Champaign travel guide

Champaign Tourism | Champaign Guide

You're Going to Love Champaign

With a population of 81,055, Champaign is a must-see destination in Illinois, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Champaign deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Where to Eat in Champaign

If you’re looking for affordable options, Biaggi's - Champaign (2235 S Neil Street) and Miga (301 N. Neil St. Ste# 104) are great picks.

When to visit Champaign

Champaign in January
Estimated hotel price
$99
1 night at 3-star hotel
Champaign in January
Estimated hotel price
$99
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Champaign in July, when the average temperature is 75.2 °F, and the highest can go up to 86 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 17.6 °F, with an average temperature of 26.6 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in May, when precipitation is around 4.2″. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in Champaign, with an average rainfall of 2″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Champaign

Plane

When flying to Champaign, you’ll arrive at Champaign University-Willard (CMI), which is located 6 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Champaign include American Airlines, Qatar Airways and British Airways. The shortest domestic flight to Champaign departs from San Francisco and takes around 6h 13m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Champaign. The train station in Champaign is called Champaign, and is located 0.1 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Champaign is to pick up a car rental from Chicago, which is about 126 miles from Champaign. You’ll find branches of Kyte and Routes Car & Truck Rentals, among others, in Chicago.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Champaign Ikenberry Dining Hall - 301 E Gregory Dr, located 0.9 miles from downtown Champaign. Champaign Pilot Travel Center is also a commonly used station, and is 4 miles from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Champaign, you’ll arrive at Champaign University-Willard (CMI), which is located 6 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Champaign include American Airlines, Qatar Airways and British Airways. The shortest domestic flight to Champaign departs from San Francisco and takes around 6h 13m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Champaign. The train station in Champaign is called Champaign, and is located 0.1 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Champaign is to pick up a car rental from Chicago, which is about 126 miles from Champaign. You’ll find branches of Kyte and Routes Car & Truck Rentals, among others, in Chicago.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Champaign Ikenberry Dining Hall - 301 E Gregory Dr, located 0.9 miles from downtown Champaign. Champaign Pilot Travel Center is also a commonly used station, and is 4 miles from the city center.

Airlines serving Champaign

Lufthansa
Good (4,666 reviews)
KLM
Good (849 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,541 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,618 reviews)
Air France
Good (983 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,962 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,120 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,467 reviews)
Frontier
Okay (1,352 reviews)
Korean Air
Excellent (773 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (965 reviews)
Aeromexico
Good (811 reviews)
Copa Airlines
Good (778 reviews)
Qantas Airways
Good (549 reviews)
American Airlines
Good (5,794 reviews)
Virgin Atlantic
Good (504 reviews)
WestJet
Good (1,928 reviews)
Allegiant Air
Good (438 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in popular areas of Champaign

Most booked hotels in Champaign

I Hotel And Conference Center
4 stars
Excellent (9.2, 414 reviews)
$116+
Comfort Suites Urbana Champaign, University Area
2 stars
Excellent (8.5, 366 reviews)
$116+
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Champaign North
2 stars
Excellent (8.4, 1300 reviews)
$116+
Best Western Plus Champaign/Urbana Inn
2 stars
Excellent (8.4, 677 reviews)
$115+
Hyatt Place Champaign/Urbana
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 263 reviews)
$149+
Best Western Paradise Inn
2 stars
Excellent (8.2, 229 reviews)
$93+

Renting a car in Champaign

Renting a car in Champaign costs $63 per day, on average, or $126 if you want to rent if for 2 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 13% cheaper than airport locations in Champaign.

Expect to pay $3.94 per gallon in Champaign (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $47.24 and $62.99. The most frequently booked car type in Champaign is Compact (Nissan Rogue or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Chevrolet Cruze or similar) are, on average, 46% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Champaign costs $63 per day, on average, or $126 if you want to rent if for 2 days.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 13% cheaper than airport locations in Champaign.

Expect to pay $3.94 per gallon in Champaign (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $47.24 and $62.99. The most frequently booked car type in Champaign is Compact (Nissan Rogue or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Chevrolet Cruze or similar) are, on average, 46% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.