Getting to College Park, Maryland
College Park, Maryland is part of the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and as such there are several options for traveling to ABLE 2024. You will find general information on this page to help guide your travel planning.
Planes…
College Park can be reached from any one of three regional airports (four if you include College Park Airport, which you can look into if you have your own plane).
• Reagan National Airport (DCA), located on the Potomac River directly across from the Capital, is 30 min by car, or 50 min by Metro train.
• Dulles International Airport (IAD), located in suburban Virginia west of Washington, D.C., is 1 hour by car, or 1.5-2 hours by Metro train.
• Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), located on the south side of the city of Baltimore, is 45 min by car (with no convenient public transportation).
Trains…
• Amtrak – Union Station in downtown Washington, D.C., is a destination on several major Amtrak lines, including the high speed Acela train from New York and Boston. At Union Station you can transfer to the Metro subway system to reach College Park Station.
• WMATA Metro System – The Metro is our regional subway system, connecting destinations in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia. The University of Maryland campus is located just west of the College Park Metro Station on the Green Line, making it a convenient destination for regional travelers. Riders of MARC or VRE lines can transfer to Metro at Union Station.
The WMATA Metro Trip Planner will tell you how to get from one place to another, including descriptions of stations and the cost of a trip. You will need to purchase a SmartTrip Card, which is available from fare machines in every station, or can be obtained through Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.
A free UMD Shuttle (red bus) stops at College Park Metro Station Bay E every 15 minutes, 7:00 am – 11:50 pm, Monday-Friday, during the summer. The Regents Drive Garage shuttle stop is closest to the meeting registration location in the Biology-Psychology Building on Hornbake Plaza.
…and Automobiles
Driving to College Park is a simple matter from many destinations as we are conveniently located just of the Capital Beltway (I-495) on US Route 1. College Park is currently going through rounds of construction so it is highly recommended that you use you favorite Maps app for exact directions to campus destinations!
Parking
If you are staying in the dorms, you will be parking in the Mowatt Lane Parking Garage on the west side of South Campus/Washington Quad (7591 Mowatt Lane). A parking permit can be purchased as part of your on-campus registration.
If you are staying in a hotel, camping, or just coming for a day, you will use metered parking on the top of Regents Drive Garage (200 Regents Drive), which has a maximum of $15/day payable at kiosks or using the Parkmobile app. Weekdays after 4:00pm and all day Saturday parking is unrestricted (free) in Regents Drive Garage Lot B areas, so this is a convenient place to park for evening events and ELOs!
Check the visitor parking map for details or additional metered parking locations.