A stripe-out at Kinnick Stadium for the Wisconsin game, September 2018. Photo: Symetrical, CC BY-SA 4.0
Big Ten · Iowa City, Iowa
Checked against 10 sources on November 10, 2026 · Editorial team · How we check
Stay downtown or on Melrose Avenue if you can get a room: they are a 20–25 minute walk. If not, Coralville is 7–11 minutes away, and Cedar Rapids is next.
The Courtyard on Melrose Avenue and the downtown hotels by the Pedestrian Mall are a 20–25 minute walk to Kinnick Stadium, across the river. Coralville, next door, has two groups of hotels 7–11 minutes away by car with no traffic. When Iowa City and Coralville are full, Cedar Rapids is 35 minutes north on I-380; Davenport is 74 minutes east.
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Two non-conference home dates are set; Iowa plays at Iowa State in 2027. The Big Ten set Iowa's five 2027 home opponents in 2023 and has not published their dates. [2] Hardest so far: Michigan and Minnesota (Very hard). How we rate weekends.
| Date | Opponent | Rooms | Why | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 28, 2027 | North Dakota Non-conference | Busy | Non-conference, no billed weekend Season opener. [2] | Rooms Fri–Sun → |
| Sat, Sep 4, 2027 | Ball State Non-conference | Hard | Holiday weekend Labor Day weekend. [2] | Rooms Fri–Sun → |
| Date not yet set | Maryland Big Ten | Hard | Conference game [3] | Rooms → |
| Date not yet set | Michigan Big Ten | Very hard | Conference game · Visiting fans travel [3] | Rooms → |
| Date not yet set | Minnesota Big Ten | Very hard | Conference game · Rivalry One of Iowa's three annual rivalry games. [3] | Rooms → |
| Date not yet set | UCLA Big Ten | Hard | Conference game [3] | Rooms → |
| Date not yet set | USC Big Ten | Hard | Conference game [3] | Rooms → |
Kickoff times may not be set until a few weeks before the game. Book Friday and Saturday nights, and check the time before you travel.
Of the 12 hotels we list, the closest is the Courtyard Iowa City University Heights at 901 Melrose Avenue: a 20 minute walk (1.0 mi) to the stadium. 5 are within a 40 minute walk. Times are routed on OpenStreetMap from each hotel to the stadium with no traffic [9]; on game day the drive takes longer and the lots fill early.
| Hotel | Area | On foot | By car | Game-day bus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courtyard Iowa City University Heights 901 Melrose Avenue, Iowa City | Melrose Avenue | 20 min · 1.0 mi | 2 min · 0.4 mi | None listed |
| Hilton Garden Inn Iowa City Downtown University 328 South Clinton Street, Iowa City | Downtown Iowa City | 21 min · 1.0 mi | 3 min · 0.9 mi | None listed |
| Graduate by Hilton Iowa City 210 South Dubuque Street, Iowa City | Downtown Iowa City | 22 min · 1.1 mi | 4 min · 1.0 mi | None listed |
| Hyatt Place Iowa City/Downtown 255 East Court Street, Iowa City | Downtown Iowa City | 25 min · 1.2 mi | 4 min · 1.1 mi | None listed |
| Hampton Inn Iowa City/University Area 4 Sturgis Corner Drive, Iowa City | South Riverside | 26 min · 1.2 mi | 4 min · 1.2 mi | None listed |
| Drury Inn & Suites Iowa City Coralville 815 1st Avenue, Coralville, Coralville | Coralville, Iowa River Landing | 45 min · 2.1 mi | 7 min · 2.1 mi | None listed |
| Homewood Suites by Hilton Coralville - Iowa River Landing 921 East 2nd Avenue, Coralville, Coralville | Coralville, Iowa River Landing | 51 min · 2.4 mi | 7 min · 2.4 mi | None listed |
| Hyatt Regency Coralville 300 East 9th Street, Coralville, Coralville | Coralville, Iowa River Landing | 53 min · 2.5 mi | 8 min · 2.5 mi | None listed |
| Residence Inn by Marriott Coralville 2681 James Street, Coralville, Coralville | Coralville, Coral Ridge (I-80) | Drive | 10 min · 4.0 mi | None listed |
| Fairfield Inn & Suites Coralville 650 Coral Ridge Avenue, Coralville, Coralville | Coralville, Coral Ridge (I-80) | Drive | 11 min · 4.2 mi | None listed |
| Home2 Suites by Hilton Coralville 740 Coral Ridge Avenue, Coralville, Coralville | Coralville, Coral Ridge (I-80) | Drive | 10 min · 4.2 mi | None listed |
| DoubleTree by Hilton Cedar Rapids Convention Complex 350 1st Avenue East, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids | Cedar Rapids | Drive | 35 min · 26.7 mi | None listed |
Walk to the gates
One hotel on Melrose Avenue, just south of the stadium. A 20 minute walk by the routed path, and Melrose Avenue next to it closes an hour before kickoff.
Hotels here
Walk to the gatesNightlifeCar-free
The Pedestrian Mall, the Old Capitol and most of the town's bars and restaurants, across the Iowa River from the stadium. A 21–25 minute walk.
Hotels here
DriversWalkable at a push
A hotel south of downtown by Riverside Drive. A 4 minute drive with no traffic, or a 26 minute walk.
Hotels here
DriversGroups
Hotels around the Iowa River Landing in Coralville, just north of Iowa City. A 7–8 minute drive with no traffic.
Hotels here
DriversEasy from I-80
Chain hotels by Coral Ridge Mall at the I-80 exit in Coralville. A 10–11 minute drive with no traffic, and easy from the interstate.
Hotels here
OverflowMore choice
The bigger city 35 minutes north on I-380, with hotels downtown. The first place to look when Iowa City and Coralville are full.
Hotels here
Big weekendsMore choice
North Liberty, between Coralville and Cedar Rapids, is 19 minutes from the stadium; the Quad Cities, at Davenport, are 74 minutes east on I-80.
Hotels in North Liberty →
Of the hotels we list, only the Courtyard on Melrose Avenue and the downtown hotels are a walk from Kinnick: 20 to 25 minutes. Coralville is a drive or a bus. [9]
In the public lots an RV (any vehicle with a restroom) may park on game day only, with no overnight parking before or after the game. [5]
Iowa Athletics opens its lots no more than six hours before kickoff, and queuing in the streets before they open is not allowed. All lots are cashless. [5]
Coming as a group or a family? Houses and apartments in and around Iowa City are on Vrbo: vacation rentals in Iowa City →
Our own readings of Booking.com search results: two nights, two adults, prices before taxes, one reading on one day. A record of last season, not a forecast for 2027, and not used in the rating.
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For the 6:30 p.m. Purdue game in November 2026, lots opened at 12:30 p.m. and stadium gates at 5 p.m. The team's Hawk Walk comes in at the south end off Melrose Avenue about two hours before kickoff. [4]
The Hancher, Hawkeye Commuter and Hall of Fame lots are free, with a bus to the stadium. CAMBUS game-day routes run from the Commuter Lot to Carver, and from the Hancher Lot and from Downtown/Schaeffer Hall to the VA Loop on Newton Road. [5]
From 6 a.m. on game day Evashevski Drive closes at Hawkins Drive and the lots around the stadium take no more cars. Hawkins Drive and Hawkeye Wave Way close from 2.5 hours before kickoff to 2 hours after the game; Melrose Avenue by the stadium closes an hour before kickoff. Hospital ramps 1, 2 and 4 are for patients. [6]
Fans can park in the City of Iowa City ramps downtown and ride the CAMBUS Downtown shuttle to the game. [6]
Clear bags up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, plus a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Every fan is screened at the gate. There is no re-entry. [4]
Hawkins Drive and Hawkeye Wave Way stay closed for two hours after the game. From downtown or Melrose Avenue, walking back in 20–25 minutes is usually quicker than the car queues. [6]
Iowa City sits on I-80, with I-380 running north to Cedar Rapids. Davenport is 74 minutes east and Des Moines about two hours west with no traffic. [9]
On game days the University asks drivers heading to the hospital area to come from the north on Hawkins Drive, because of the closures around the stadium. [6]
The Eastern Iowa Airport, Cedar Rapids (CID) is 31 minutes' drive from the stadium with no traffic (21.5 mi). [9]
The Courtyard Iowa City University Heights at 901 Melrose Avenue, a 20 minute walk (1 mile) by the routed path. The Hilton Garden Inn downtown is 21 minutes on foot. [9]
Coralville first, 7–11 minutes away by car. After that, North Liberty is 19 minutes away and Cedar Rapids 35. [9]
North Dakota on 28 August and Ball State on 4 September. Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, UCLA and USC also come to Kinnick; the Big Ten has not published their dates. [2]
At the Hancher, Hawkeye Commuter and Hall of Fame lots, with a free bus to the stadium. [5]
Evashevski Drive at Hawkins Drive from 6 a.m.; Hawkins Drive and Hawkeye Wave Way from 2.5 hours before kickoff to 2 hours after; Melrose Avenue by the stadium an hour before kickoff. [6]
No. Patrons may not exit and re-enter. [4]
Photos are openly licensed, resized and cropped for this page. None shows a hotel we list or implies endorsement.
Walk and drive times are routed on OpenStreetMap with no traffic; game-day traffic adds to them. Found something out of date? Tell us and we fix it with a dated correction.
FootballStay is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the NFL, the NCAA, any conference, university or team. Team and stadium names are used only to describe where games are played.
The season planner: every home weekend we cover, by how hard rooms will be. Every college football team we cover, ranked by stadium seats per resident. How we rate weekends.