College Visit Guides

Drive guide · 2 days, 3 campuses

UAB, Samford and Jax State in 2 Days: A Birmingham-Area College Road Trip

A parent-first plan for seeing the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Samford University and Jacksonville State University in two days: how each visit works, where to park, four hotels from budget to upscale, drive times across north-central Alabama, sibling stops and seasonal weather, every fact sourced and checked Oct 29, 2026.

The Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center at UAB, a long brick building with a white entrance pavilion, a plaza with a modern sculpture and a lamppost under a blue sky
The Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (Mar 2017). Photo: Mx. Granger · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).

The short version

Trip at a glance

Schools
University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, AL) · Samford University (Homewood, AL) · Jacksonville State University (Jacksonville, AL)
Days
2 days: UAB and Samford on day 1, about 10 minutes apart; Jax State on day 2, about 1 hr 40 min east of Birmingham. Arrive the evening before.
Fly into
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International (BHM), about 12 minutes from the UAB-area hotel with no traffic.
Best base
Hilton Birmingham Downtown at UAB, about a 14-minute walk from the Hill Student Center and about 9 minutes by car from Samford.
Car or transit
Rent a car: Jax State is about 76 miles from Birmingham.
Registration
Book a UAB campus tour, a Samford campus visit and a Jax State campus tour online. Jax State also asks every visitor who parks on a weekday to request a free online visitor parking permit.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to compare a large public research university, a private university and a regional public university in one short trip: UAB in downtown Birmingham, Samford in Homewood just south of the city, and Jacksonville State about 76 miles east.

UAB visits start in the Hill Student Center, Samford visits are run by its Office of Admission at 800 Lakeshore Drive, and Jax State tours begin on the third floor of the Theron Montgomery Building.

Why this order

  • Day 1: UAB's Recommended Campus Tour runs about 2 hours and includes an admissions presentation, a bus tour on the Dragon Wagon and a walking tour, in small groups of up to 25.
  • Day 1, afternoon: Samford's daily visit is a 30-minute information session with an admission staff member and a 75-minute golf cart tour of campus with a student.
  • Day 2: Jax State's visit is an information session with an administrator covering admissions, housing, financial aid and scholarships, followed by a tour with Gamecock Student Guides.
Plan ahead: registration and timing
  • UAB: book from the Visit UAB page. Academic info sessions don't automatically include a tour, so add a campus tour if you want one.
  • Samford: tours run Monday through Saturday and fill up fast. Class visits and faculty appointments need two weeks' notice and are reserved for juniors and seniors; call (205) 726-4507.
  • Jax State: register on the campus tour sign-up page, and request a one-day visitor parking permit through the online parking portal before you go. Permits are issued online only.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • UAB offers a shorter Saturday Tour of about 1.5 hours for groups of 50 to 75, with a presentation and walking tour but no bus tour; UAB recommends it for juniors and younger students.
  • UAB also runs School's Out Tour Days on Columbus/Indigenous Peoples' Day, Veterans Day and Presidents' Day, and UAB Day twice in fall 2026.
  • Samford hosts several Preview Days in the fall, aimed at seniors, and a Junior Preview Day in the spring.
  • Admitted students can come back for Jax State's accepted student events; dates and registration are on the events page.

2. The suggested 2-day drive

  • Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Leave extra time for weather and Birmingham traffic.

Arrival evening: fly into Birmingham (BHM)

  1. Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) → Hilton Birmingham Downtown at UAB (808 20th St. S.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~12 min, 5.9 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car
  • Expedia lists a free airport shuttle at the Hilton; the hotel asks guests to arrange pick-up 24 hours ahead. You'll still want a rental car for Samford and Jax State.

Day 1: UAB in the morning, Samford in the afternoon

  1. Hilton Birmingham Downtown at UAB → Hill Student Center (7th Ave. S. and 14th St. S.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~3 min to the 14th Street Parking Deck, 0.8 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    ~14 min walk, 0.6 mi

  2. 14th Street Parking Deck (609 14th St. S.) → Samford University (800 Lakeshore Dr.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~10 min, 5.0 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car

  3. Samford University → Hilton Birmingham Downtown at UAB

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~10 min, 5.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car
  • If you drive to UAB, take a white ticket at the 14th Street deck entrance and bring it with you so your parking can be validated, then exit on Level 2 (yellow) and cross 7th Avenue South to the Hill Student Center.
  • Samford's tour is by golf cart, and light to moderate rain doesn't usually stop it: Samford has ponchos, umbrellas and rain covers for the carts. In severe weather the tour moves indoors.
  • Ask at Samford's Office of Admission front desk for passes to the University Cafeteria at the start or end of your tour.

Day 2: Jacksonville State University, then fly home

  1. Hilton Birmingham Downtown at UAB → Theron Montgomery Building, Jacksonville State University

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 39 min, 76.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car

  2. Theron Montgomery Building → Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 34 min, 73.6 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car
  • Jax State's directions from Birmingham: I-20 East to Exit 185 (Anniston/Oxford, Alabama Highway 21), left onto Highway 21 North, then about 20 miles through Oxford, Anniston and around the Jacksonville square; the entrance is on the left across from the 12-story Houston Cole Library.
  • Park in the designated tour parking in front of the Theron Montgomery Building, marked with red Campus Tours signs. Check-in begins 15 minutes before the tour, on the building's third floor.
  • Jax State says the tour is a hybrid, partly walking and partly driving, so wear comfortable shoes.

3. Campus by campus

The Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center at UAB, a long brick building with a white entrance pavilion, a plaza with a modern sculpture and a lamppost under a blue sky
The Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (Mar 2017). Photo: Mx. Granger · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, AL)

Where visits start
  • The Recommended Campus Tour is about 2 hours: an admissions presentation, a Dragon Wagon bus tour and a walking campus tour, in small groups of up to 25.
  • UAB also offers a Saturday Tour, a campus tour in Spanish and a self-guided audio tour. Self-guided visitors can't enter buildings without a UAB ID, and there's no free parking when the Campus Visit Center is closed.
Visitor parking
  • Park in the 14th Street Parking Deck, 609 14th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233: enter from 14th Street South, take a white ticket and bring it with you to validate.
  • From the deck, exit on Level 2 (yellow) onto 14th Street South, cross 7th Avenue South and enter the Hill Student Center at the corner of 7th Avenue and 14th Street South. Call (205) 934-9098 if you need help.
Getting there
  • The Hill Student Center is about a 14-minute walk from the Hilton Birmingham Downtown at UAB, and the 14th Street deck is about 3 minutes by car, with no traffic.
What to know
  • The UAB photo in this guide shows the Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center at UAB.
Contact
UAB Campus Visit Center: (205) 934-9098. Undergraduate Admissions: (205) 934-8221 or (800) 421-8743, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: UAB: Directions and parking · UAB: Visitor accommodations

Reid Chapel at Samford University, a red-brick Georgian-style chapel with white columns and a tall white steeple, beyond a green lawn and trees under a blue sky
Reid Chapel at Samford University in Homewood (2006). Photo: Sweetmoose6 (English Wikipedia) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Samford University (Homewood, AL)

Where visits start
  • Daily visits are a 30-minute information session with an admission staff member and a 75-minute golf cart tour of campus with a student. The Office of Admission also offers admission appointments.
  • Tours run Monday through Saturday, subject to availability. To change or cancel, call (205) 726-3673 or email admissionsscheduling@samford.edu; to add guests, call (205) 726-4507.
  • Class visits and faculty appointments are reserved for juniors and seniors and need two weeks' notice.
Visitor parking
  • Visitors can park on Sherman Circle or in visitor parking behind Ingalls Hall. Follow university signs to the Office of Admission and visitor parking, or check your confirmation email.
Getting there
  • Samford is about 9 minutes by car from the Hilton Birmingham Downtown at UAB and about 4 minutes from the Courtyard Birmingham Homewood, with no traffic.
What to know
  • Samford notes its campus was named one of US News & World Report's 35 most beautiful college campuses; the photo in this guide shows Reid Chapel.
  • Besides the cafeteria, the University Center has dining options including Chick-fil-A and Berry Bowls.
Contact
Samford Office of Admission campus visits: (205) 726-3673, admissionsscheduling@samford.edu. Samford University, 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35229.

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Samford: Visit with us (Preview Days, FAQ) · Samford: Hotels

The red-brick Theron Montgomery Building at Jacksonville State University, with a tall arched window over the entrance and the building name on a brick sign out front
The Theron Montgomery Building at Jacksonville State University, where campus tours begin (Sep 2015). Photo: Thomson200 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Jacksonville State University (Jacksonville, AL)

Where visits start
  • Visits begin with an information session led by an administrator, covering admissions, housing, financial aid and scholarships, then a tour with Gamecock Student Guides.
  • The tour sign-up describes a hybrid tour, partly walking and partly driving, with stops at an academic building, the student commons, a residence hall and the recreation center.
  • Tours begin on the third floor of the Theron Montgomery Building, and check-in starts 15 minutes before the tour.
Visitor parking
  • Every visitor who parks on campus during business hours needs a temporary visitor parking permit, requested through the online parking portal and validated by Parking Services. One-day permits expire at the end of the day.
  • Tour parking is in front of the Theron Montgomery Building, marked with red Campus Tours signs.
Getting there
  • Jax State is just north of I-20, about midway between Birmingham and Atlanta. The Theron Montgomery Building is about 1 hr 39 min by car from the UAB-area Hilton and about 28 minutes from the Fairfield Inn in Oxford, with no traffic.
What to know
  • The Jax State photo in this guide shows the Theron Montgomery Building, where tours begin. It also has a food court with Chick-fil-A and the JSU Bookstore.
  • For accessibility requests on a tour, email info@jsu.edu.
Contact
Jax State admissions and campus visits: call or text (256) 782-5260, toll-free (800) 231-5291 (option 6), info@jsu.edu. 700 Pelham Road North, Jacksonville, AL 36265.

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Jax State: Campus tours · Jax State: Plan your visit · Jax State: Visitor parking permits · Jax State: Campus visit map (PDF)

4. Where to stay: two nights in Birmingham

Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Hotel · Our pickUpscale

Hilton Birmingham Downtown at UAB

808 20th St. S., Birmingham, AL 35205

Why here

  • On UAB's list of visitor hotels and about a 14-minute walk from the Hill Student Center; Samford is about 9 minutes by car and BHM about 12 minutes, with no traffic.
  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists 295 rooms, a seasonal outdoor pool, a free airport shuttle (arrange 24 hours ahead), self-parking for a fee and a minimum check-in age of 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateMid-range

Courtyard by Marriott Birmingham Homewood

500 Shades Creek Pkwy., Homewood, AL 35209

Why here

  • Samford's host hotel, and also on UAB's list of visitor hotels. It's about 4 minutes by car from Samford and about 10 minutes from UAB's 14th Street deck, with no traffic.
  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Samford says its partner hotels offer special rates for university visitors. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists 140 rooms, an outdoor pool, The Bistro restaurant and self-parking for a fee. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Hampton Inn Birmingham I-65/Lakeshore Drive

30 State Farm Pkwy., Birmingham, AL

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's about 8 minutes by car from Samford and about 11 minutes from UAB's 14th Street deck, with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists 97 rooms, a free breakfast buffet, free self-parking, an outdoor pool, no pets and a minimum check-in age of 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateMid-range

Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Anniston Oxford

143 Colonial Dr., Oxford, AL

Why here

  • If you'd rather not start day 2 with a long drive, spend night 2 near Jax State instead: this hotel is about 28 minutes by car from the Theron Montgomery Building with no traffic. Jax State notes there are more hotels in Oxford and Anniston than in Jacksonville.
  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists 81 rooms, a free breakfast buffet and free self-parking; the seasonal pool is closed from October 1 to March 1. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Stay both nights near UAB so you can walk to the Hill Student Center on day 1 and reach Samford in about 10 minutes. If your Jax State tour is early on day 2, move to Oxford for night 2 after your Samford visit.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

At Samford

Ask the Office of Admission front desk for University Cafeteria passes, or try the University Center, which has Chick-fil-A and Berry Bowls; they take credit cards and cash.

At Jax State

The Theron Montgomery Building food court, where tours begin, includes Chick-fil-A.

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

McWane Science Center

200 19th St. N., Birmingham, AL

Downtown, about 2 minutes by car from the Hilton with no traffic. Open Wednesday to Sunday and closed Mondays and Tuesdays outside holiday hours, so it fits a weekend or late-week trip.

Official page →

With siblings

Railroad Park

Downtown Birmingham, AL

Nineteen acres of green space, including nine acres of open lawn, open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily; about a 22-minute walk from the Hilton.

Official page →

With siblings

A Blazers, Bulldogs or Gamecocks game

Birmingham and Jacksonville, AL

Check the UAB, Samford and Jax State athletics calendars for a home game on your dates.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

  • Bring the white ticket from UAB's 14th Street deck to your visit so it can be validated.
  • Request Jax State's one-day visitor parking permit online before day 2; permits aren't available in person.
  • Birmingham to Jax State is about 76 miles each way, so plan on about 3 hours of driving on day 2.

Flying in and out

  • BHM is about 12 minutes from the UAB-area Hilton and about 1 hr 34 min from Jax State with no traffic, so book a late-afternoon or evening flight home on day 2.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Birmingham Airport)

  • Spring: April averages about 75°F highs and 52°F lows, with about 5.1 inches of rain.
  • Summer: July averages about 91°F/72°F, with about 5.4 inches of rain, so bring water and sun protection for the golf cart and walking tours.
  • Fall: October averages about 76°F/54°F, with about 3.3 inches of rain, the driest of these four months.
  • Winter: January averages about 55°F/35°F, with about 5.0 inches of rain and about 0.4 inches of snow.

Parent checklist

  • Book a UAB campus tour and a Samford campus visit for day 1, and a Jax State campus tour for day 2.
  • If your student wants a Samford class visit or faculty appointment, call at least two weeks ahead (juniors and seniors only).
  • Request Jax State's one-day visitor parking permit online.
  • Book a rental car and two nights near UAB, or one near UAB and one in Oxford.
  • After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.

8. Student-athlete recruiting visits

For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.

Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.

Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.

3 Division I

NCAA basics for parents

  • Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
  • Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
  • Division I (University of Alabama at Birmingham, Samford University and Jacksonville State University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
  • Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.

Planning around the season

  • Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
  • Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.

Student-athlete sources

All checked Oct 26, 2026.

  1. NCAA, 2026-27 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete (pp. 3, 21–25)
  2. NCAA.org: NCAA Recruiting
  3. NCAA: Division I and II Recruiting Calendars and Guides
  4. NCAA Directory: University of Alabama at Birmingham
  5. University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics (official site)
  6. University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics: Staff Directory
  7. University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics: schedule of events
  8. NCAA Directory: Samford University
  9. Samford University Athletics (official site)
  10. Samford University Athletics: Staff Directory
  11. Samford University Athletics: schedule of events
  12. NCAA Directory: Jacksonville State University
  13. Jacksonville State University Athletics (official site)
  14. Jacksonville State University Athletics: Staff Directory
  15. Jacksonville State University Athletics: schedule of events

Trip planner

Plan this trip

Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.

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Sources

All checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.

  1. UAB Undergraduate Admissions: Visit UAB
  2. UAB Undergraduate Admissions: Directions and parking
  3. UAB Undergraduate Admissions: Contact us
  4. UAB Undergraduate Admissions: Accommodations
  5. Jacksonville State University: Campus tours
  6. Jacksonville State University: Schedule a campus tour (official sign-up)
  7. Jacksonville State University: Campus visit map (PDF)
  8. Jacksonville State University: Plan your visit
  9. Jacksonville State University: Directions to JSU
  10. Jacksonville State University Parking Services: Visitor information
  11. Jacksonville State University: Accepted student events
  12. Samford University Admission: Visit with us
  13. Samford University Admission: Register for a campus visit (official sign-up)
  14. Samford University Admission: Hotels
  15. McWane Science Center: Hours of operation
  16. McWane Science Center: Directions
  17. Railroad Park Foundation: About Railroad Park
  18. Expedia listing: Hilton Birmingham Downtown at UAB (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Birmingham-Hotels-Hilton-Birmingham-At-UAB.h5824.Hotel-Information)
  19. Expedia listing: Courtyard by Marriott Birmingham Homewood (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Birmingham-Hotels-Courtyard-By-Marriott-Birmingham-Homewood.h27116.Hotel-Information)
  20. Expedia listing: Hampton Inn Birmingham I-65/Lakeshore Drive (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Birmingham-Hotels-Hampton-Inn-Birmingham-Interstate-65Lakeshore-Drive.h1376210.Hotel-Information)
  21. Expedia listing: Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Anniston Oxford (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Oxford-Hotels-Fairfield-Inn-Suites-By-Marriott-Anniston-Oxford.h106335.Hotel-Information)
  22. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
  23. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), foot profile
  24. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  25. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, Birmingham Airport, AL (USW00013876)
  26. UAB Blazers Athletics: Calendar
  27. Jax State Gamecocks Athletics: Calendar
  28. Samford Bulldogs Athletics: Calendar