Secular Student Alliance 2026 National Conference

Make Your Travel and Housing Plans

Travel

Air Travel

If you are arriving at the University of Maryland by air, you have three major airports to choose from:

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is the closest & best option, located about 15 miles (30–40 minutes) from campus. It is also directly accessible via the Metro (Yellow/Green lines).
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is approximately 25 miles (35–45 minutes)
Dulles International Airport (IAD) is about 35 miles (50–60 minutes) away

All three airports are easily accessible via Lyft, or the Washington Metro (WMATA) system. Plan accordingly to select the airport that works best for you. Consider factors such as flight cost, ground transportation, and convenience before proceeding. As a reminder, you may always email organizers@secularstudents.org to help planning your travel.

Driving

University of Maryland, College Park is conveniently located inside the Capital Beltway. Just set your GPS to the University of Maryland, College Park and put on your favorite podcast!

Parking is available on campus for $80 for the entire conference. You can pay for parking here when you register for the conference.

Travel Assistance

Any high school or college student who is an SSA member may qualify for travel assistance. After you have registered, you may apply for travel assistance here.

On Campus Housing

Conference events are scheduled through Saturday evening. Because we are hosting this year’s conference in the D.C. area, we are pleased to offer students additional time to explore the nation's capital with their chapters. We encourage attendees to travel home on either Sunday or Monday.

Students

Students are encouraged to stay in the residence halls on campus to keep travel affordable. Housing consists of a shared bedroom.

Cost: $50 a night ( $150 for Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning). If you would like to stay an extra night to explore Washington, DC, you can stay in the residence hall for an extra $81.
Extended Stay: This rate includes the option to stay through Sunday night, giving you all of Sunday to explore D.C. before departing Monday morning.

Hotels

Hotels Near the Campus

There are a number of hotels at various price ranges within 5-10 minutes of campus.

Map

Click Here for a map of hotels near the university.

Navigating on Campus

Campus Interactive Map

Click Here for an interactive map of the campus.

Download Campus Map

Click Here for a pdf version of the campus map.

Parking

On-Campus Parking

Parking is available for overnight and day parking for $80 for the entire conference. Please pay for your parking when you register for the conference. Click here for parking registration.