C-U. We’re not like any other cities. We say that’s our best feature.
With a small-town feel and urban perks, you will find a place with a vibrant community, relaxed lifestyle and a 6,370-acre campus nestled between the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. Our community has a small-town feel that brings together a unique mix of urban perks and rural comforts: Oktoberfests and Blue Waters supercomputing, tractor pulls and gourmet dining, farmers’ markets and independent cinema.
Here are some of the things we love the most about CU.
Pick local. Eat local.
An active caffeine scene will keep you moving through farmer’s markets overflowing with locally grown produce (PDF). Relish farm-to-fork eateries, browse the Sustainable Student Farm Stand, enjoy global cuisine or grab-and-go from a wide selection of food trucks. Pair it with local craft microbrews.
Arts and entertainment are big here
From museums to movies on the Quad, there’s entertainment for every taste. Savor a symphony, experience experimental theater, see cutting-edge dance or take in the scene at a county-wide arts celebration. Learn about local public arts, museums, and cultural events.
Activities for everyone
Go vertical on a wall, flow in yoga, defy gravity on a pole, scale indoor boulders, try your hand at disc golf, break out of an escape room, be tested at trivia nights, train with a group to run a marathon or pedal for pleasure on a railbed converted into a recreational prairie trail.
We love the outdoors
Explore 1,200+ acres of community parks, listen to a concert in a park, hike amid soaring prairie plants, go star gazing, smell the beautiful cherry blossoms in spring, rent a canoe or kayak and paddle down one of our lakes or borrow a tent and enjoy a quiet camping retreat.
Families can play here
Get cheap seats to Big Ten NCAA games, plunge into a pool, skate in the ice arena, visit bees at a pollinatarium, pet baby goats or pick pumpkins, apples and blueberries at nearby farms.
All are welcome
An accessible, diverse community, with a large international population, thrives in these not-too-busy and not-too-quiet twin cities.
