The University of Iowa campus caters to pedestrians and bicyclists: it's compact enough to cross in a 20-minute walk. A free ride on a campus bus can halve that time. Entertainment on campus and in Iowa City is geared toward student budgets, with many events offered at no charge.

Iowa City has more bookstores, coffee shops, restaurants, record shops, and movie theaters in its downtown area—right next to campus—than you'll find in cities many times its size.

Local service agencies combine with campus programs to provide a wide range of helping services for students and student families.

Hancher Auditorium brings the world's finest musicians, dancers, actors, and entertainers to the University. It is part of the Iowa Center for the Arts, which includes the Museum of Art and cultural/educational programs in music, theater, art and art history, dance, and literary arts. Iowa City is alive with festivals and ethnic celebrations. Music, drama, and dance can be found on stage or on street corners. Works by local artists and craftspeople entice visitors to outdoor markets.

American and foreign films, documentaries, and shorts are presented at Film Scene downtown, and each semester the University community is energized by a full and diverse schedule of lectures, readings, and discussions that bring world notables to campus to interact with students and faculty members.

The University can help put enthusiasts on board a hot air balloon or a sailboat. Weight lifting, tennis, fencing, the martial arts, handball, soccer, rugby, football, spelunking, rowing, horseback riding, gymnastics, or golf—Iowa students do them all. The University's Macbride Nature Recreation Area, located 15 miles from campus, offers hiking, cross-country skiing, sailing, and canoeing.

The University fields 11 varsity teams each for men and women. Iowa is a member of the Big Ten Athletic Conference, and University teams from field hockey to football enjoy dedicated support from fans in the community and a large region of the state.

For a list University events, visit the UI events calendar.