About Carbondale

About the Carbondale Area

Where is Carbondale, Illinois?

Carbondale is a city of 25,000 near the southern tip of Illinois, in a beautiful region known as “Little Egypt” – close to the Mississippi River and on the edge of the Shawnee National Forest. It is the home of the flagship campus of Southern Illinois University. Carbondale is NOT near Chicago. It is located approximately 100 miles southeast of St. Louis, 330 miles south of Chicago, 200 miles north of Memphis, and 200 miles northwest of Nashville.

Explore the town of Carbondale, IL

What public transportation is available in Carbondale?

• Campus/local bus: The SIU Saluki Express reaches destinations throughout campus, many local apartments, and some shopping areas. 
• Veo scooters https://studentcenter.siu.edu/services/transportation-parking/veo-at-si…  provide "microtransportation" around the SIU campus and downtown Carbondale area. 
• Carbondale also offers Uber service (although it is somewhat limited due to the smaller number of Uber drivers in the area).
• Airports: Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois (airport code MWA) provides regional service via Contour airlines. The nearest major airport is St. Louis Lambert Field (STL).
• Amtrak stops in Carbondale at the CDL train station, located in downtown Carbondale.
• Greyhound national bus service also stops at the Amtrak CDL station.

What are my housing options as a BMS student?

Carbondale is a college town with a number of student-friendly apartment options. For apartment availability and rates, visit apartment-listing sites such as ApartmentFinder.com or Apartments.com. 

The university also has student housing. For graduate students, SIUC offers three apartment-style housing options. For more on graduate housing options on the SIUC campus, visit the SIUC Apartments Page (https://housing.siu.edu/housing-options/apartments/).

BMS does not endorse any particular housing option. We urge all entering students to carefully research housing options, considering cost, location, floor plan, ease of parking, bus-route availability, etc. to make the best choice for them.
What recreational opportunities are available?

With lots of rolling hills and beautiful limestone cliffs, the Southern Illinois region is a great place for hiking, kayaking, and camping:

• The SIUC campus has a large recreation center (the REC).
• SIUC’s Campus Lake has a two-mile walking/running trail, and boat rental at the Becker Pavilion.
• Nearby Cedar Lake has a beach and boat launch. The boat ramp at Cedar Creek road has a self-serve kayak rental pod.
• Go birding at the spectacular Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge.
• Catch the trails at Giant City Park, or eat a traditional chicken dinner at the Giant City Lodge.
• Like a challenging hike? How about the Little Grand Canyon.
• Get the best views of Southern Illinois at Shawnee National Forest “Garden of the Gods” trail.
• Go on a horseback trail ride at Giant City Stables.
• Check out the Farmers Market on Saturdays.