UCM's guest page does two useful things: it lists Warrensburg's hotels, and then it keeps going into Sedalia, which is the university telling you the town fills. Warrensburg's named properties are the Holiday Inn Express & Suites on Hawthorne Boulevard with 81 rooms, the Comfort Inn on Russell Avenue with 78, and a Super 8 beside it, all on the north side two to three miles from the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center, where every UCM ceremony is held. More than 2,000 individuals were honoured in the Spring and Summer 2026 round over two days. Both 2027 rounds are dated and placed: Friday 7 and Saturday 8 May 2027, and Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December 2026, in the athletics center, with the per-ceremony times still TBD. Tickets are not required. Book the Friday night now; Sedalia is 43 minutes east and the Kansas City suburbs 50 minutes to an hour west.
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The university’s list starts in Warrensburg and ends in Sedalia
UCM’s information for families and guests page says: “The following is a list of some Warrensburg and surrounding area accommodations:”, and then names hotels in Warrensburg and in Sedalia, 43 minutes away. A university that lists the next town’s hotels on its own commencement guidance is telling you what this page would otherwise have to work out.
North Warrensburg, two to three miles out
The hotels are on the north side of town, along Russell Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Warrensburg North, 1005 Hawthorne Boulevard. About three and a half miles and nine minutes from the athletics center. 81 rooms per the Northstar directory, the largest in town.
Comfort Inn Warrensburg Station, 609 East Russell Avenue. Two and a half miles and seven minutes. 78 rooms per Northstar.
Super 8 by Wyndham Warrensburg, 439 East Russell Avenue. Two miles and five minutes. A room count was found only on a booking aggregator, which this site does not cite, so none is stated.
More than 2,000 individuals were honoured in the Spring and Summer 2026 round. No matched-window availability series has been run for Warrensburg, so this page publishes no count of what remains.
Both rounds are dated and placed
UCM has said where every ceremony happens: “All commencement ceremonies are held in the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center.” The registrar’s pages give the dates: Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December 2026, and Friday 7 and Saturday 8 May 2027. Both weekends check out.
What is TBD is the per-ceremony schedule. UCM splits its ceremonies by school across the two days, and the times for both rounds were blank at this check. So the plan is the Friday night for everyone and the Saturday held refundably until the schedule posts.
Two things the guest page settles: tickets are not required, seating is first come, and parking is free. Each ceremony is livestreamed from about 20 minutes before it starts.
East to Sedalia, west toward Kansas City
Sedalia, 43 minutes east on US 50, is the university’s own named overflow. Lee’s Summit, 49 minutes west, and Blue Springs, 58 minutes, sit on Kansas City’s eastern edge with suburban chain hotels. Independence, 71 minutes, has fourteen hotels and more than a thousand rooms per Northstar, and Kansas City proper is just beyond it.
Drive times are off-peak road routes to the athletics center computed on 14 September 2026, not measured journeys.
Not claimed here
No commencement-specific hotel policy, because none of the three publishes one. No availability count, because none was measured. The Super 8’s room count, because the only source was one this site does not use.
Verified hotel rules
| Hotel | Min. stay | Prepayment | Cancellation / forfeit | Typical rate | How to book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites Warrensburg Northsourcecheck rates | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Online, hotel’s own site |
| Comfort Inn Warrensburg Stationsourcecheck rates | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Online, hotel’s own site |
| Super 8 by Wyndham Warrensburgsourcecheck rates | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Online, hotel’s own site |
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Warrensburg North: 1005 Hawthorne Blvd, about three and a half miles and nine minutes from the athletics center. 81 rooms per the Northstar Meetings Group directory, the largest in town. On UCM's own guest accommodation list. No commencement-specific minimum stay, prepayment or cancellation policy was found, and none is claimed.
- Comfort Inn Warrensburg Station: 609 E Russell Ave, about two and a half miles and seven minutes from the athletics center. 78 rooms per Northstar. On UCM's list. No commencement-specific policy was found.
- Super 8 by Wyndham Warrensburg: 439 E Russell Ave, about two miles and five minutes from the athletics center. A room count was found only on a booking aggregator, which this site does not cite, so none is stated. On UCM's list. Budget tier. No commencement-specific policy was found.
Opens live availability around campus via our partner Stay22. Several of the properties above take graduation bookings only by phone, mail-in form, or lottery, so treat this as a price check against the rules in the table, not a replacement for them. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The ring
| Town | Drive time | Typical availability | Rate vs. epicenter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedalia, MOCheck rooms in Sedalia, MO → | 43 min | Not measured for this cluster. UCM's own guest page lists several Sedalia hotels as a fallback. | Not measured. |
| Lee's Summit, MOCheck rooms in Lee's Summit, MO → | 49 min | Not measured for this cluster. A Kansas City suburb with its own lodging base of several chain hotels. | Not measured. Chain tier. |
| Blue Springs, MOCheck rooms in Blue Springs, MO → | 58 min | Not measured for this cluster. A distinct suburban market with multiple chain hotels. | Not measured. |
| Independence, MOCheck rooms in Independence, MO → | 71 min | Not measured for this cluster. Fourteen hotels and more than a thousand rooms per Northstar. | Not measured. Full range. |
Drive times are off-peak road routes to the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center computed with OSRM on 2026-09-14, not measured journeys. No matched-window availability series has been run for any town in this ring.
“Check rooms” are partner links (Stay22), and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Live availability near campus
Map and booking links are provided by our partner Stay22. We may earn a commission on bookings made through this map at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
Which hotel is closest to the ceremony?
The Super 8 on East Russell Avenue is about two miles and five minutes from the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center, the Comfort Inn Warrensburg Station (78 rooms per Northstar) two and a half miles, and the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Warrensburg North (81 rooms) three and a half miles and nine minutes. All three are on UCM's guest list.
Does UCM publish a hotel list?
Yes. The registrar's information for families and guests page lists "some Warrensburg and surrounding area accommodations", including several in Sedalia. A visitor resource, not a commencement block.
Will Warrensburg sell out?
No matched-window availability series has been run, so this page publishes no count. About 160 counted rooms plus the Super 8 against more than 2,000 honoured over two days is the structure, and the university's own list already reaches to Sedalia.
Which nights?
Both, until the times post. UCM's ceremonies are split by school across the Friday and Saturday of each round, and the per-ceremony times for both December 2026 and May 2027 were TBD at this check.
Where is the overflow?
Sedalia, 43 minutes east on US 50, named on UCM's own list. Lee's Summit, 49 minutes west, and Blue Springs, 58, on Kansas City's edge. Independence, 71 minutes, with more than a thousand rooms per Northstar.
Do we need tickets?
No. "Tickets are not required and seating is on a first come first served basis," per UCM's guest page. Parking is free, and each ceremony is livestreamed from about 20 minutes before it starts.
What was the Multipurpose Building?
The same venue. The Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center was renamed from the Multipurpose Building, and older pages may use the old name.
How we verified this
Last verified:
- UCM Registrar, information for families and guests ("All commencement ceremonies are held in the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center."; "Tickets are not required and seating is on a first come first served basis."; free parking; livestream; the Warrensburg and Sedalia accommodation list)
- Northstar Meetings Group, Comfort Inn Warrensburg Station ("Total Number of Rooms 78")
- UCM Registrar, Spring/Summer commencement schedule ("May 7 & 8, 2027 - Spring Commencement ceremonies"; Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center)
- UCM news, Spring 2026 commencement ("honoring more than 2,000 individuals")
This page is verified in two stages. Every fact is checked against the primary sources listed above, then the page is reviewed and signed off by our editor, A. Hassan. Corrections and enquiries: hello@graduationstay.com