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College Park, Maryland is a compact city just inside the Beltway, about eight miles northeast of downtown Washington, and it lives and breathes as a university town. The University of Maryland's flagship campus dominates the place, and on game days the whole city turns up in red for the Terrapins. Baltimore Avenue, the main drag locals call Route 1, runs right past campus and forms the spine of student life, lined with storefronts and gathering spots. The College Park Aviation Museum sits beside the world's oldest continuously operating airport, and the Anacostia Tributary Trails and Lake Artemesia give you miles of paved paths and water views. With the District a short Metro ride away, students get a true college town that's also wired into a major city.
Where most students want to be, walkable to campus and packed with the newer purpose-built apartment buildings.
Just west of the avenue, Old Town offers older houses and a quieter residential feel within easy walking distance of class.
Near Lake Artemesia and the trails, Berwyn and the Lakeland area are a calmer pocket that's still close in.
Here's what you need to know about getting around College Park.
College Park is one of the easier college towns to navigate without a car, thanks to the Washington Metro. The College Park station sits on the Green Line, putting you in downtown DC in around 25 minutes, and the new Purple Line light rail is reshaping how students move across the region. Maryland's Shuttle-UM buses run free routes around campus and the neighborhoods, and Metrobus and the local TheBus system fill the gaps. Between the Metro and the free shuttles, students reach class and the city easily.
The campus and the Baltimore Avenue corridor are walkable, so daily basics are close at hand. The Trolley Trail plus the Anacostia Tributary Trails make biking pleasant on protected paths. The flat terrain and trail network make cycling a practical everyday option. Students near campus can cover most needs on foot and bike.
A car gives you reach into the wider DC suburbs, but between the Metro, the free shuttles, and the bike trails, most students get by without one. Parking near campus is the usual headache, with limited spots and permits. Driving is most useful for trips beyond the Metro lines. Day to day, most students do not need a car.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
College Park sits on the higher side thanks to DC-area demand. Shared bedrooms in the purpose-built buildings along Route 1 typically run $900 to $1,300 per month, while studios and one-bedrooms often land between $1,400 and $1,900. Renting a room in a house off the avenue or out toward Hyattsville usually saves you a meaningful chunk.
Browse student housing near each College Park-area university.