Car Rental - Champaign

 

Rent a car in Champaign, Illinois to enjoy this friendly city’s Midwestern hospitality. Whether you’re looking for business car rental, visiting the University of Illinois or here for pleasure, this bustling college town is a hive of activity.

Collect your rental car in Champaign from our pick-up location on North Mattis Avenue in downtown. You can choose a spacious SUV to fit the whole family or a sleek sedan for luxury city cruising or business car rental – our collection has every kind of trip covered.

Discover more than 10,000 works of fine art at the Krannert Art Museum on campus or encourage the kids to learn about science, technology and art at the Orpheum Children’s Museum. There are several parks dotted throughout the city if you desire some time outdoors. Follow the elevated boardwalk through Busey Woods in Crystal Lake Park or take a short drive to the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve for hiking, biking and golf.

Reserve your car rental in Champaign today with Hertz to start your Champaign excursion.

Champaign Locations

A Quick Guide to Champaign

University-of-Illinois-Urbana-Champaign-museum

Krannert Art Museum

500 East Peabody Drive, IL, 61820

Explore one of the largest fine art museums in Illinois and discover global works of art from the Bronze Age to the present day. Exhibitions focus on art movements, time periods and themes such as memory and social justice. Outside, the postmodern architecture is a sight to behold too – from the golden decorative screen to the Neo-Egyptian Kinkead Pavilion.

Orpheum-Children’s-Science0Museum

Orpheum Children’s Science Museum

346 North Neil Street, IL, 61820

Engage your little ones in the world of science, art and technology at this interactive museum in the old Orpheum Theatre. Kids can dress up as astronauts and rocket into space, dig for fossils and bones in the Dino Dig, and meet geckos, tarantulas and bearded dragons in Critter Corner.

Hike-at-Lake-of-the-Woods-Forest-Preserve

Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve

1505 North Broadway Avenue, IL, 61801

Just a short drive by rental car from Champaign, this forest reserve offers plenty of outdoor fun. Hike or bike the three-mile trail through Buffalo Trace Prairie and Rayburn-Purnell Woods, then climb the six-story HI-Tower for breathtaking views of the park. You can also visit the Museum of the Grand Prairie and Mabery Gelvin Botanical Gardens, with its charming bridges and waterfall.

 

Courtyard by Marriott Champaign

1811 Moreland Boulevard, IL, 61822

Situated just north of Downtown, this modern hotel offers spacious rooms and suites for business travelers, leisure guests and prospective UIUC students alike. Take a dip in the heated swimming pool or lounge in the lobby’s comfy armchairs with a good book. Parking for your rental car from Champaign is available for a daily fee.

Hyatt Place Champaign/Urbana

217 North Neil Street, IL, 61820

Stay close to campus at the perfectly positioned Hyatt Place hotel. Well-equipped rooms feature plush beds, spacious workstations and 42-inch TVs, while amenities such as the indoor pool, fitness center and on-site restaurant ensure you have a comfortable stay.

Champaign Garden Inn

411 West Hill Street, IL, 61820

It’s impossible not to be charmed by the historic roots of this cozy bed and breakfast, set within a 1901 Victorian mansion. Elegant guest rooms showcase antique furnishings and luxury linens alongside modern flat-screen TVs and complimentary Wi-Fi. Relax on the porch overlooking beautifully landscaped gardens or enjoy your morning coffee in the communal dining room.

Sakanaya

403 East Green Street, IL, 61820

Literally translating to ‘fish market’ in Japanese, Sakanaya is known for its fabulously fresh seafood and sushi. Enjoy classic California rolls and signature sushi, like the Champaign-Urbana roll with deep-fried tuna and avocado. On colder nights, the spicy ramen will warm your soul.

Seven Saints

32 East Chester Street, IL 61820

Sliders, salads, sandwiches and sides – the Seven Saints menu has it all. Share a sinners crowd-pleaser platter with hand-battered cheese curds, onion rings and marinara sauce – the perfect finger food. Check out the themed sliders too, from the Chicago-style hot dog slider to the Asian slider with wasabi aioli and crunchy chow mein noodles.

Silvercreek

402 North Race Street, IL, 61801

Pay a visit in your rental car to Champaign’s sister city, Urbana, for a modern fine dining experience. Beautifully plated dishes showcase the rich flavor of home-grown herbs and produce. Indulge in unctuous lobster mac and cheese, superior jumbo shrimp and grits, or the chef’s daily mixed grill.

Driving In and Around Champaign

  • Hill Street Parking Deck (61820) has around 300 spaces for your rental car in Champaign’s Downtown, with an extra 200 spaces on weekdays after 7pm. You can park here overnight too.
  • Walnut & Washington Lot (61820) has more than 200 spaces opposite the Orpheum Children's Science Museum.
  • On-street metered parking is available throughout the city and meters are color-coded to reflect time restrictions. Rates vary on each street, but all parking spaces are free on weekends.
  • Interstate 74 (I-74) cuts across the top of Champaign, running north-east to Peoria and west to Indianapolis.
  • Interstate 57 (I-57) starts across the border in Missouri and continues north through Illinois, connecting Champaign to Chicago.
  • US Route 45 (US 45) is a major north-south highway which runs parallel to I-57 in Illinois and passes straight through downtown Champaign.

How to Get From Champaign to Chicago

It takes around two hours to drive the 134 miles with your rental car from Champaign to the Windy City. Start on New Market Street and, after four miles, turn right to merge onto I-57 North. Continue along the I-57 for 118 miles, then join the I-94 and follow the I-90 Express into downtown Chicago.

 

How to Get From Champaign to Indianapolis

The capital of Indiana is also just a two-hour drive by rental car from Champaign:

  1. Head north on Neil Street and take the slip road on your right to merge onto I-74.
  2. Continue heading east along I-74 for 111 miles.
  3. Keep left to stay on I-74 and follow signs to join I-465 South.
  4. Take Exit 13 and then use the left two lanes to turn left onto Rockville Road.
  5. As you approach Eagle Creek, bear left onto West Washington Street and continue into Indianapolis.

 

Renting a car in Champaign is simple with Hertz – whether you’re here on business or vacation, we’ve got you covered.