25 US cities with rail transit to airports
How cities in the United States are connecting their downtowns to their airports
Introduction
My travels through Europe last month had me thinking about the importance of rail transit connecting cities to airports. Between Rome and Copenhagen, the two have robust rail infrastructure connecting their city centers and their international airports. In Rome, there are trains leaving at all hours of the day to and from the airport that cut down an hour long drive to a half-hour long train ride. Meanwhile, Copenhagen’s Metro takes you from downtown to the airport in just 15 minutes.
In contrast, many cities and metropolitan areas in the United States (including the Research Triangle region here in North Carolina) only provide limited and infrequent bus service. Driving will almost always prevail as the more convenient option, no matter how expensive parking is or how unbearable traffic is, if there aren’t consistent and reliable transit alternatives available.
However, some US metro areas excel at connecting their many communities to their airport by rail. I’ve compiled the 25 cities in the United States that do offer rail transit to their regional airports. The list is categorized by whether the system is heavy rail (such as the New York subway) or light rail (such as Charlotte’s, which is not included), and organized them in order of population.
Note: This list was put together through an extensive meta analysis that consisted of me looking at Google Maps for about an hour.
Heavy rail
New York, NY
New York’s subway system is often considered the best rapid transit in the country by way of sheer volume in both routes and frequency. I’ll focus on the two airports actually within city limits for this portion. For international flights from JFK Airport, New Yorkers can catch the A to the AirTrain, which takes riders from the subway station to the terminal. However, travelers catching domestic flights from LaGuardia Airport are better suited catching a rideshare due to the lack of rail transit offered there. All that considered, New York earns its spot on this list even without counting Newark’s airport, a perfectly accessible option for transit riders from the Big Apple.
Chicago, IL
The Chicago Transit Authority offers consistent 15-minute service on the Blue Line from O’Hare Airport and 12-minute service on the Orange Line from Midway Airport. Both lines deliver riders to and from downtown within roughly a half-hour’s time, which is excellent when considering how far out both airports are from downtown and how much additional time driving takes with traffic and parking.
Philadelphia, PA
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA, runs a commuter rail from Center City to Philadelphia International Airport every half hour, one of the less convenient transit options within this section of the list. However, SEPTA (generally) provides reliable transit service to just about every corner of the Delaware Valley, connecting communities from all over to the airport.
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit system, or BART, runs two lines from the airport to downtown with 15-minute frequency. Riding from the airport into downtown San Francisco only takes a half-hour, rivaling Chicago as one of the more dependable transit options.
Denver, CO
Denver’s system is a blend of the rail lines to the airport found in Philadelphia and Chicago. While riders also use a commuter rail line from the airport to downtown Denver, its frequency matches that of Chicago at 15 minutes. The ride takes roughly 45 minutes, which is comparable to driving times.
Washington, DC
As of earlier this year, DC’s Metro runs 12-minute service to Dulles International Airport and even more frequent service on two lines to DCA, both of which are excellent alternatives to driving. The only drawback is how long the Metro ride from Dulles into DC is at roughly an hour on its own, though this timing doesn’t differ much from driving times with traffic.
Boston, MA
Despite the T’s recent publicized struggles, Boston does provide consistent service to Logan Airport with the Blue Line. Earlier this year when I traveled to Boston, I found the Silver Line, a pseudo-bus rapid transit (BRT) line that’s dedicated to providing service straight from the airport to downtown, to be a convenient alternative.
Atlanta, GA
Despite my best efforts to doubt the good city of Atlanta’s transit, MARTA actually provides some of the best service out of any city on this list to and from the airport. Two lines combine to run every 7-8 minutes from the airport into downtown Atlanta. Provided that you live close to a MARTA station, I couldn’t imagine opting to drive in Atlanta’s traffic over taking MARTA.
Miami, FL
Miami offers both 15-minute service from the airport to its downtown via the Orange Line along with hourly commuter rail service that reaches as north as West Palm Beach.
Oakland, CA
On top of connections to San Francisco’s airport, BART provides service from Oakland’s airport to downtown at a frequency of less than every ten minutes. Top notch stuff, Oakland.
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland’s rail system provides 15-minute service from the airport to downtown in roughly half an hour. I can personally vouch for this route- it’s a convenient alternative to driving!
Newark, NJ
NJ Transit delivers riders on two lines to Newark Airport roughly every half hour in conjunction with Amtrak service. Those traveling to or from Newark can also take the PATH train into New York City to get to JFK Airport.
Jersey City, NJ
Those traveling from Jersey City to Newark’s airport can catch the PATH train to Newark, which runs every five minutes, and then take NJ Transit from there. The same method to get to JFK Airport as Newark applies, though Jersey City is closer to New York City.
Light rail
Los Angeles, CA
Although Los Angeles has a heavy rail transit system, the Metro C-Line that travels to and from Los Angeles International Airport is a light rail that runs every ten or so minutes. Despite this frequency, it seems that multiple transfers are required to reach the airport because this line does not connect directly to downtown.
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix’s light rail provides 15-minute service to and from the airport, with a pedestrian overpass connecting the station to airport transportation. The ride is also a convenient 15-minute journey to and from downtown Phoenix, along with other population centers in the region such as Tempe.
San Diego, CA
San Diego’s closest transit connection to its airport is a shuttle that runs every 20 minutes from the Old Town Transit Center. Although this may seem an inconvenient option, San Diego operates multiple lines through the Old Town Transit Center that combine for abundant frequency in run times.
Dallas, TX
Dallas’ light rail runs from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport to downtown at a 20-minute frequency, with a total travel time of roughly an hour. Closer to downtown, Dallas provides bus service from the light rail to its other airport, Love Field, at a 15-minute frequency. Between limited run times and bus transfers, this is certainly a light rail that doesn’t seem much more convenient than driving.
Fort Worth, TX
Much like Dallas’ system, neighboring Fort Worth’s TEXRail struggles to provide reliable service from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport to downtown. TEXRail runs anywhere from every 30 minutes to every hour, a lacking alternative to driving. It also takes an hour to travel between downtown Fort Worth and the airport by transit.
San Jose, CA
San Jose’s Blue Line currently runs directly from downtown to its regional airport every 15 minutes. Riders catching flights from the San Francisco airport can catch a commuter rail that connects to BART’s many lines running to the airport, though this involves longer ride times and transfers.
Seattle, WA
The 1-Line runs every eight minutes from SeaTac airport to downtown Seattle, with a run time of roughly 30 minutes. This is certainly one of the stronger light rail options on this list.
Portland, OR
Although Portland’s MAX Red Line currently runs once every half hour from Portland’s airport to downtown, changes are being implemented to improve this frequency. As of the writing of this post, shuttle service from Portland’s Gateway/99th Avenue Transit Center to the airport runs every 15 minutes as construction on the Red Line continues.
Minneapolis, MN
A standard light rail network, Minneapolis’ Metro Blue Line runs every 15 minutes from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to downtown. This ride only takes 20 or so minutes. Minneapolis’ transit system is bolstered by a series of BRT lines that is set for a massive expansion over the next decade, connecting even more residents to the airport by rapid transit.
Baltimore, MD
Although Baltimore’s light rail runs at a half-hour frequency from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to downtown, commuter rail and Amtrak options allow for increased frequency. Regardless of whether you travel by light rail or train, the trip takes a little under half an hour.
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis’ MetroLink Red Line runs every 20 minutes from Lambert Airport to downtown in just half an hour. This is probably the least reliable I’d be willing to take from a transit system before I would simply opt to drive instead.
Salt Lake City, UT
This one surprised me! We don’t associate Salt Lake City with robust transit infrastructure (mostly due to its smaller population), but SLC’s Green Line operates between the airport and downtown at a 15-minute frequency with a run time of less than 20 minutes. It’s an impressive option!
Observations
Noticeably absent from this list are many of the United States’ fastest-growing (and most traffic-plagued) metropolitan areas, including Charlotte, the Triangle, and even mega-cities such as Houston. Many others have propped up light rails with poor frequencies that can’t compete with car travel.
The airport connection serves as a litmus test as to whether a transit system can be considered seriously as a viable alternative to car ownership. At its best, rail transit is a competitive and sometimes even more convenient transportation method to and from the airport that remedies the impact of single-occupancy car travel on personal finances, traffic, land use, and the environment.
If your city is listed above and you’ve always opted for driving or ride sharing, consider a transit option for your next trip that’ll cut down on the many costs and hassles associated with airport travel!
I love Google Maps - it was my best friend during my recent two-month stay in Italy. good work son!