Living Car-Free at the University of Miami: Which Apartments Sit on Metrorail

Six University of Miami apartments near Metrorail on Find My Place sit within about half a mile of a station, and Avalon South Miami is the closest at roughly a tenth of a mile from South Miami station. University station is on the edge of the Coral Gables campus, so a building near South Miami or Dadeland North is one or two stops from class. Full-time UM students pay $56.25 a month for a Metrorail pass, half the regular $112.50.

Key Takeaways

• Avalon South Miami (5850 SW 73rd St) is about 0.1 miles from South Miami station. Nothing else on the UM page comes close.
• Three more sit roughly half a mile from a station: Red Road Commons, The Standard at Coral Gables and The Cloisters.
• Dadeland North serves The Palmer Dadeland (about 0.4 miles) and AMLI Dadeland (about 0.5), two stops from campus.
• Money check: nine months of the student pass costs $506, less than UM's $656 annual commuter parking permit.
• Freebee, UM's on-demand ride service, runs nightly from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m., and Red Road Commons and The Cloisters are on its destination list.
• The Ludlam Road apartments are about 2 miles from any station (bring a bike or a car).

How Metrorail Works for UM Students

Metrorail's Orange and Green lines share the track along US-1, and University station sits right at the campus edge at 5400 Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Ride south and the stops go South Miami, Dadeland North, Dadeland South. Ride north and you hit Douglas Road, then Coconut Grove, Vizcaya and Brickell.

Trains run 5 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, according to Miami-Dade's Metrorail page. A single ride costs $2.25. The college monthly pass is $56.25, and UM's public transit page confirms full-time students get that 50% discount on the GO Miami-Dade mobile pass.

A note on our distances. The campus mileage comes from each property listed on Find My Place's off-campus housing near the University of Miami page. The station distances are our own straight-line map check from the street address, so your actual walk will run a little longer.

Apartments Near South Miami Station

South Miami station, on Sunset Drive at US-1, is the best car-free base near UM. It's one stop from University station, and it has the most rail-close listings on the UM page.

• Avalon South Miami: about 0.1 miles from the station and 0.3 miles from campus. One-bedrooms list at $3,170 to $3,270. At that distance you'll probably just walk to class.
• Red Road Commons, 6620 SW 57th Ave: roughly half a mile to South Miami station and about the same to University station. Two-bedroom plans list from $2,876 to $3,792.
• The Standard at Coral Gables, 1515 San Remo Ave: about half a mile from the station, 1.1 miles from campus. Private rooms in 3-bedroom units run $2,000 to $2,350 a bed (rent falls as unit size grows, which is how you spot per-bed pricing).

Pick Red Road Commons if you want a regular two-bedroom to split. Pick The Standard if you'd rather sign for one room.

Apartments Near University Station

The Cloisters, at 5830 SW 57th Ave, is the closest UM-page listing to University station itself, about half a mile away. It's also only 0.6 miles from campus, so the train mostly matters when you're heading somewhere else, like Brickell for an internship.

• The Cloisters: two-bedrooms list from $2,500 and three-bedrooms from $5,700. A five-bedroom plan lists at $1,920, which reads like a per-person price. Confirm it with the leasing office.

Apartments Near Dadeland North Station

Dadeland North is the play if you want more apartment for the money and don't mind a two-stop ride. Both Dadeland listings on the UM page sit near SW 72nd Avenue, a short walk from the station.

• The Palmer Dadeland, 8215 SW 72nd Ave: about 0.4 miles from Dadeland North, 2.6 miles from campus. A two-bedroom lists at $3,153, and the building carries a 4.2 FMP score from five reviews.
• AMLI Dadeland, 8250 SW 72nd Ct: about 0.5 miles from the station, 2.8 miles from campus. One-bedrooms run $2,173 to $2,228 and two-bedrooms $3,115 to $3,294. Prices climb with bedroom count, so these are whole-unit rents.

The AMLI one-bedroom is the cheapest place to live alone within half a mile of a station on the UM page. It's also about $1,000 a month less than Avalon. Two stops is a fair trade for that.

Is a Metrorail Pass Cheaper Than Parking at UM?

Yes, once you count the whole cost of the car. UM's student parking page lists the 2026-27 commuter permit at $656 a year ($329 a semester). Nine months of the $56.25 student pass comes to about $506. Twelve months is $675, roughly the same as the permit.

But the permit is only the start. A car near campus also means gas, insurance and often a building parking fee your listing may not show yet. The pass replaces all of it if you live near a station.

Freshmen can't do the math either way, by the way. UM says first-year resident freshmen aren't eligible for a parking permit.

Getting Around When the Train Isn't Running

Metrorail stops at midnight. UM fills the late-night gap with Freebee, an on-demand ride service you book in the UMiami app. Per UM's Freebee page, it runs 7 p.m. to 4 a.m., every day, but only during the semester.

Rides have to start or end on campus. The off-campus destination list is short, and Red Road Commons and The Cloisters are both on it, along with grocery runs to Publix, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. That's a real perk for two buildings already close to campus.

During the day, the Hurry 'Canes shuttle's Miller Circle/Stanford route runs weekdays 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with 7 to 9 minutes between stops this fall. No weekend service.

UM-Area Apartments That Aren't Near Metrorail

The cheapest solo apartments on the UM page sit along Ludlam Road, and they're about 2 miles from any station. Ludlam Point (6880 SW 44th St) lists one-bedrooms from $2,309 and a $2,373 two-bedroom, and 4146 SW 70th Ct has a one-bedroom at $2,195. Both are around 2 miles from campus.

Great prices. Bad for a car-free life. If you sign out there, budget for a permit or a good bike. Our UM off-campus housing cost breakdown walks through utilities and move-in costs for either setup.

Frequently Asked Questions About Living Car-Free at UM

Which Metrorail station is closest to the University of Miami?

University station. It sits on US-1 at 5400 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, right on the edge of the Coral Gables campus. South Miami station is the next stop south.

How much is a Metrorail pass for UM students?

$56.25 a month. That's the college monthly pass, half the regular $112.50, and full-time UM students qualify through the GO Miami-Dade app. A single ride without a pass costs $2.25.

Can you live in Dadeland and commute to UM without a car?

Yes. The Palmer Dadeland and AMLI Dadeland are each about half a mile or less from Dadeland North station, two stops south of University station. Trains run 5 a.m. to midnight.

What is the closest apartment to a Metrorail station near UM?

Avalon South Miami, about 0.1 miles from South Miami station by our map check. One-bedrooms list from $3,170, so you pay for the convenience.

Do UM students need a car?

Not if you live near a station or within walking distance. Between the half-price pass, the Hurry 'Canes shuttle and late-night Freebee rides, a car mostly matters if you live out on Ludlam Road or work off the rail line.