College move-in is here. Here’s how to avoid the traffic.

College move-in day is around the corner, which means that Marylanders should expect heavier than usual traffic around university campuses.

The Banner compiled a list of undergraduate move-in dates at Maryland colleges so you can know when — and where — to avoid traffic.

Remember, the roads won’t just be congested at campuses. Expect long lines and crowded parking lots at big-box stores like Target as students and their families rush to pick up shower shoes and mattress toppers.

Baltimore

Several Baltimore colleges are hosting overlapping move-in days, so expect heavy traffic and plenty of out-of-state plates on major thoroughfares like Charles Street, North Avenue and the Jones Falls Expressway.

Coppin State University: New students move in Aug. 19 and 20, while returning students arrive Aug. 21 through 23. Northwest Baltimore neighborhoods like Coppin Heights and Mondawmin will be busy with the influx of about 2,800 young people.

Maryland Institute College of Art: New students arrive at the Bolton Hill campus on Aug. 19, and returning students move in on the 20th and 21st. Mount Vernon, where some of the 1,600 students live, will also likely be busier than usual.

Loyola University Maryland: New students arrive at the North Baltimore school on Aug. 27, and returning students move in on the 29th and 30th. The university enrolls nearly 4,900 students, so expect crowds.

The Johns Hopkins University: New students arrive on Aug. 23, and returning students move in on Aug. 29 on the Charles Village campus. There are about 5,600 undergraduate students, with tens of thousands more graduate students, but they tend to be spread across the city.

Notre Dame of Maryland University: The nearly 700 undergraduates at Baltimore’s small Catholic university will move into dorms on Aug. 26 and 28. The school, which is near Loyola University Maryland, will be contributing to some heavier-than-usual North Baltimore traffic patterns in late August.

Morgan State University: Maryland’s largest historically Black university, in Northeast Baltimore, welcomes students back from Aug. 15 through 23. The city is projecting heavy traffic around Argonne Drive, Hillen Road, Cold Spring Lane and Stadium Way, as over 11,000 students show up at campus.

Baltimore County

The county has fewer schools than the city but is likely to face heavy traffic in towns like Towson, thanks to several colleges in the area. Towson Town Center mall, as well as the Towson Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores, will likely be crowded.

Goucher College: Goucher’s 1,000 undergraduates will arrive to the Towson campus on Aug. 18, 22 and 23.

Towson University: Formal move-in at Maryland’s second-largest public university stretches from Aug. 19 to 22, but many of the 16,200 undergraduate students live off campus, so Towson residents may face traffic on other days as well.

University of Maryland, Baltimore County: Move in for UMBC’s 11,000 undergrads takes place between Aug. 20 and 21, so Catonsville, Arbutus and Halethorpe residents beware!

Anne Arundel County

St. John’s College is pretty small, so there shouldn’t be too much traffic. And first years at the United States Naval Academy are already on campus. Annapolis residents won’t get off traffic-free, but they’ll likely have it better than others.

St. John’s College: The campus’ 800 Johnnies will return to Annapolis on Aug. 22 and 25.

United States Naval Academy: The military academy’s 3,500-ish midshipmen are currently returning to Annapolis, with the first day of classes scheduled for Aug. 17.

Prince George’s County

While there are only two universities in Price George’s County, one is a heavy hitter. The state’s flagship, the University of Maryland, College Park, is going to welcome over 30,000 undergraduates to campus over one three-day period. Plan accordingly!

Bowie State University: Students are scheduled to return to Maryland’s oldest historically Black university on Aug. 17, 18, 20 and 21. Nearly 6,000 students will be returning to the Bowie area during those days, so the roads may be more congested than usual.

University of Maryland, College Park: Maryland’s flagship university has three days of move-in for new students: Aug. 27, 28 and 29. College Park’s population will swell with the addition of the 41,000 students.

Eastern Shore

The three schools on the Eastern Shore have spaced out their move-in dates. But remember, there may be heavier-than-usual traffic on the Bay Bridge, as many students attending the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Salisbury University come from other parts of Maryland.

University of Maryland Eastern Shore: Move-in for new students is Aug. 16, while returners arrive to Princess Anne on Aug. 22 and 23. The 3,500 students enrolled will approximately double the population of the Eastern Shore town.

Washington College: The small school’s approximately 900 students arrive to Chestertown on Aug. 17, 18, 22 and 23.

Salisbury University: The largest school on the Eastern Shore will welcome 7,200 students back to campus on Aug. 27, 29 and 30.

Allegany County

Frostburg State University: The county’s only four-year college will host move-in for its 4,000 students on Aug. 20, 22 and 23.

Frederick County

Hood College: Students have already begun arriving in Frederick to move into their dorms at Hood. The college’s approximately 1,100 students finish arriving on Aug. 15.

Carroll County

McDaniel College: The college’s 1,600 students will arrive in Westminster on Aug. 20, 22 and 23.

St. Mary’s County

St. Mary’s College of Maryland: Students move in to the state’s public honors college in St. Mary’s City on Aug. 27, 29 and 30. The college’s 1,600 students will mostly drive in from other parts of Maryland and Washington, D.C.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.