College Visit Guides

Drive guide · 2 days, 2 campuses

Oregon and Oregon State in 2 Days: A Eugene and Corvallis College Trip

A parent-first plan for seeing the University of Oregon and Oregon State University in two days: a UO student-led tour in Eugene on day 1, then an hour's drive up the Willamette Valley for an Oregon State daily visit in Corvallis on day 2 before flying home from Eugene or Portland. Official visit sign-ups, where to park at each school, three hotels from budget to upscale, two UO museums for siblings, and Eugene weather by season.

A red-brick wing of the Knight Library with tall green-framed windows above a sunny lawn and flowering shrubs, with tall evergreens behind, at the University of Oregon
Knight Library, University of Oregon, Eugene (Aug 2019). Photo: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 28, 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 Oregon (Eugene, OR) · Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)
Days
2: UO on day 1, Oregon State on day 2. Arrive in Eugene the evening before.
Fly into
Eugene Airport (EUG), about 18 minutes from downtown Eugene with no traffic. Fly home from EUG (about 58 minutes from Oregon State) or Portland International (PDX), which Oregon State says most visitors find the most convenient and cost-effective option (about 2 hours 5 minutes from campus with no traffic).
Best base
Graduate by Hilton Eugene, one of UO's partner hotels, for night 1, then Hilton Garden Inn Corvallis, about a 5-minute walk from Oregon State's Welcome Center, for night 2.
Car or transit
Rent a car at the airport. UO to Corvallis is about 1 hour 5 minutes by car, and both schools tell registered visitors where to park.
Registration
Both schools take visit sign-ups online. UO recommends booking two to four weeks ahead, and its tours often fill up quickly.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to compare Oregon's two largest public universities, about 50 miles apart in the Willamette Valley: the University of Oregon in Eugene and Oregon State University in Corvallis.

Eugene's airport is about 18 minutes from downtown Eugene with no traffic, and Corvallis is about 1 hour 5 minutes north of UO. Doing UO first and sleeping in Corvallis puts you a short walk from Oregon State's Welcome Center on the morning of your visit.

Why this order

  • Day 1: UO student ambassadors lead campus tours and answer your questions as you go. Tours begin at the Student Welcome Center in Unthank Hall, and UO shows a sample residence hall room on the tour.
  • Day 2: Oregon State's daily visit pairs a 90-minute campus tour led by student TOUR Ambassadors with a 30-minute admissions information presentation, and you can add college tours or presentations such as agricultural sciences, business, education, engineering, health, liberal arts or science.
  • Register ahead for both. UO recommends scheduling at least two to four weeks out, and its registration typically opens no more than two to three months before the visit date. Oregon State closes online registration three days ahead but welcomes walk-ins who register on the day.
Two campuses, two places to park
  • UO: check in at the Student Welcome Center, 100 Unthank Hall, 1420 Columbia St. On weekdays, park in the 13th Avenue Garage (1355 Columbia St.) under the Ford Alumni Center. On weekends, park in Lot 37, west of the Ford Alumni Center.
  • Oregon State: check in at the Welcome Center in Reser Stadium (GPS 2715 SW Western Blvd.). Registered visitors get free parking with a virtual permit tied to your license plate, and there are reserved visitor spots in front of the Welcome Center.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • Pack a rain jacket from fall through spring: January at the Eugene airport averages about 6 inches of precipitation, while July averages about a third of an inch. UO recommends checking for a weekday when classes are in session, since building access and tour times are limited on weekends, winter and spring breaks, and in summer.
  • Check both schools' sign-up calendars for open visit dates before you pick travel dates. Oregon State suggests transfer students visit on a Tuesday or Friday.

2. The suggested 2-day plan

  • Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Allow extra time on I-5 at rush hour and on football weekends.

Arrival evening: fly into Eugene and check in downtown

  1. Eugene Airport (EUG) → Graduate by Hilton Eugene (66 E. 6th Ave., Eugene)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~18 min, 9.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rent a car at EUG
  • Graduate by Hilton Eugene is one of the hotel partners UO invites visitors to stay with.

Day 1: University of Oregon, then the drive to Corvallis

  1. Graduate by Hilton Eugene → Student Welcome Center, Unthank Hall (1420 Columbia St., Eugene)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~6 min, 1.8 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    ~34 min walk, 1.6 mi

  2. Unthank Hall → Museum of Natural and Cultural History (1680 E. 15th Ave., Eugene)

    Driving (no traffic)
    Walk
    Driving
    ~3 min walk, 0.1 mi

  3. Unthank Hall → Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (1430 Johnson Lane, Eugene)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~2 min, 0.5 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    ~9 min walk, 0.4 mi

  4. Eugene → Hilton Garden Inn Corvallis (2500 SW Western Blvd., Corvallis)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 5 min, 50.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Car required
  • Book your tour on UO's Campus Visits page. Academic tours, such as architecture, business, honors, journalism, music and STEM, run on select weekdays, so add one if it fits your student's interests.
  • UO asks visitors to wait to book travel until they've registered and received a confirmation email, because tours fill quickly. Check out of the hotel before your tour and head north to Corvallis afterward.

Day 2: Oregon State University, then fly home

  1. Hilton Garden Inn Corvallis → Oregon State Welcome Center, Reser Stadium (2715 SW Western Blvd., Corvallis)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 min, 0.3 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    ~5 min walk, 0.2 mi

  2. Corvallis → Eugene Airport (EUG) or Portland International Airport (PDX)

    Driving (no traffic)
    EUG ~58 min, 36.3 mi; PDX ~2 hr 5 min, 96.6 mi (no-traffic estimates)
    Driving
    Car required
  • Book a daily visit on Oregon State's sign-up page. If the online date has closed, Oregon State says you can email visit.osu@oregonstate.edu for help or walk in and register on the day.
  • Visitors 16 and older who pre-register can use Oregon State's Dixon Recreation Center the day before, of or after their visit, with a photo ID.

3. Campus by campus

A red-brick wing of the Knight Library with tall green-framed windows above a sunny lawn and flowering shrubs, with tall evergreens behind, at the University of Oregon
Knight Library, University of Oregon, Eugene (Aug 2019). Photo: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

University of Oregon (Eugene, OR)

Where visits start
  • Student ambassadors lead campus tours and answer questions as you go. Most tours begin at the Student Welcome Center in Unthank Hall; some academic tours start elsewhere, so follow your confirmation email.
  • Register in advance: UO recommends at least two to four weeks ahead and suggests a weekday when classes are in session. Without a reservation you may be fit in if there's space, or you can take the self-guided Main Campus Tour on the UO campus map.
Visitor parking
  • Weekdays: the 13th Avenue Garage (1355 Columbia St.), under the Ford Alumni Center. Weekends: Lot 37, west of the Ford Alumni Center. UO emails parking instructions when you register.
Getting there
  • Plan to drive: UO is about 18 minutes from the Eugene airport to downtown, then about 6 minutes from downtown to the Student Welcome Center with no traffic. UO's parking page also lists partner hotels.
What to know
  • UO's self-guided tour starts outside Matthew Knight Arena (1776 E. 13th Ave.). Athletic facilities aren't on the regular tour route, but the Hayward Field museum is open to the public Tuesday through Friday.
  • Two UO museums sit near the Welcome Center: the Museum of Natural and Cultural History next door on 15th Avenue and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art by the Knight Library.
Contact
UO Campus Visits, Student Welcome Center, 100 Unthank Hall, Eugene, OR 97403; call or text 541-346-1274, visit@uoregon.edu.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: UO: Plan Your Campus Visit · UO: Campus Parking and Directions · UO: Self-guided campus tour map

The columned facade and tall arched windows of the Memorial Union, a brick and stone building framed by a large tree and a deep blue sky at Oregon State University
Memorial Union, Oregon State University, Corvallis (May 2019). Photo: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)

Where visits start
  • A daily visit includes a 90-minute campus tour led by student TOUR Ambassadors (also offered in Spanish) and a 30-minute admissions information presentation, plus optional college tours and presentations. Transfer students should aim for a Tuesday or Friday, when there's a transfer presentation and tour.
  • Online registration closes three days before each date, but Oregon State welcomes visitors on closed dates: email visit.osu@oregonstate.edu or walk in and register on the day.
Visitor parking
  • Registered visitors park free with a virtual permit: enter your license plate number when you arrive. Oregon State reserves spots in front of the Welcome Center at Reser Stadium, and the virtual permit also covers floors 1–3 of the parking garage (GPS 661 SW 26th St.) and any B or C zone.
Getting there
  • From I-5, take exit 228 and head west on Highway 34 for about 10 miles, follow signs to Reser Stadium, turn right on SW 26th St. and left onto SW Western Blvd., then turn into the Reser Stadium lot at the Welcome Center sign. Corvallis has fareless city buses and a fareless Beaver Bus campus shuttle.
What to know
  • Leave pets at home: animals, including emotional support animals, aren't allowed inside the buildings tours walk through. Trained service animals are welcome; note them when you register.
Contact
Oregon State University Welcome Center, Reser Stadium, 2715 SW Western Blvd., Corvallis, OR 97333; 541-737-2626, visit.osu@oregonstate.edu; Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Oregon State: Visit Campus · Oregon State: Traveling to Corvallis · Oregon State: Visits and Events

4. Where to stay: a night in downtown Eugene, then a night beside Oregon State's Reser Stadium

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

Graduate by Hilton Eugene

66 E. 6th Ave., Eugene, OR

Why here

  • It's one of UO's partner hotels, about 18 minutes from the Eugene airport and 6 minutes by car from the Student Welcome Center 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

  • Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateMid-range

Hilton Garden Inn Corvallis

2500 SW Western Blvd., Corvallis, OR

Why here

  • Our pick for night 2: it's about a 5-minute walk from Oregon State's Welcome Center at Reser Stadium, so day 2 starts on foot.
  • 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

  • Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Super 8 by Wyndham Corvallis

407 NW 2nd St., Corvallis, OR

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 2-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's in downtown Corvallis, about 5 minutes by car from Oregon State's Welcome Center with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Expedia's listing shows free self parking and free breakfast. Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Sleep in Eugene before your UO tour, then in Corvallis before your Oregon State visit, so neither morning starts on I-5. The Eugene to Corvallis drive is about 1 hour 5 minutes, best done the afternoon of day 1.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

Near UO

UO says 13th Avenue runs through campus and is packed with places to eat, coffee shops and the Duck Store, so lunch after your tour is a short walk.

In Corvallis

Oregon State's Welcome Center staff say they're happy to recommend local restaurants and shops if you want to explore Corvallis before or after your visit.

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

Museum of Natural and Cultural History

1680 E. 15th Ave., Eugene, OR

This UO museum is open Wednesday through Sunday (Thursdays until 8 p.m.), its exhibits are fully wheelchair accessible, and it's about a 3-minute walk from UO's Student Welcome Center. Check the museum's page for admission prices.

Official page →

With siblings

Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art

1430 Johnson Lane, Eugene, OR

UO's art museum, next to the Knight Library, shows art from the Americas, Asia and Europe. It's closed Mondays and Tuesdays, admission is free for children under 18 and all college students, and it's about a 9-minute walk from the Welcome Center.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

  • UO: the 13th Avenue Garage on weekdays or Lot 37 on weekends. Oregon State: the Reser Stadium lot in front of the Welcome Center, or floors 1–3 of the parking garage, with the free virtual permit.
  • The Eugene to Corvallis leg is about 1 hour 5 minutes and 50 miles, so leave right after lunch on day 1.

Flying in and out

  • Fly into Eugene (EUG), about 18 minutes from downtown Eugene. For the flight home, EUG is about 58 minutes from Oregon State and Portland (PDX) about 2 hours 5 minutes with no traffic.
  • Oregon State says most people find PDX the most convenient and cost-effective option, with all major airlines and rental car companies on site, while EUG serves six regional carriers. Groome Transportation runs a shuttle from PDX.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Eugene Mahlon Sweet Airport)

  • Spring: April averages about 61°F highs and 40°F lows, with about 3.3 inches of rain.
  • Summer: July averages about 84°F highs and 52°F lows, with only about 0.3 inches of rain.
  • Fall: October averages about 65°F highs and 42°F lows, with about 3.2 inches of rain.
  • Winter: January averages about 48°F highs and 35°F lows, with about 6 inches of precipitation.

Parent checklist

  • Register for both visits online two to four weeks out: a UO campus tour and an Oregon State daily visit. Wait for UO's confirmation email before booking flights.
  • Have your rental car's license plate number handy for Oregon State's virtual parking permit.
  • Book a night in Eugene and a night in Corvallis, plus a rental car at EUG.
  • Pack comfortable walking shoes and a rain jacket, and check the forecast.
  • 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.

2 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 Oregon and Oregon 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 Oregon
  5. University of Oregon Athletics (official site)
  6. University of Oregon Athletics: Recruiting basics (Compliance)
  7. University of Oregon Athletics: Staff Directory
  8. University of Oregon Athletics: schedule of events
  9. NCAA Directory: Oregon State University
  10. Oregon State University Athletics (official site)
  11. Oregon State University Athletics: Compliance
  12. Oregon State University Athletics: Staff Directory
  13. Oregon 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 28, 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. University of Oregon Admissions: Plan Your Campus Visit (with visit FAQ)
  2. University of Oregon Admissions: Campus Visits (official sign-up)
  3. University of Oregon Admissions: Campus Parking and Directions
  4. Oregon State University Welcome Center: Visit Campus
  5. Oregon State University: Daily Visit Events, Corvallis (official sign-up)
  6. Oregon State University Welcome Center: Contact Us
  7. Oregon State University Welcome Center: Traveling to Corvallis
  8. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon: Visit
  9. Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon: Visit
  10. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
  11. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), foot profile
  12. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  13. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, Eugene Mahlon Sweet Airport, OR (USW00024221)
  14. Expedia listing: Graduate by Hilton Eugene (star class, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Eugene-Hotels-Graduate-Eugene.h31925221.Hotel-Information)
  15. Expedia listing: Hilton Garden Inn Corvallis (star class, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Corvallis-Hotels-Hilton-Garden-Inn-Corvallis.h976147.Hotel-Information)
  16. Expedia listing: Super 8 by Wyndham Corvallis (star class, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Corvallis-Hotels-Super-8-By-Wyndham-Corvallis.h40250.Hotel-Information)