College Visit Guides

Drive guide · 2 days, 2 campuses

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in 2 Days: A Norman and Stillwater College Trip

A parent-first plan for seeing the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in two days: an OU campus visit in Norman on day 1, then a drive to Stillwater for an OSU weekday tour on day 2 before flying home from Oklahoma City or Tulsa. Official visit sign-ups, where to park at each school, a Campus Corner hotel and OSU's on-campus Atherton Hotel, the Sam Noble Museum and the free OSU Museum of Art for siblings, and central Oklahoma weather by season.

Evans Hall, a red-brick Gothic building with crenellated twin towers, behind a wide green lawn and a seated bronze statue at the University of Oklahoma
Evans Hall, University of Oklahoma, Norman (Jul 2019). Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 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 Oklahoma (Norman, OK) · Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)
Days
2: OU on day 1, OSU on day 2. Arrive in Norman the evening before.
Fly into
Will Rogers International Airport (OKC), about 32 minutes from Norman with no traffic. Fly home from OKC or Tulsa International (TUL), each about 1 hour 32 minutes from OSU.
Best base
NOUN Hotel on Campus Corner in Norman for night 1 (about a 10-minute walk to OU's Welcome Center), then The Atherton Hotel, connected to OSU's Student Union, for night 2.
Car or transit
Rent a car at OKC. Norman to Stillwater is about 1 hour 40 minutes by car, and both schools give visitors campus parking.
Registration
Both schools take tour sign-ups online. OU has no walk-in tours, and its tours often fill a few weeks ahead.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to compare Oklahoma's two flagship universities: the University of Oklahoma in Norman and Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

Norman is about 32 minutes from the Oklahoma City airport with no traffic, and Stillwater is about 1 hour 40 minutes north of OU. Doing OU first and sleeping in Stillwater puts you on OSU's campus the morning of your tour.

Why this order

  • Day 1: OU's campus visit lasts about 2.5 hours: a short admissions presentation, then a walking tour of about 3 miles led by an OU student tour guide, past state-of-the-art facilities, historic buildings, residence halls and student hubs.
  • Day 2: OSU's weekday tour can be tailored to your student's interests, with an admissions counselor, a representative from your academic area, an Honors College session, an optional athletic facilities tour and a two-hour student-led walking tour. Plan on about half a day.
  • Register ahead for both. OU has no walk-in tours, each prospective student registers individually and up to two guests can join, and tours often fill a few weeks out.
Two campuses, two places to park
  • OU: check in at the Jones Family Welcome Center, 550 Parrington Oval. Park on the green visitor curb on Parrington Oval, in the visitor lot west of Boyd House on Boyd Street or in the commuter lot behind Boyd House off University Boulevard, and display the parking pass OU emails after you register.
  • OSU: for campus tours, park in the Student Union Parking Garage. For GPS, enter the corner of University Avenue and Hester Street.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • Dress for Oklahoma weather on the walking tours: July at the Oklahoma City airport averages highs of about 93°F, and January averages lows near 27°F. OU tours go ahead rain or shine (guests wait indoors if there's lightning nearby), and OSU says inclement weather can delay or cancel its tours.
  • On the Friday before each OSU home football game, Orange Fridays add an insider's tour, admission and academic sessions and financial aid information. Expect a busier campus and hotels that weekend.

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 at rush hour and in storms.

Arrival evening: fly into Oklahoma City and drive to Norman

  1. Will Rogers International Airport (OKC) → NOUN Hotel (542 S. University Blvd., Norman)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~32 min, 19.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rent a car at OKC
  • NOUN Hotel sits on Norman's historic Campus Corner, steps from the University of Oklahoma campus.

Day 1: University of Oklahoma, then the drive to Stillwater

  1. NOUN Hotel → Jones Family Welcome Center (550 Parrington Oval, Norman)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 min, 0.5 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    ~10 min walk, 0.5 mi

  2. Jones Family Welcome Center → Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History (2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~6 min, 1.8 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    ~30 min walk, 1.4 mi

  3. Norman → Student Union Parking Garage / The Atherton Hotel (University Ave. and Hester St., Stillwater)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 40 min, 82.6 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Car required
  • Book your tour on OU's campus visit portal. Optional academic sessions can be added, and students who qualify can request an Honors Personalized Visit instead, ideally two weeks ahead.
  • Driving in from I-35, OU says to take the Main Street exit east about 2 miles to University Boulevard, turn right and cross Boyd Street into Parrington Oval. Check out of the hotel before your tour and head north to Stillwater afterward.

Day 2: Oklahoma State University, then fly home

  1. The Atherton Hotel → Student Union, Oklahoma State University

    Driving (no traffic)
    Walk
    Driving
    The Atherton is connected to the Student Union

  2. Student Union → OSU Museum of Art (720 S. Husband St., Stillwater)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~3 min, 0.9 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    ~20 min walk, 0.9 mi

  3. Stillwater → Will Rogers International Airport (OKC) or Tulsa International Airport (TUL)

    Driving (no traffic)
    OKC ~1 hr 32 min, 77.4 mi; TUL ~1 hr 32 min, 78.5 mi (no-traffic estimates)
    Driving
    Car required
  • Book a weekday tour on OSU's campus visit page. Plan on about half a day on campus, and add the optional athletic facilities tour of Gallagher-Iba Arena, Boone Pickens Stadium and Heritage Hall if your student is interested.
  • Stillwater Regional Airport, less than five miles from campus, has daily nonstop American Airlines flights to and from Dallas/Fort Worth, which can work if you're connecting through DFW.

3. Campus by campus

Evans Hall, a red-brick Gothic building with crenellated twin towers, behind a wide green lawn and a seated bronze statue at the University of Oklahoma
Evans Hall, University of Oklahoma, Norman (Jul 2019). Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK)

Where visits start
  • The visit lasts about 2.5 hours: a brief admissions presentation, then a walking tour of about 3 miles with a student guide that takes in state-of-the-art facilities, historic buildings, residence halls and student hubs. Wear comfortable shoes.
  • Register online in advance: OU doesn't take walk-ins, tours often fill a few weeks ahead, and each prospective student registers individually with up to two guests. Optional academic sessions can be added.
Visitor parking
  • Visitors park on the green visitor curb on Parrington Oval, in the visitor lot west of Boyd House on Boyd Street or in the commuter lot behind Boyd House off University Boulevard. OU emails a personalized parking pass after you register; print it and put it on your dashboard, or pick one up at check-in.
Getting there
  • Plan to drive: OU is about 32 minutes from the Oklahoma City airport with no traffic. From I-35, take the Main Street exit east about 2 miles to University Boulevard, turn right and cross Boyd Street into Parrington Oval.
What to know
  • The Jones Family Welcome Center is open on weekdays for questions and has self-guided tour materials, and OU posts a self-guided tour online if you want to see more after the official tour.
  • The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is on the OU campus, about 6 minutes by car from the Welcome Center.
Contact
OU Office of Admissions and Recruitment, Jones Family Welcome Center, 550 Parrington Oval, Norman, OK 73019; (405) 325-2151, tour@ou.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: OU: Visit Campus · OU: Honors Personalized Visit · OU: Self-guided tour

Students walking past the arched entrance and white clock tower of Edmon Low Library, a red-brick Georgian building, under a blue autumn sky at Oklahoma State University
Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater (Nov 2008). Photo: Helluvamatt · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)

Where visits start
  • Weekday tours run Monday through Friday and can be tailored: hear from an admissions counselor, meet a representative from your academic area, attend an Honors College session, add an optional athletic facilities tour and take a two-hour walking tour with OSU student guides.
  • Saturday tours run on select dates and include an admissions talk, a browse session and a two-hour walking tour, but many facilities are closed and academic appointments aren't available. On the Friday before home football games, Orange Fridays add an insider's tour and information sessions.
Visitor parking
  • For a campus tour, park in the Student Union Parking Garage. For GPS or online maps, enter the corner of University Avenue and Hester Street.
Getting there
  • Plan to drive: Stillwater is about 1 hour 40 minutes from OU and about 1 hour 32 minutes from both the Oklahoma City and Tulsa airports with no traffic. OSU posts printable driving directions from I-35, the Cimarron Turnpike and Highway 177.
What to know
  • Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for changeable Oklahoma weather. The free OSU Museum of Art is about 3 minutes by car from the Student Union.
Contact
OSU Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment, 219 Student Union, Stillwater, OK 74078-5061; 405-744-5358, admissions@okstate.edu; Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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: OSU: Weekday tours · OSU: Saturday tours · OSU: Orange Fridays · OSU: Travel to Stillwater

4. Where to stay: a night on Campus Corner in Norman, then a night on OSU's campus

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

NOUN Hotel, Norman, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

542 S. University Blvd., Norman, OK

Why here

  • It's on Campus Corner, about a 10-minute walk from OU's Jones Family Welcome Center and 32 minutes from the Oklahoma City airport with no traffic, so day 1 starts on foot.
  • 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's listing notes self parking and breakfast for a surcharge. Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateMid-range

The Atherton Hotel at OSU

Student Union, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK

Why here

  • Our pick for night 2: OSU says The Atherton Hotel is connected to the Student Union, where you park for your tour.
  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3.5-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's listing shows breakfast included, a free airport shuttle and valet parking for a surcharge. Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Comfort Inn & Suites Norman near University

840 Copperfield Dr., Norman, OK

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 on the west side of Norman, about 10 minutes by car from OU's Welcome Center and 29 minutes from the Oklahoma City airport with no traffic.

Good to know

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

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Sleep in Norman before your OU visit, then in Stillwater before your OSU tour, so neither morning starts with a long drive. The Norman to Stillwater drive is about 1 hour 40 minutes, best done the afternoon of day 1.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

Near OU

Campus Corner, where NOUN Hotel sits, is right next to the OU campus, an easy walk for lunch after your tour.

At OSU

OSU's weekday tours, admissions office and parking garage are all at the Student Union, so you're in the middle of campus at lunchtime.

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History

2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, OK

This natural history museum on the OU campus is open Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays) with free parking out front, and it's free for OU students. It's about 6 minutes by car from the Welcome Center; check the museum's page for admission prices.

Official page →

With siblings

OSU Museum of Art

720 S. Husband St., Stillwater, OK

Admission is always free. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday (closed Sundays and Mondays), with free 90-minute street parking on Husband Street. It's about 3 minutes by car or a 20-minute walk from the Student Union.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

  • OU: the visitor curb on Parrington Oval or the lots by Boyd House, with the pass OU emails you. OSU: the Student Union Parking Garage at University Avenue and Hester Street.
  • The Norman to Stillwater leg is about 1 hour 40 minutes and 83 miles, so fill the tank and leave right after lunch on day 1.

Flying in and out

  • Fly into Oklahoma City (OKC), about 32 minutes from Norman. For the flight home, OKC and Tulsa (TUL) are each about 1 hour 32 minutes from OSU with no traffic, so pick whichever has the better flight.
  • Stillwater Regional Airport, less than five miles from OSU, has daily nonstop American Airlines flights to Dallas/Fort Worth.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Oklahoma City Will Rogers Airport)

  • Spring: April averages about 71°F highs and 48°F lows, with about 3.6 inches of rain.
  • Summer: July averages about 93°F highs and 70°F lows, with about 3.6 inches of rain.
  • Fall: October averages about 73°F highs and 49°F lows, with about 3.3 inches of rain.
  • Winter: January averages about 49°F highs and 27°F lows, with about 1.3 inches of precipitation and 1.8 inches of snow.

Parent checklist

  • Register for both tours online a few weeks out: OU's campus visit (no walk-ins, and tours often fill weeks ahead) and an OSU weekday tour.
  • Print the parking pass OU emails after you register and put it on your dashboard.
  • Book a night in Norman and a night in Stillwater, plus a rental car at OKC.
  • Pack comfortable walking shoes for OU's roughly 3-mile tour and OSU's two-hour walking tour, 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 Oklahoma and Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma
  5. University of Oklahoma Athletics (official site)
  6. University of Oklahoma Athletics: Compliance
  7. University of Oklahoma Athletics: Staff Directory
  8. University of Oklahoma Athletics: schedule of events
  9. NCAA Directory: Oklahoma State University
  10. Oklahoma State University Athletics (official site)
  11. Oklahoma State University Athletics: Compliance
  12. Oklahoma State University Athletics: Staff Directory
  13. Oklahoma 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.

Which schools?
Driving or flying?

Emails aren't active yet. Your plan appears right here on the page, with a preview of the email we'd send. Nothing you type here is sent or saved. Only if you use the route planner in your plan is the starting point you type there sent to our map provider, Geoapify, to plan the drive; we never store it. Privacy

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 Oklahoma Admissions: Visit Campus
  2. University of Oklahoma Admissions: Campus visit sign-up and FAQ (official sign-up)
  3. University of Oklahoma Admissions: Self-guided tour
  4. University of Oklahoma Admissions: Honors Personalized Visit
  5. Oklahoma State University Admissions: Visit us
  6. Oklahoma State University Admissions: Weekday tours
  7. Oklahoma State University Admissions: Campus visits (official sign-up)
  8. Oklahoma State University Admissions: Travel to Stillwater
  9. Oklahoma State University Admissions: Contact us
  10. Oklahoma State University Admissions: Saturday tours
  11. Oklahoma State University Admissions: Orange Fridays
  12. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History: Plan your visit
  13. OSU Museum of Art: Visit
  14. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
  15. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), foot profile
  16. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  17. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, Oklahoma City Will Rogers Airport, OK (USW00013967)
  18. Expedia listing: NOUN Hotel, Norman, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel (star class, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Oklahoma-City-Hotels-Noun-Hotel.h88199021.Hotel-Information)
  19. Expedia listing: The Atherton Hotel At OSU (star class, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Stillwater-Hotels-The-Atherton-Hotel-At-OSU.h901884.Hotel-Information)
  20. Expedia listing: Comfort Inn & Suites Norman near University (star class, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Oklahoma-City-Hotels-Comfort-Inn-Suites-Norman-Near-University.h2256168.Hotel-Information)
  21. NOUN Hotel, Norman: hotel overview (Marriott) (not linked: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/okcnt-noun-hotel-norman-a-tribute-portfolio-hotel/overview/)