College Visit Guides

Fly-in guide · 2 days, 1 campus

Western Illinois University in 2 Days: A Macomb, Illinois College Visit Fly-In Trip

A parent-first plan for visiting Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois: how to book the admissions presentation and campus tour, how visitor parking permits work, the Hampton Inn Macomb plus three more Budget options and the on-campus University Union Hotel, drive times from Quad Cities and Chicago O'Hare airports, Amtrak from Chicago, Argyle Lake State Park and the Western Illinois Museum for siblings, and Macomb-area weather by season, every fact sourced and checked Oct 31, 2026.

A large tan brick building with columns and a white cupola, behind a brick plaza with a lamppost and parked cars under a blue sky
Sherman Hall, home of Undergraduate Admissions at Western Illinois University in Macomb (Jun 2014). Photo: Adam Moss from Tonawanda, New York, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 31, 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

School
Western Illinois University (Macomb, IL; Ohio Valley Conference)
Days
2 days: fly in and drive to Macomb on day 1, campus visit on day 2.
Fly into
Quad Cities International (MLI) in Moline, about 1 hour 45 minutes from campus by car with no traffic, or Chicago O'Hare (ORD), about 5 hours away. Macomb has no commercial airport.
Best base
Hampton Inn Macomb on East Jackson Street, about 6 minutes by car from Sherman Hall.
Car or transit
Rent a car at the airport, or ride Amtrak from Chicago Union Station to Macomb (twice-daily round trips) and use fare-free Go West buses in town.
Registration
Book the Admissions Presentation with Campus Tour on WIU's sign-up page and pick your date and time there.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to see Western Illinois University's Macomb campus in west-central Illinois.

Undergraduate Admissions is in Sherman Hall 115 on the Macomb campus.

Why this order

  • WIU's standard visit is a 35 to 45 minute group presentation from Undergraduate Admissions followed by a walking tour of the Macomb campus led by a current student ambassador.
  • The campus tour itself lasts about 60 minutes, with time to ask questions of admissions staff or the student guide. Parents and up to 6 additional guests are welcome.
Plan ahead: registration and timing
  • Register for the Admissions Presentation with Campus Tour on WIU's sign-up page and pick your date and time there.
  • You can also book a one-on-one meeting with your admission counselor from WIU's Visit Campus page.
  • Questions go to Undergraduate Admissions at (309) 298-3157 or admissions@wiu.edu.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • Discover Western Preview Day adds academic program sessions, a residence hall look, lunch in a dining center and a full campus tour; dates and registration are on its sign-up page.
  • Saturday Showcase visits combine a campus tour with help on next steps like financial aid, housing and orientation; dates are on the Saturday Showcase sign-up page.

2. The suggested 2-day plan

  • Drive times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, and walking times use OpenStreetMap foot routing, with addresses geocoded by OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Campus times are to Sherman Hall, home of Undergraduate Admissions.

Day 1: Fly into Moline or Chicago and drive to Macomb

  1. Quad Cities International Airport (MLI) → Hampton Inn Macomb (1639 E. Jackson St.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 47 min, 76.1 mi
    Driving, walking and Amtrak
    Rental car

  2. Chicago O'Hare (ORD) → Hampton Inn Macomb

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~4 hr 58 min, 244.6 mi
    Driving, walking and Amtrak
    Rental car, or Amtrak from Chicago Union Station
  • WIU recommends flying into Chicago O'Hare or Quad Cities International (MLI) in Moline, since Macomb has no airport you can fly into directly.
  • Amtrak runs twice-daily round trips between Chicago Union Station and Macomb on the Carl Sandburg and Illinois Zephyr routes; tickets must be bought in advance.
  • From the Chicago area, WIU's directions take I-88 or I-80 west to I-74, U.S. 34 west to Monmouth, then Highway 67 south about 30 miles to Macomb.

Day 2: Western Illinois University campus visit

  1. Hampton Inn Macomb → Sherman Hall (Undergraduate Admissions)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~6 min, 2.5 mi
    Driving, walking and Amtrak
    Drive

  2. Macomb Amtrak station (120 E. Calhoun St.) → Sherman Hall (Undergraduate Admissions)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~3 min, 0.9 mi
    Driving, walking and Amtrak
    ~20 min walk, 0.9 mi

  3. Sherman Hall (Undergraduate Admissions) → Quad Cities International Airport (MLI)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 46 min, 75.1 mi
    Driving, walking and Amtrak
    Drive
  • Pick up a visitor parking permit before you park (see Parking below); vehicles without permits are ticketed.
  • The tour includes a student-led walk, so wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather.

3. Campus by campus

A large tan brick building with columns and a white cupola, behind a brick plaza with a lamppost and parked cars under a blue sky
Sherman Hall, home of Undergraduate Admissions at Western Illinois University in Macomb (Jun 2014). Photo: Adam Moss from Tonawanda, New York, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Western Illinois University (Macomb, IL)

Where visits start
  • Visits begin with a presentation from Undergraduate Admissions, whose office is in Sherman Hall 115; check your registration for the exact check-in spot.
Visitor parking
  • WIU's Visit Campus page says you can get a free visitor parking permit at any time from Mowbray Hall on Murray Street.
  • Parking Services' visitor page lists visitor permits online at wiu.aimsparking.com for $5 per day or $15 per week, so check both pages before your visit.
  • With a permit, park in any unreserved space in the Faculty/Staff and Q lots. Visitor permits are not valid in residence hall lots or at meters. Parking Services: 309-298-1921, parking@wiu.edu.
Getting there
  • Fare-free Go West buses serve WIU and the City of Macomb, including the Amtrak station, residence halls, shopping and dining.
  • Sherman Hall is about 6 minutes by car from the Hampton Inn and about a 20-minute walk from the Amtrak station, with no traffic.
What to know
  • Ask about a Discover Western Preview Day if you want lunch in a dining center and a look at a residence hall.
  • WIU also offers virtual visits if a second trip is not practical.
Contact
WIU Undergraduate Admissions, Sherman Hall 115: (309) 298-3157, admissions@wiu.edu.

Last checked Oct 31, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: WIU: Visit Campus (all visit types) · WIU: Discover Western Preview Day · WIU: Saturday Showcase · WIU: Transportation, Maps & Directions · WIU: Visitor Parking

4. Where to stay: Macomb hotels near Western Illinois

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 pickBudget

Hampton Inn Macomb

1639 E. Jackson St., Macomb, IL 61455

Why here

  • About 6 minutes by car from Sherman Hall and about 1 hour 47 minutes from Quad Cities International Airport, with no traffic. It has the highest guest rating of the Macomb hotels we checked on Expedia (9.2 out of 10).
  • 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.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists a free breakfast buffet, an indoor pool, a 24-hour gym, free self-parking and free WiFi, with fridges and microwaves in all 80 rooms. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Best Western Macomb Inn

1655 E. Jackson St., Macomb, IL 61455

Why here

  • Next door to the Hampton Inn, about 6 minutes by car from Sherman Hall with no traffic.
  • 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.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists a free continental breakfast, an indoor pool, a gym, free self-parking and free WiFi; pets are not allowed and the minimum check-in age is 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Quality Inn Macomb near University Area

1646 N. Lafayette St., Macomb, IL 61455

Why here

  • On North Lafayette Street, about 6 minutes by car or a 41-minute walk from Sherman Hall with no traffic.
  • 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.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists a free breakfast buffet, free self-parking and free WiFi; its indoor pool is listed as closed Tuesday through Saturday. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Super 8 by Wyndham Macomb

313 W. University Dr., Macomb, IL 61455

Why here

  • The closest of these four to campus: about 5 minutes by car or a 26-minute walk from Sherman Hall with no traffic.
  • 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.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists a free grab-and-go breakfast, a laundry room, free self-parking and free WiFi, with fridges and microwaves in rooms. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Macomb's Expedia hotels are all 2- to 2.5-star properties, so every option here is Budget tier. To sleep on campus, WIU's University Union Hotel has 27 guest rooms and two suites one floor above the Union food court; it books by phone through the University Union Service Center at (309) 298-1941.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

On campus

The University Union has a food court, and Discover Western Preview Day includes lunch in a dining center.

Near your hotel

All four hotels list a free breakfast on Expedia, so you can eat before heading to campus.

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

Argyle Lake State Park

640 Argyle Park Rd., Colchester, IL 62326

About 7 miles from Macomb: a 1,700-acre wooded park with a 93-acre lake for boating and fishing, about 5 miles of foot trails, picnicking and camping. Park phone: 309-776-3422.

Official page →

With siblings

Western Illinois Museum

Macomb, IL

A Macomb museum with rotating exhibits. Open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Official page →

With siblings

A Western Illinois Leathernecks game

Macomb, IL

Check the Leathernecks athletics calendar for a home game on your dates.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

  • From St. Louis and points south, WIU's directions use U.S. 67 north to Macomb, or U.S. 61 and U.S. 136 east from Carthage.
  • Get a visitor permit before parking: WIU's pages list a free permit from Mowbray Hall and an online permit at wiu.aimsparking.com; then use any unreserved space in the Faculty/Staff or Q lots.

Flying in and out

  • Quad Cities International (MLI) in Moline is about 1 hour 45 minutes from campus by car with no traffic; Chicago O'Hare is about a 5-hour drive, and Amtrak is an alternative from Chicago Union Station.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Moline Quad City International Airport, about 75 miles north)

  • Spring: April averages about 63°F highs and 40°F lows, with about 3.8 inches of rain.
  • Summer: July averages about 86°F/65°F, with about 4.2 inches of rain, so plan for heat and storms on the walking tour.
  • Fall: October averages about 65°F/43°F, with about 2.8 inches of rain.
  • Winter: January averages about 32°F/15°F, with about 11 inches of snow, so leave extra time for the drive.

Parent checklist

  • Register for WIU's Admissions Presentation with Campus Tour, or a Preview Day or Saturday Showcase if those fit your dates better.
  • Plan your visitor parking permit before you arrive.
  • Book flights into Moline (MLI) or Chicago O'Hare plus a rental car, or Amtrak from Chicago to Macomb.
  • Book a Macomb hotel, or the University Union Hotel by phone, for the night before the visit.
  • After the 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.

1 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 (Western Illinois 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: Western Illinois University
  5. Western Illinois University Athletics (official site)
  6. Western Illinois University Athletics: Staff Directory
  7. Western Illinois University Athletics: schedule of events

Trip planner

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Sources

All checked Oct 31, 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. Western Illinois University: Visit Campus (visit types, tour format, parking and lodging FAQ)
  2. Western Illinois University: Admissions Presentation with Campus Tour registration (official sign-up)
  3. Western Illinois University: Discover Western Preview Day registration
  4. Western Illinois University: Saturday Showcase registration
  5. Western Illinois University: Transportation, Maps & Directions (driving, airports, Amtrak, Go West Transit)
  6. Western Illinois University Parking Services: Visitor Parking
  7. Western Illinois University: Places to Stay on the Macomb Campus
  8. Western Illinois University: Undergraduate Admissions (contact)
  9. Expedia listing: Hampton Inn Macomb (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-31) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Macomb-Hotels-Hampton-Inn-Macomb.h2647823.Hotel-Information)
  10. Expedia listing: Quality Inn Macomb near University Area (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-31) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Macomb-Hotels-Quality-Inn-Suites-University-Area.h124356.Hotel-Information)
  11. Expedia listing: Best Western Macomb Inn (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-31) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Macomb-Hotels-Best-Western-Macomb-Inn.h120706.Hotel-Information)
  12. Expedia listing: Super 8 by Wyndham Macomb (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-31) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Macomb-Hotels-Super-8-By-Wyndham-Macomb.h122846.Hotel-Information)
  13. Illinois Department of Natural Resources: Argyle Lake State Park
  14. Western Illinois Museum (hours and exhibits)
  15. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
  16. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), foot profile
  17. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  18. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 monthly climate normals: Moline Quad City International Airport (USW00014923)
  19. Western Illinois Leathernecks Athletics: Calendar