Travel
MTMA takes place in College Park, MD near Washington DC. The venue is reachable by public transportation, driving, Amtrak and air travel.
Metro
To get to College Park via the DC Metro, take the Green Line (direction Greenbelt) to the College Park Station. It is best to buy a reusable SmarTrip card. If instead you buy a new ticket for each ride, you will pay a $1 surcharge for for each ticket.
Red University of Maryland Shuttle Buses to the campus leave regularly from the front (east side) of the station. This is Route 104, to Regents Drive Garage. Get off the shuttle at the wind tunnel stop, which is the first stop after passing the campus gates.
Parking
We recommend parking off campus. The "OCP - BIG LOT" and "OCP - Discovery Lot" offer affordable daily rates within close walking distance to the Iribe Center.
Parking areas on campus are highlighted on this map. During the week, guests can park in two places. Both lots cost $3/hour.
- the Stadium Parking Garage, in the northwest of the campus, attached to the western edge of the football stadium
- the Mowatt Lane Garage, in the southwest of the campus, where Knox Rd turns into Mowatt Lane (this can be reached from Route 1 via Knox Rd heading west).
On weekends parking is unrestricted in most lots on campus. Signs make it clear when this is not the case. You can also park in the pay lots for $5 per day.
Amtrak to College Park
Amtrak makes two stops in the area, Union Station in Washington, and New Carrollton Station in Maryland.
Union Station (WAS): Many trains stop at Union Station, which is on several Amtrak routes: the Acela Express, Northeast Regional, Vermonter, Capitol Limited, The Cardinal, and Silver Service / Palmetto. From Union Station it is easy to get to the University of Maryland by Metro. Take the Red Line (direction Glenmont) to Fort Totten. At Fort Totten, transfer to the Green Line (direction Greenbelt). Get off at College Park Station.
New Carrollton (NCR): Fewer trains stop at New Carrollton. It is served only by the Northeast Regional and Vermonter Routes. The F6 bus from New Carrollton to Silver Spring stops at the University of Maryland. But this bus is not frequent. You may therefore want to take a taxi or lyft.
Air Travel
Three airports are in vicinity
- BWI: Baltimore Washington International
- DCA: Washington National Airport
- IAD: Dulles International
Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Reagan is the most expensive airport to fly to, but often the most convenient. It is very close to downtown D.C. – near the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia – and has its own Metro stop.
To get to College Park from Reagan by Metro, take the Yellow Line, direction Fort Totten, to L'Enfant Plaza. At L'Enfant Plaza, change to the Green Line (direction Greenbelt). Get off the Green Line at College Park Station. During the peak hours of the AM and PM commutes, this transfer is not necessary, and you can take the Yellow Line all the way to College Park. When using the DC Metro it is best to buy a reusable SmarTrip card. If instead you buy a new ticket for each ride, you will pay a $1 surcharge for for each ticket.
Taxi service to College Park from Reagan costs approximately $40.00, plus a tip. Super Shuttle is also an option. In a shared van, the price is $28, plus $10 per additional person. Reagan is only about 15 miles from the University. But throughout work hours, traffic is terrible. The ride will take at least 30 minutes, but less than one hour.
Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)
Flights to BWI are cheaper than flights to Reagan. It is a hub city for the discount carrier Southwest Airlines, which generates some price competition. BWI has mostly domestic connections, but also a few direct international connections (for example, to the UK and Germany).
There is regular public bus service to BWI from the Greenbelt Metro Station, for only $6, on the B30 Metrobus. Greenbelt is just one stop beyond College Park on the Metro Green Line.
College Park is about 25 miles from BWI. Taxi service is therefore expensive, in the area of $70. The Super Shuttle costs $32, plus $12 per additional person.
Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Dulles is the main international hub in the region, with direct connections from throughout the US, Europe and Asia. Dulles is 25 miles west of downtown D.C, however, and the 40 mile trip from Dulles to College Park is not easy. Options are taxi or shuttle van, or bus-and-metro combination.
Taxi service to College Park costs approximately $80. The drive is at least 45 minutes, and most often one hour.
Super Shuttle is another option: a shared van is $39, plus $10 per additional person. But be warned! Trips to College Park can be as much as three hours long: in dropping off several customers, the shuttle may follow a circuitous path, and traffic is generally terrible.