University of Toledo Off-Campus Neighborhoods: 6 Areas Compared by Walk Time

The University of Toledo off-campus neighborhoods that actually work on foot are University Hills (about a 9-minute walk to the Student Union), the North Westwood Avenue corridor (14 to 20 minutes), the Secor Road strip by the Gateway (15 to 16 minutes) and Old Orchard along Kenwood Boulevard (about 20 minutes). Everything else, including the Old West End and the apartments off Hill Avenue and Glendale, is a drive or a bus ride. We timed every area from real listing coordinates in October 2026, and the walk times below are what you should plan around.

Key Takeaways

• University Hills wins on distance: a 0.46-mile walking route, roughly 9 minutes, from University Hills Blvd. to the Student Union.
• Want the most choice inside 20 minutes? Look at North Westwood Ave, where Olde Towne University Square, Edge 1120 and Westwood Square Apartments all sit.
• Secor Road (Vivo Toledo, The Lofts at Gateway) puts you on the west edge of campus, about 15 minutes out.
• Old Orchard is the quiet pick. Tudor-style houses, lots of faculty families, and The Flats at Douglas about 20 minutes away on foot.
• Past 3 miles (Old West End, Hill Ave, Glendale, Heatherdowns) you are driving, because UToledo's Blue Loop shuttle stays on Main Campus.

How We Measured Walk Times to the University of Toledo

Every walk time in this list comes from a pedestrian route, not a straight line. We took the map coordinates on each property's Find My Place listing and ran a walking route on OpenStreetMap to the Student Union at 2801 W. Bancroft St. Then we converted route distance at a normal 3 mph pace, which works out to 20 minutes per mile.

Two caveats. If your classes are on the far edge of Main Campus, add five minutes or so. And the distance badge on each property page is a shorter, as-the-crow-flies number, so it will look a little rosier than the walk. You can compare every listing side by side on our off-campus housing near the University of Toledo page.

1. University Hills: The Closest Neighborhood to UT (About 9 Minutes)

If walking to class is your top priority, start here. University Hills is the residential pocket directly across Bancroft Street from campus, and the University Hills apartment complex at 2247 University Hills Blvd. is the closest off-campus listing we have: 0.46 miles on foot, about 9 minutes.

Pricing is per bed. Rent drops as bedroom count rises (a 4-bed plan lists at $579, 2-bed plans run $644 to $830, and 1-beds start at $1,074), and the double-occupancy plans, where you share a bedroom, list from $330. Best for: anyone who wants to roll out of bed 15 minutes before an 8 a.m. and still make it.

2. North Westwood Avenue: Three Complexes Within a 20-Minute Walk

North Westwood Ave, on the east side of campus, gives you the most options in one stretch. The street runs from the Bancroft Hills area south toward Dorr Street, and walk times climb as you go south.

• Olde Towne University Square sits at the north end, about 0.70 miles and 14 minutes from the Student Union. Plans list from $599 (the listing doesn't say whether that's per bed or per unit, so ask).
• Edge 1120, at 1120 N Westwood Ave, is a 0.94-mile walk, roughly 19 minutes. Its 4x4 runs $589 per person.
• A block south at 1025 N. Westwood, Westwood Square Apartments is just under a mile, about 20 minutes. It prices three-bedroom units by headcount, starting at $350 a person with four roommates on a 12-month lease.

Best for: groups of three or four who want a student building and don't mind a 15-to-20-minute walk. Honestly, the Edge 1120 and Westwood Square end of the street is where you start wanting a bike in January.

3. Secor Road and the Gateway: West Side, About 15 Minutes

Secor Road is the move if your classes skew toward the west half of campus. Vivo Toledo and The Lofts at Gateway both sit on Secor along the west edge of campus, a 0.76 to 0.79-mile walk to the Student Union.

Vivo Toledo at 1473 Secor Rd is about 15 minutes out. Its student units are labelled per bed and start at $524, while its conventional studios and 1-beds ($750 and $850) are whole-unit rents. Just down Secor, The Lofts at Gateway at 1450 Secor Road is about 16 minutes away, with a 4-bed plan at $569 that's priced per bed (rent goes down as bedrooms go up).

Best for: students who want to be a short walk from class and near the shops along Secor. It's a busy road, though. Use the crosswalks.

4. Old Orchard and Kenwood Boulevard: The Quiet Option (About 20 Minutes)

Old Orchard is where you live if you want grown-up quiet without giving up the walk. The neighborhood sits just north of campus, roughly bounded by Bancroft, Secor, Central and Douglas, and it's known for 1920s brick Tudor homes and a lot of university faculty.

The Flats at Douglas, at 2704 Kenwood Blvd., is about 0.98 miles from the Student Union, a 20-minute walk. These are conventional apartments priced by the whole unit: 1-beds from $897, 2-beds from $919 and a 3-bed at $1,434. Best for: grad students, couples, or two friends splitting a 2-bed who'd rather hear lawnmowers than a party.

5. Old West End: Historic Houses, but Not Walkable to UT

The Old West End is about a 70-minute walk from UT, so it's a car or bus neighborhood. From the middle of the neighborhood, the walking route to the Student Union is roughly 3.5 miles. That's the catch with the prettiest area on this list.

It's famous for its Victorian houses, and our Toledo student housing page lists it as a spot where big old homes get split into student rentals. TARTA buses connect campus with downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. Best for: upperclassmen with a car who'd trade the commute for a porch and a 100-year-old staircase.

6. West and South Toledo Apartments: 3 to 7 Miles, Plan to Drive

Everything else near UT on Find My Place is a commute, not a walk. These are the listings to look at if you have a car and want a conventional apartment:

• Legacy Hills Apartments, 4424 Hill Ave: 3.2 miles on foot (about 64 minutes), with 1-beds at $575 and 2-beds at $825 for the whole unit.
• The 3-bed listing at 638 Caswell Ave lists at $400. It's a 4.1-mile walk, so roughly 83 minutes. (The listing doesn't say if that's per person or for the whole unit.)
• The Courtyards on Glendale, 1223 Oak Hill Court: about 4.5 miles (around 90 minutes), with studios from $709.
• 5520 Heatherdowns Blvd is the farthest, at 7.1 miles. One 2-bed condo, listed at $543.

If you go this route, budget for a UT parking permit and gas before you compare rent with a walkable place. Best for: students with a car, a job off campus, or a partner who works in South Toledo.

Does the UT Shuttle Help If You Live Off Campus?

Not really. According to UToledo Shuttle Services, the Blue Loop runs on Main Campus every 16 to 20 minutes on weekdays, and the other loops go to the Toledo Museum of Art and the Health Science Campus. None of them is set up as an apartment route.

That's why walk time matters so much here. In University Hills, Westwood or Secor, your feet are the shuttle. Anywhere else, it's your car or a TARTA bus.

Frequently Asked Questions About University of Toledo Off-Campus Neighborhoods

What is the closest off-campus neighborhood to the University of Toledo?

University Hills. The University Hills apartments on University Hills Blvd. are a 0.46-mile walking route from the Student Union, about 9 minutes. Olde Towne University Square on North Westwood Ave is next at roughly 14 minutes.

Which areas near UT are within a 20-minute walk?

Four of them: University Hills, North Westwood Avenue, the Secor Road strip by the Gateway, and Old Orchard along Kenwood Blvd. Seven of the 11 off-campus properties near UT on Find My Place (not counting the on-campus Ottawa House and Honors Academic Village listings) fall inside that 20-minute line, based on walking routes measured in October 2026.

Can you walk to UT from the Old West End?

You can, but you won't want to. It's about 3.5 miles and roughly 70 minutes each way, so plan on driving or taking a TARTA bus.

Is there a cheap neighborhood that's still walkable to campus?

Yes: North Westwood Ave. Westwood Square Apartments starts at $350 a person with four roommates on a 12-month lease, about 20 minutes from the Student Union. If you're fine sharing a bedroom, University Hills' double-occupancy plans list from $330 and cut the walk to 9 minutes.