The National League of Cities counted 2,800-plus local leaders at its 2026 Congressional City Conference and sent 1,100-plus of them to Capitol Hill. The 2027 edition runs March 15 to 17 at the Marriott Marquis, 901 Massachusetts Ave NW, with pre-conference sessions March 13 and 14. Registration opens in November 2026 during City Summit.
The price sheet belongs to the last cycle
The NLC rates page prints four columns and three membership rows under the heading "Rates below are for 2026 Congressional City Conference." An NLC member pays 880 dollars in the early bird window, 1,005 dollars in the advance window and 1,105 dollars onsite. A State Municipal League member pays 980, 1,105 and 1,205 dollars. A nonmember pays 1,010, 1,210 and 1,310 dollars.
A fourth column is headed "Attended CS25 Discount" and carries 770, 845 and 985 dollars. The page marks that column with an asterisk. No footnote appears on the page.
Two hundred and twenty five dollars
Member early bird to member onsite is 225 dollars. A delegation of five spends 1,125 dollars more in the onsite window than in the early bird window. The advance window adds 125 dollars per head above early bird, which is 14 percent.
The 2026 windows read: early bird from November 21, 2025 to February 26, 2026, advance rate from February 27 to March 13, onsite rate from March 14 to March 18. NLC publishes no 2027 window dates and no 2027 figures. The same page states that 2027 conference rates are subject to change. Treat the ladder as a shape and put the four dates to Maritz in writing.
The sixth seat carries the group deal
The rates page publishes one concession. "Groups of five or more will receive a complimentary sixth registration, provided the registrations are paid in full and all individuals are registered at the same time." Four categories are excluded: Spouse or Guest, Student, Youth Chaperone and Youth Delegates.
Five member registrations at the 2026 early bird rate cost 4,400 dollars and return six seats, which is 733.33 dollars per head. The single member early bird rate is 880 dollars. The Attended CS25 column is 770 dollars. Both sit above the group figure. The five-person threshold is the first real lever a city holds, and it costs nothing beyond paying in full at one time.
Three questions have no published answer and belong in an email to nlc@maritz.com before the payment clears. Whether the complimentary sixth seat may go to a city staff member while the five paid seats are elected officials. Whether that sixth seat can be reassigned after payment. Whether a group of five mixes member and nonmember rates inside one submission.
The page also publishes a substitution right. "Substitutions are permitted and can be made at any time." The group cancellation policy repeats that substitutions are welcome. A city that loses a council member in February can substitute a replacement at any time. A cancellation carries a 125 dollar fee and closes on the published date.
Housing sits behind the registration form
The rates page reads: "Registering online is the quickest way to secure your registration and housing." Maritz Global Events runs the desk, at nlc@maritz.com, (864) 208-2901 toll free and (747) 226-7785 international. conferences@nlc.org takes every other question.
No NLC page publishes a nightly rate at the Marriott Marquis, a block cutoff date, a room count or an attrition term for 2027. A planner who needs a number has to request it. Put three items in that request: the date the block releases unsold rooms, the cancellation term at the property, and whether rooms can be added after the block closes.
Registration cancellation is a separate instrument. All requests go in writing to nlc@maritz.com by February 20, 2026, carry a 125 dollar fee, and close at that date. No registration and no cancellation is accepted by phone. The group policy bars refunds for anyone who first registered as an individual and then joined a group.
The Hill Day clock still shows last year
The 2027 event page prints "March 17: Capitol Hill." The Hill Day page prints "Hill Day is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18" and a mandatory one-hour briefing on Tuesday, March 17. March 18, 2026 fell on a Wednesday. March 17, 2027 falls on a Wednesday. The Hill Day page is running the 2026 calendar. Confirm the 2027 briefing time with advocacy@nlc.org before a delegation books a Wednesday departure.
Hill Day carries no additional cost and is limited to elected officials, city staff and State Municipal League staff. The 2026 recap reports 2,800-plus attendees against the 2,000-plus figure on the planning page.
What a delegation should hold
Register inside the early window once NLC prints the 2027 dates. Pay as one body of five to capture the sixth seat. Write the housing questions to Maritz before the room request goes in. Keep the substitution route open for the last seat. Each move rests on a published term. NLC has printed no 2027 figure.
hotelhaggle runs group room requests through a name-your-price submission. The live home page reads "We send your offer to every qualified hotel in your destination," with a published 24 to 72 hour response time. The seller-of-travel page, last updated October 24, 2026, cannot process requests from or for travel to Florida, Hawaii, Iowa or Washington. A delegation from one of those four states should route the block to the property directly and ask for the terms in writing.
