Dating safety in College Park, MD

Verify your College Park matches

Before you meet, check that your match is who they say they are. Every DateDish profile is verified with a selfie, Verified badges are backed by an ID check matched to the person's face, and nobody can message you without first uploading a selfie from the last 30 days that you can see. You can also see Trust Score™ and Trust Badges for people you've met on any app or out in College Park, and Wingman Validation™ lets people who know them vouch.

Lock in the plan

Class schedules and group chats make plans easy to drop. With a DateDish date request, one person picks the venue, day and time; the other accepts or suggests another option; once you both agree, it's locked in. No ghosting, no BS.

College Park safety resources to save in your phone

• Emergency: call 911. Text-to-911 is available across Maryland when calling isn't possible.
• University of Maryland Police: 301-405-3333, or #3333 from a mobile phone (non-emergency and walking escorts: 301-405-3555)
• Prince George's County Police (non-emergency dispatch): 301-352-1200
• Domestic and dating violence (24/7): Family Crisis Center of Prince George's County, 301-731-1203

Nationwide, any time: the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788), the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673), and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988). Report romance scams at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Getting to and from your date in College Park

• Metrorail's Green Line stops at College Park–U of Md, a short walk or shuttle ride from campus and Route 1. Check last-train times before a late date.
• Shuttle-UM runs routes around campus and College Park, and NITE Ride (301-314-6483) offers late-night rides for the UMD community.
• Rideshare: match the license plate and driver name before you get in, and share your trip with a friend.

Smart first-date habits in College Park

• Choose a busy, public spot you know, ideally near Metro or a bus line, so getting there and home is easy.
• Tell a friend where you'll be and check in after.
• Arrange your own ride so you can leave whenever you want.
• Downtown College Park along Route 1 (Baltimore Avenue), Riverdale Park Station and the Hyattsville arts district nearby all have busy, public first-date spots.

For the full list, see our first-date safety checklist, 15 safe first date ideas in DC and dating safety guide for women.

Know a great first-date spot in College Park? Nominate it for The DMV's Best First-Date Spots 2027. Winners are announced February 10, 2027.

Local insight from the College Park community

The DateDish Community tab is where daters in College Park, at UMD and across Prince George's County share real experiences, honest feedback and local recommendations, from first-date spots worth trying to lessons learned. Let your dating story be heard, and help someone else date smarter.

Dish. You decide what's next.

After the date, give honest feedback, kept private with your date or shared with the community, and decide if you're open to a second date. Every Dish helps the local dating scene get a little more honest.

Sources

Phone numbers and services checked against official sources in November 2026: UMD Police: Contact · UMD Residential Facilities: Safety and security · Prince George's County: Non-emergency dispatch · Prince George's County: Domestic violence resources · Maryland: Text-to-911. Services can change, so confirm with the provider if you're unsure. In an emergency, always call 911.