William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia. Nestled an hour drive from Richmond and Virginia Beach, we are three hours by car or train from Washington, D.C., and our popular Washington Center (campus in the city).
Students embrace this mid-sized town by taking in the scenic outdoors, hitting the rides at Busch Gardens and Water Country USA and getting their foodie fix from the locally-owned cafes and coffee shops.
Imagine studying in the nation’s oldest academic building or kayaking on Lake Matoaka between classes. Our red brick pathways will guide you across the campus through the Sunken Garden, around the Sadler Center to the residence halls, wellness center and beyond.
Gather, socialize, study, eat — it all happens here. The Sadler Center is William & Mary’s student union, a hub for campus life. Grab lunch, pick up essentials from the campus convenience store or learn more about our 475+ clubs and organizations focused on community service, sports, student government, social events and more. You can also shoot some pool, catch a Homebrew student performance or see a movie in the Commonwealth Auditorium.
Learn more about campus and the area from the student’s perspective.
Explore life at W&M in 30 seconds — traditions, holidays and more.
See campus life through the eyes of a different student each week.
Discover our students’ favorite spots on and around campus.
W&M students don’t need a car to get around. The walk from one side of campus to the other is usually 20 minutes (but you’ll find some students bragging about doing it in 10). Here, you can walk or bike to the grocery store, clothing retailers, coffee shops, the farmers market and more. If walking isn’t your thing, rent a Zipcar, get a free ride on the WATA bus or take advantage of the student-led carpooling group, Tribe Rides. For longer distances, hop on the Amtrak or fly out of the Richmond, Newport News, or Norfolk airports. Whatever your preferred method of transportation is, you can find it here in Williamsburg.
In and around Williamsburg, you’ll find bustling dining and shopping centers filled with boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops and more. Perhaps best known for Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and other popular attractions, this lively town hosts many area events and was named a top U.S. city by Travel + Leisure magazine.
W&M is committed to providing high-quality, state-of-the-art learning and living spaces to our students. Construction of new residence halls, dining facilities and more is currently taking place on campus and should be completed by the spring 2026 semester.
W&M’s Washington Center serves as our campus in the city and home base for semester, summer and winter break programs that take advantage of Washington, D.C.’s breadth of resources.
“My favorite spot on campus is the front of the Wren Building facing Merchant's Square. The first time that I stood there, I knew I was home. It represents the merge between Colonial Williamsburg (CW) and campus, which is one of my favorite aspects of W&M; though our campus will always be home, that sense of belonging spills out onto the streets of CW and is an extension of our community.”
— Payton Dick ’25, psychology major and management & organizational leadership minor from Palo Alto, CA
