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Major city · United States

College ParkCollege Park, Maryland

Base here only if you're visiting UMD or flying out of BWI: 1 night, walk the campus and the aviation museum, then Metro into DC.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), late Dec–Jan (campus quiet, cold)
Airports
CGS · BWI · DCA · IAD
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

College Park is a Washington DC suburb built around the University of Maryland, about 30 minutes from downtown on the Metro Green Line. It is not a sightseeing destination in its own right: visitors come for campus events, Terrapins games, the aviation museum at the world's oldest continuously operating airport, and cheaper beds than DC. One night covers it; most people day-trip in from DC instead.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about College Park, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$3–6
  • Sit-down mealSit-down dinner, main courseTipping 18–22% is expected.$15–30
  • BeerDraft beer at a Route 1 bar$6–9
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi or rideshare$12–20
  • Metro or bus rideMetro ride$2–6 (check)
  • Museum or sight ticketCollege Park Aviation Museum entry$4 (check)
  • Budget bedHostel or shared-room bed, a night, per personUS$45
  • Mid-range bedChain-hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$160
  • High-end bedChain-hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$260

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$130 · High US$250

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

University of Maryland, College ParkCollege Park Airport, the world's oldest continuously operating airportCollege Park Aviation MuseumTerrapins college sportsMetro Green Line access to Washington DC
Airports
CGS College Park Airport (Private planes only; no scheduled airline service.) · BWI Baltimore-Washington International (About a 30-minute drive; also reachable by MARC and Amtrak via Union Station or New Carrollton.) · DCA Ronald Reagan Washington National (About a 30-minute drive; reachable on Metrorail.) · IAD Washington Dulles International (About a 45-minute drive; reachable on Metrorail via the Silver Line.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

College Park: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

6°C

−3°C

10 rd

Feb

8°C

−2°C

9 rd

Mar

13°C

2°C

10 rd

Apr

19°C

8°C

10 rd

May

24°C

13°C

11 rd

Jun

29°C

18°C

10 rd

Jul

32°C

21°C

11 rd

Aug

31°C

20°C

9 rd

Sep

27°C

16°C

8 rd

Oct

21°C

10°C

8 rd

Nov

14°C

4°C

9 rd

Dec

8°C

−1°C

10 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Route 1 (Baltimore Avenue) is the main north-south artery and most sights sit along it; Rhode Island Avenue runs parallel to the east. University Boulevard (Route 193) and Campus Drive/Paint Branch Parkway run east-west. Route 1 traffic is heavy at rush hour. There is no free parking in College Park, so check each meter's rules. Shuttle-UM buses cover campus but many routes need a University of Maryland ID. The Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail and Paint Branch Trail are the bike routes; residential streets are easy, major roads are not.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Washington, D.C.go

Door to door: About 40–50 min to downtown

Metro Green Line from College Park station, or MARC from the same station at peak hours

The reason most people stay here: museums and monuments are free.

Greenbelt

go

Door to door: About 15 min

Metro Green Line one stop north, or a short drive on Greenbelt Road

Greenbelt Park and the NASA Goddard visitor centre.

Hyattsville

go

Door to door: About 15–20 min

Metro Green Line south, or Route 1 south by car

Route 1 arts district with restaurants and bars.

Bowie

caution

Door to door: About 30 min

Drive via US-50 east

Mostly a car trip; little public transport.

Laurel, Maryland

caution

Door to door: About 30–40 min

Drive via I-95 north, or MARC from College Park at peak hours

Historic Main Street; MARC timing is limited.

Largo, Maryland

caution

Door to door: About 45 min

Metro Green Line to Largo Town Center

Mostly for events at the sports complex.

Beltsville

skip

Door to door: About 15 min

Drive north on Route 1

Little for visitors beyond the agricultural research centre.

National Harbor

caution

Door to door: About 40–50 min

Drive via I-495 and I-295 south

Better as a DC-side trip than from College Park.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Baltimore Avenue (US-1) corridor

Chain hotels and fast-casual food along the main north-south artery; walkable to campus and the Metro station.

Near the College Park Metro station

Green Line and MARC Camden Line stop; about a mile from the university.

Route 1 north near the Beltway

Highway-side hotels with free parking; best if you have a car and are heading to BWI.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$60–100 excl. bed
Mid
$100–180 excl. bed
High
$180+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Chain-hotel double room1 × 1 night × US$160US$160
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$130US$260
Metro Green Line, College Park to downtown DC, one way2 × US$6 · checkUS$12
Metro one-day unlimited pass2 × US$13 · checkUS$26
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$20US$40
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$50
Trip total≈ US$274 per person per day, bed includedUS$548

2026 estimate in US dollars; sales tax is added at checkout and flights are excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–6
Fast-casual lunch near campus$10–16
Sit-down dinner, main courseTipping 18–22% is expected.$15–30
Draft beer at a Route 1 bar$6–9
Metro ride$2–6 (check)
5 km taxi or rideshare$12–20
College Park Aviation Museum entry$4 (check)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

College Park has a low amount of crime. The real issues are petty theft from cars and of bicycles, and cycling or walking on Greenbelt Road and Baltimore Avenue where driveways have limited visibility.
  • Route 1 backs up badly at evening rush hour; avoid arriving or leaving then.
  • No free parking anywhere in College Park: read each meter's restrictions.
  • Petty theft from cars and of bicycles happens; lock your bike.
  • Greenbelt Road and Baltimore Avenue are risky for cyclists and, less so, pedestrians, because of driveways with limited visibility.
  • MARC Camden Line only stops at College Park at peak commuting hours Monday to Friday; the Penn Line runs seven days a week from New Carrollton.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

College ParkCollege Park, Maryland

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

Most embassies are in Washington, DC, about 30–40 minutes away on the Metro; check your country's listing before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Metro Green Line, College Park → downtown DC: about $6, 30–40 min (check)
  • MARC Camden Line, College Park → Washington Union Station: peak hours only, Monday–Friday (check)
  • Taxi or rideshare, College Park → BWI: about $50–70, 30 min (check)

Say or show

  • Where is the Metro station? — Where is the Metro station?
  • One ticket to Washington, please — One ticket to Washington, please
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Is this seat taken? — Is this seat taken?
  • Thanks, keep the change — Thanks, keep the change

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for College Park. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (heat and humidity), late Dec–Jan (campus quiet, cold) · month by month →
  2. 4 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 8 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for BWI, DCA and IAD: last Metro and MARC departures field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: campus and McKeldin Mall, the Route 1 hotel strip, the Metro station area.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Aviation Museum, The Art Gallery, Clarice Smith Center) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Rush-hour and game-day fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources