Travel & Accommodations

Carnegie Mellon's campus is located approximately five miles east of downtown Pittsburgh in a section of the city called Oakland. Pittsburgh is accessible by ground, rail and air transportation.

The Office of Admission wishes you a pleasant and productive visit to Carnegie Mellon. Because we do not want to limit the number of families that can visit campus each day, we ask you to be understanding and flexible when trying to schedule your Carnegie Mellon experience.

If you have a disability and will need assistance while visiting the campus or attending one of our information programs off campus, please call us at 412-268-2082, and we will help meet your needs.

Traveling By Car
Parking On Campus
Traveling By Air
Traveling By Bus
Traveling By Train
Local Hotels and Inns
Hotels Near Carnegie Mellon

Traveling By Car

Directions to Carnegie Mellon's campus from the north, east, south, west and the airport are available. Please call 412-268-8343 to listen to a recorded message of these directions to campus by phone.

Driving from the East

Take the Pennsylvania Turnpike West to Exit 57, Pittsburgh/Monroeville
Follow Interstate 376 West to Exit 7, Edgewood/Swissvale
Turn right onto Braddock Avenue (at the end of the ramp)
Continue to the Forbes Avenue intersection (Frick Park will be on the left)
Turn left onto Forbes Avenue and follow it approximately three miles to campus
At the intersection of Forbes Avenue and Beeler Street, you will find the campus parking garage. If this entrance is closed, continue on Forbes Avenue to the main entrance

Driving from the West/North

Take the Pennsylvania Turnpike East to Exit 28, Perry Highway
Follow Interstate 79 South to 279 South, Exit 72
Follow signs for I-579S, Exit 8A and go across the Veteran’s Bridge
Take exit toward Oakland/I-376/Monroeville
Stay straight to go onto the Blvd of the Allies
Take the ramp marked Forbes Avenue
Immediately at the intersection of Forbes Avenue and Beeler Street, turn right into the parking garage on campus

Driving from the South

Take Interstate 79 North to 279 North, Pittsburgh
Follow 279 North through the Fort Pitt Tunnel and onto the Fort Pitt Bridge
Once on the bridge, stay in the far right lanes and follow signs for 376 East/Monroeville
Take 376 East to Exit 2A, Forbes Avenue/Oakland
Stay in the right-hand lanes and follow Forbes Avenue 1.3 miles through the Oakland business district to campus
Pass the intersection of Forbes Avenue and Morewood Avenue and the garage entrance will be on your right.

Directions from the Pittsburgh International Airport to Carnegie Mellon

Take 60 South upon exiting airport
Stay on 60 South towards Pittsburgh (16 miles)
Follow 279 through the Fort Pitt Tunnel and follow signs for 376
Once on the bridge, stay in the far right lanes and follow signs for 376 East/Monroeville
Take 376 East to Exit 2A, Forbes Avenue/Oakland
Stay in the right-hand lanes and follow Forbes Avenue 1.3 miles through the Oakland business district to campus
Immediately at the intersection of Forbes Avenue and Beeler Street, turn right into the parking garage on campus

Parking On Campus

Parking is limited on Carnegie Mellon's campus. Although most urban university campuses experience limited parking, there are several additional reasons that may make parking on Carnegie Mellon's campus particularly difficult. These include the construction of several new facilities, the occasional filming of a movie, numerous lectures, symposiums, guest speakers and conferences, campus-wide events (like Spring Carnival every April) and a record number of prospective students and their families visiting campus. Please refer to the campus parking map for the location of designated visitor parking areas.

If you are visiting campus and staying at one of the local hotels, many of them have free shuttle services that will bring you to campus.

If you are driving to campus, the East Campus Parking Garage is a pay-as-you-park facility. There are entrances at the intersection of Forbes Avenue and Beeler Street and also on the south side of the garage closest to the University Center and Gesling Stadium. The south side entrance can be accessed on Forbes Avenue just past the intersection with Morewood Avenue. When entering the garage, pull the ticket from the entry station. Park wherever you can find an empty space. Remember to take your ticket with you before exiting the garage. When leaving, go to one of the pay stations located inside the garage (before finding your car) and follow the instructions for payment. Please refer to the campus map in order to identify viable parking options.

Please keep in mind that there are times when visitors who have scheduled an appointment through the Office of Admission may still have difficulty locating a parking space. Here are some alternative options if you cannot find parking on campus:

Parking in the visitor lot at the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History (one block down Forbes Avenue at Craig Street) is available.
Metered street parking is available throughout Oakland. Several nearby locations include Craig Street, Neville Street, Dithridge Street, Phipps Conservatory and Schenley Park. (Most meters accept quarters only.)

NOTE: We do not advise that you park on the unmetered, residential streets near campus. Most of these neighborhood streets require residential parking stickers and you may be ticketed or towed by the City of Pittsburgh Parking Authority. We recommend that you first drop off your son or daughter and then look for a parking space. A convenient drop-off location is the turn-around in front of the East Campus Garage and the University Center on Forbes Avenue.

Traveling By Air

The Pittsburgh International Airport is 22 miles (approximately 45 minutes driving time) from the Carnegie Mellon campus. For more information, please visit FlyPittsburgh or call 412-472-3525. If you need help scheduling your flights for your visit, Carlson Wagonlit, the official campus travel agent, offers the lowest fares available to you. For more information or for reservations, call 1-800-466-7801 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

Once you arrive at the Pittsburgh International Airport there are several transportation options to bring you to campus or to your hotel. While car rentals from most rental agencies are available, the 28X Airport Flyer Bus (sponsored by the Port Authority Transit), is one of the more popular options for visitors and students. The 28X stops in the heart of the Carnegie Mellon campus and typically takes 40 minutes en route to the airport. The trip is free for Carnegie Mellon students and costs $2.60 for other passengers. For more information about schedules and rates, please visit the official PAT Web site or call 412-442-2000. Another viable option is the Airport Express Airlines Transportation Company (1-800-991-9890), which provides a shuttle service between the airport and several hotels/inns in the downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland areas.

Additional transportation to/from the airport can found by taxi service and hotel shuttle service. The average taxi fare from the airport to campus is about $33.00. We recommend that you arrange a pick up from the Yellow Cab 412-665-8100, Peoples Cab 412-681-3131 or Checker Cab -412-381-5600. Unlike other metropolitan areas, you will need to prearrange a taxi or hotel shuttle service from the airport to your destination. Because many hotels offer a complimentary shuttle from the airport to the hotel and then on to Carnegie Mellon, please inquire about this option when making your lodging reservations. Please refer to the ground transportation section of the Pittsburgh International Airport Web site for further contact information.

Traveling By Bus

The Greyhound Trailways Bus Terminal is located five miles from campus in downtown Pittsburgh. For a detailed transportation schedule, please call 1-800-231-2222. The station terminal is located at the intersection of 11th Street and Liberty Avenue and can be reached by telephone at 412-392-6526.

Traveling By Train

The Amtrak Train Station Located at 1100 Liberty Avenue, is a beautiful architectural landmark in downtown Pittsburgh and just four miles from campus. For more information on rates and schedules, please call 1-800-872-7245.

Local Hotels and Inns

If you plan to stay overnight in Pittsburgh, you can make arrangements directly with the hotels listed below. For your convenience, most hotels will provide shuttle services to campus. Also, most hotels will offer discount rates to Carnegie Mellon visitors. Make sure to request the special rate when making reservations.

Wyndham Garden Hotel 3454 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213 412-683-2040	Courtyard by Marriott 5308 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15224 412-683-3113	Hampton Inn 3315 Hamlet Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213 412-681-1000 1-800-426-7866
Holiday Inn @ University Center 100 Lytton Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213 412-682-6200	The Inns on Negley 703 S. Negley Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213 412-661-0631	Residence Inn by Marriott 3896 Bigelow Boulevard Pittsburgh, PA 15213 412-621-2200
The Shadyside Inn 5405 5th Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15232 412-682-2300	Westin Hotel 1000 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412-281-3700 1-888-627-8180

For additional accommodations organized by neighborhoods and mileage to campus, please refer to the Carnegie Mellon list of hotels and inns. If you are interested in what dining, shopping or entertainment options are available in the greater Pittsburgh area, you will find The Greater Pittsburgh Visitor and Convention Center to be a reliable resource to help you plan your visit.