Location

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Shawnee National Forest

We’re located on the scenic SIU campus in the safe and culturally diverse city of Carbondale. The cost of living is low here and Carbondale was named “The Best Small City in Illinois” by Life in America’s Small Cities.

View our campus map and Faner Building Map (PDF)

Campus map and Faner Building Map

We’ve got a beautiful lake and forest right in the midst of campus and we’re near the 270,000-acre Shawnee National Forest.

State of Illinois and Carbondale location

Seeing is believing – there’s no place like SIU.Virtual Tour

View our Virtual Tour to immerse yourself in American culture and life in a beautiful, safe area with an attractive cost of living.

Visit our photo gallery and see for yourself how incredible the SIU experience is!

Here in America’s Heartland, you will find numerous opportunities for:

  • Hiking
  • Camping
  • Fishing
  • Boating
  • Countless other recreational activities

Transportation

Getting around in Carbondale is easy. A number of major cities are also easily accessible:

  • St. Louis, Missouri, is just a two-hour ride (100 miles/160 km) away. You’ll find Lambert International Airport, professional sporting and entertainment events and much more there.
    • BART Shuttle, a private van service, runs between Carbondale and St. Louis.
    • The Saluki Express, SIU’s mass transit service, provides transportation around Carbondale and nearby towns as well as to everyplace Rides Mass Transit District travels, including St. Louis, Missouri and Evansville, Indiana. All students who pay the student transportation fee are eligible for this service at no additional cost.
  • Chicago and its O’Hare Airport is just a one-hour plane flight from Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois (MWA) in nearby Marion, IL, or a five-hour train ride away. If you choose the train, you will ride theAmtrak train between Carbondale and the Clinton Metro Station in downtown Chicago. From there, you can walk or take a taxi to the Union Train Station a few blocks away and catch the Blue Line Train to the airport.
  • Nashville, Tennessee, home of the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame and countless other attractions is just about 200 miles from here.
  • Evansville, Indiana, the Ohio River town featuring Angel Mounds State Historic Site, museums, and other things to see and do is also just about 100 miles from Carbondale.