Charleston, IL is located in East Central Illinois on Illinois Route 16, 10 miles east of I-57. Other reference points are 50 miles south of Champaign-Urbana, 165 miles south of Chicago, 60 miles west of Terre Haute, IN, 115 miles northeast of St. Louis, MO, and 140 miles west of Indianapolis, IN. A detailed highway map is available by clicking the graphic at left. A campus Map is available here.

Amtrak rail service is available daily at nearby Mattoon which is served by The City of New Orleans and The Illini Service.

Local car rentals are available at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Mattoon (800-325-8007).

The nearest commercial air travel is located less than a one-hour drive away at Willard Airport at Champaign-Urbana. More than a dozen daily flights in and out of Willard Airport serve Chicago O'Hare, St. Louis, and Detroit. There are four car rental services at the airport (see the ground transportation link at the airport's website). Airlines serving Williard are Northwest Airlines, American Connection and American Airlines and Delta Connection.

Coles County Memorial Airport is located between Charleston and Mattoon about 15 minutes from campus but does not have an airline service.