Welcome to Champaign/Urbana! Home to the University of Illinois and the Fighting Illini and the heart of Illinois, as we like to call it. We have a fantastic urban feel and amenities with great midwestern hospitality and small-town pride.
Champaign/Urbana offers world-class educational opportunities and endless arts and cultural experiences. With venues like the Krannert Center for Performing Arts, Virginia Theater, and Orpheum; incredible annual festivals including the Boneyard Arts Festival, Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, Matsuri Festival, Pygmalion and so much more. The University of Illinois also offers many Young Artist in Studio offerings to continue the exploration of the arts and continued growth in our community.
Are you a foodie? You’re going to love living in the Champaign area!! We claim the title of “Midwest Living’s Greatest Midwest Food Town”! You can experience flavors and cuisines from around the world that you’ve never tried before and flavor fusions that have never been experienced. Try Silver Creek in Urbana for Fine Dining and unexpected flavor infusions, Mama Meta’s Canteen for African food with American Twists, Sakanaya for incredible Sushi, Escobar’s for Latin flare, Big Grove Tavern for farm-to-table delicious options that support our local community, Bacaro, melding upscale dining and presentation with a cool lounge vibe and incredible food, K-Bowl for authentic Korean, Destihl for beer-battered concoctions that you’ve never dreamed of and will melt in your mouth, and Biaggi’s for the best Italian you’ve ever had. We could go on and on, but you get the drift. The options are endless in every category. You won’t go hungry, and you’ll never be bored. Let your inner foodie loose.
If you love getting outdoors, you’ll love your options here! The Champaign area is host to 50 parks that feature athletic courts and fields, bike paths, disc golf, splash pads, 3 public pools, and more. You’ll also have your choice of ten paved bike trails that range in distance from .25 to 2 miles in distance. A full list of the parks in Champaign can be found here. Looking for pet-friendly parks to take your pups? We have an abundance of those as well. The Champaign Bark District is a fun one that encompasses 7 acres of running room (membership is required), there’s also Urbana Dog Park, and many locations within the Champaign Park District and County Forest Preserve District.
Shopping options are endless in our Farmer’s Market, Market at the Square, Downtown boutiques and shops, Market Place Shopping offers a mall-like setting and mainstream stores, and the nearby Tuscola Outlet Shops for a full day of fun.
Children in Champaign attend the Champaign Community Unit School District No.4 and is made up of 13 elementary, 3 middle, and 2 high schools. It is considered to be in the top 10 most diverse districts in our state and is the #2 district in Champaign County. Better known as the home to the University of Illinois, which is part of the Big 10 conference and one of the top 50 public universities in the country. U of I is known for its top engineering program and correlating research. Parkland College is also located in Champaign and home to 18,000 students.
Medical Care is top-notch in our area as we are grateful to have Carle Foundation Hospital and OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center as our two main providers. Each of these hospitals offers state-of-the-art patient care, emergency and trauma center, birthing center, cancer care and more. Meeting the needs of all members of our community.
For frequent travelers in and out of our community, whether regionally, nationally, or internationally, the University of Illinois Willard Airport can transport directly to Ohare International Airport in Chicago or Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport. From these hubs, passengers can fly anywhere in the world. Amtrak and Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District is also available directly in the city.