Transportation to Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is centrally located between Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis.
You can fly directly into Willard Airport (CMI) and rent a car or use ride-sharing services (10 minute drive to UIUC campus). You could also fly into Bloomington (BMI) and rent a car (45 minutes) or Indianapolis (IND) and rent a car (2 hours). Finally, you could fly into Chicago and either rent a car, take the Peoria Charter Bus directly from the airport to campus, or take the Amtrak train from Union Station in downtown Chicago to downtown Champaign (2.5 – 3 hours).
Please note that while the Peoria Charter Bus travels to both O’Hare and Midway, its Champaign-O’Hare routes operate more frequently. Please review the Champaign-Urbana Daily Service Timetable if you’re planning to use this service. We recommend purchasing tickets in advance.
Travel Times:
Accommodations
We recommend staying at the following hotels:
Illini Union Hotel (conference venue). The current rates are $159/night for one Queen or King bed or $164/night for two Queen or Full beds. Please use this link to make a reservation.
TownePlace Suites Champaign-Urbana/Campustown. This is an extended stay hotel so rooms include a kitchenette. Please use this link to view current availability and rates, and make a reservation.
Hilton Champaign-Urbana. Hilton has multiple hotels in the area, including Homewood Suites and Hilton Garden Inn. Please use this link to view current availability and rates, and make a reservation.
There are other hotels and Airbnb available in the area. The closest hotels to the conference venue are the Illini Union Hotel and the TownePlace Suites.
Things to Do
- Explore the UIUC campus, including the beautiful Arboretum, the historic Memorial Stadium, and the various museums and galleries
- Get a taste of Champaign at Farren’s, Watson’s Chicken, or Black Dog Smoke and Alehouse
- Have a great breakfast at Courier Cafe in Urbana
- Go for a quality coffee at BrewLab
- Explore Green Street for a wide variety of drinks and international cuisine options, including Northern Cuisine and Sakanaya Sushi
- Enjoy some great brews at Triptych Brewing or Riggs Beer Company and fine wine at Enoteca in Champaign and Analog in Urbana