76th International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy

June 19-23, 2023

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Driving to ISMS

For those of you who wish to travel by car, Champaign-Urbana is at the nexus of I-57 (Chicago-Memphis) and I-74 (Davenport-Cincinnati), with easy connections to I-90, I-80, I-70, and I-55.

This map shows "contours" of driving distances from Urbana, in rings of 100 miles.

driving contours

To calculate driving directions from your location to the meeting location, please use the Directions link in the pop-up bubble below.


View Larger Map


Parking

All local hotels (except the new TownePlace Suites) provide complementary parking. All hotels with ISMS room blocks are either within walking distance or have a shuttle to bring you to Noyes Laboratory.

Parking can be purchased as part of the Dorm check-in process. Parking permits are for a single assigned lot, this year in lot E14, which is a 5-6 minute walk from the Dorms. See Dorms page for a map and more details.

We have determined that the best, cheapest and closest parking option for ISMS attendees who are not staying in the dorms or at a nearby hotel will be to park at a meter in the underground garage of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (KCPA). KCPA is located on Goodwin Avenue just east of the Chemical and Life Sciences Laboratory (CLSL-B), which is one of the buildings where sessions will be held, so it's a very convenient location.

The meters are located in both the upper and lower levels of the garage (on the North side), which can be entered from Illinois Street just east of Goodwin. There are a total of 72 parking meters in this garage, and in our experience there are always lots of empty meters ... so you should not need to worry. However, there is another lot (D-9) which is on the corner of Illinois and Lincoln (just down the street) that has an additional 36 meters (also pay-by-phone) should KCPA somehow be unavailable (D-9 also typically has many open meters all day).

The meters are enforced from 6am to 5pm Monday through Friday, and they are $1/hour. You can either pay the old-fashioned way with quarters, or you can use the service provided by www.paybyphone.com to pay using your cell phone (and you can even get a receipt for reimbursement purposes!). We have had reports that PayByPhone does not work with all International cell phones.

You may also purchase a meter hang-tag online during registration or at the Registration Desk when you pick up your packet. They can be used at any "I" branded meter in a parking lot, but NOT at the meters on the public streets. Parking Meter Map

A reserved meter space can be arranged (based on availability), but rates are significantly higher (~$20/day). There are meters outside the dorms and also outside the symposium building on S. Mathews Avenue.

Other Options

Champaign is also accessible by rail (Amtrak, from Chicago) or bus (Burlington Trailways or Greyhound).