 and entered through Gate B, according to the official Dodgers rideshare page; Lyft also picks up and drops off on-site. For one or two riders, that's a reasonable option. For a group large enough to need three, four, or six separate rideshares, though, you're back to the same problem a bus solves — scattered arrival times, scattered fares, and a real chance the group doesn't reunite until everyone is already home.
Once a group grows past a couple of cars' worth of people, one bus into Lot 12 keeps everyone on the same schedule for the whole trip.
Dodger Stadium's 2026 Season: 81 Home Dates Worth Planning Around
The Dodgers play 81 home games every regular season, and 2026 opened at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, March 26 against the Arizona Diamondbacks — the stadium's 65th home opener, per the official Dodgers schedule. The home slate runs through the final regular-season homestand, September 22–24 against the Padres, before the season wraps on the road. That's a long calendar with a lot of dates to choose from, but it also means demand for buses stacks up hard around marquee series, weekend games, and any date the Dodgers are chasing a playoff spot down the stretch.
If your group is planning around a specific date — a weekend series, a rivalry matchup, or a potential October date if the Dodgers are back in the postseason — the smart move is locking in the vehicle before that date gets close. Weekend games and marquee series are exactly when the right-size bus for a 30- or 40-person group gets booked up first. Call 562-800-9980 or fill out the quick form to check what's available for your date.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dodger Stadium Bus Rentals
Which gate do charter buses use to enter Dodger Stadium?
Charter buses, party buses, and other oversized vehicles are directed to Sunset Gate A on Vin Scully Avenue, per the official Dodgers parking page. That's the fixed entrance for buses regardless of which of the stadium's other four gates (B, C, D, or E) general car traffic is using that day.
Where do buses park at Dodger Stadium?
Buses, limos, and other oversized vehicles park in Lot 12, the lot set aside specifically for that category of vehicle. The lot and gate assignment stay the same for every home date on the 81-game schedule.
How much does bus parking cost at Dodger Stadium?
Published rates for oversized-vehicle parking run $65 purchased in advance or $70 at the gate, according to the official parking page. That's a flat cost for the whole vehicle, separate from the hourly or daily rate you get for the bus rental itself.
Why does it take so long to leave Dodger Stadium after a game?
All outbound traffic funnels down through three roads — Sunset Blvd, Stadium Way, and Academy Rd — because the lots are terraced into the hillside rather than laid out on flat ground. On a sellout crowd, the lots can take 45 to 60 minutes to fully clear, and Gate A tends to run the slowest since it absorbs the heaviest share of outbound Sunset Blvd traffic. A bus staged in Lot 12 skips the multi-car scramble by leaving the whole group together as one vehicle.
Is Dodger Stadium parking cashless?
Yes. Every parking gate takes prepaid passes or credit and debit cards only — no cash. Cash-to-card kiosks are available on the concourse for anyone who arrives without a card, and prepaid parking sales close three hours before first pitch, so it's worth locking in a pass ahead of time.
How far is Dodger Stadium from Long Beach?
About 26 miles via I-710 to I-5 North or the 110 North, roughly 30 to 35 minutes off-peak. That climbs on weeknight games with a 5:00 or 6:00 PM first pitch, since the drive overlaps with evening rush hour.
Is there a shuttle from Los Angeles to Dodger Stadium?
Yes — the free Dodger Stadium Express, run with LA Metro, connects Union Station and several J Line stations to the stadium, with buses every 5 to 10 minutes from Union Station starting three hours before first pitch. It's a solid option for one or two riders reaching the stadium from Downtown LA, but it isn't built to keep a coordinated group of 20-plus people together on the same schedule.
How many home games do the Dodgers play at Dodger Stadium in 2026?
81 home games, opening March 26, 2026 against the Arizona Diamondbacks and running through the final regular-season homestand September 22–24 against the Padres, per the official Dodgers schedule.
How early should we book a bus for a Dodgers game?
As soon as your date is set. Weekend games and marquee series book up the right-size vehicles first, and for busy stretches on the 81-game schedule, waiting until the week of the game usually means fewer options. Two to four weeks of lead time works for most regular-season dates.
Are ADA-accessible buses available for a Dodger Stadium trip?
Yes — ADA-accessible vehicles can be arranged through the same quote request. Just note it when you fill out the form or mention it on the call so the right vehicle is lined up for your date.
Book Your Dodger Stadium Bus Today
Whether it's a corporate suite night, a birthday trip, a bachelorette outing before a game, or a full section of season-ticket holders, the same Gate A and Lot 12 routing applies no matter which vehicle fits your group. Line up a Sprinter limo, a party bus, a minibus, or a full charter bus for the trip up I-710, and let the exit crawl down Sunset Blvd become someone else's problem instead of yours. See how the same door-to-door approach works for other regional trips on the Long Beach group transportation services page, or planning a game at a different LA venue on the same visit?
The Crypto.com Arena guide and SoFi Stadium guide cover their own drop-off and parking rules.
Fill out the quick form or call 562-800-9980 any time, any day, for a free quote on a Dodger Stadium bus rental — no account required, and no obligation until you're ready to lock in your date.
