Skip site navigation
Maryland Today
Athletics Arts & Culture Campus & Community People Research
Athletics Arts & Culture Campus & Community People Research

Forming a New Circle

Landmark to Shift Location for Purple Line

Thumb 10 230x230 0 Illustration by Jason Keisling
Illustration by Jason Keisling

One of the most iconic landmarks on UMD’s campus is getting a new home in preparation for the arrival of the Purple Line.

Now situated on Campus Drive, the M Circle will be moved across the street in front of the Mitchell Building as construction gets under way on the 16.2-mile, light-rail train line linking New Carrollton to Bethesda; five stops will be on or near campus.

UMD will never be M-less, however; the new M will be completed before the old one is removed. That way, students and visitors alike will always have a spot for photos and, once the new flower-filled M is finished, a safer place to create memories than a busy traffic circle.

For more information about the Purple Line project on campus, visit umd.edu/purpleline.

Latest Articles

Research

October 09, 2025
Popular Video Game Could Help Autonomous Vehicles Achieve Certification

Arts & Culture

October 09, 2025
New UMD Course Explores Puerto Rico’s Soundscape of Protest and Poetics