The United States has a pretty egregious reputation when it comes to public transportation.
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That being said, you might be surprised to learn that over a dozen US cities now offer metro, train, and light rail connections directly from downtown to/from the airport. Some estimates put that number as high as 25 US cities.
But not all airport train service systems are created equally.
I’m from Saint Louis, Missouri, which has a pretty limited MetroLink train system. The Red Line does offer service to and from downtown Saint Louis International Airport. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend the average traveler take on Saint Louis on foot. In short, while you can get to/from the airport using the MetroLink if you’re patient, it’s not the most reliable option.
Also, it dumps you in one of Saint Louis’s sketchier downtown areas.
Are you catching my drift? While more and more cities are adding and/or improving functional airport train service, not all are actually traveler-friendly. And, in some cases, like LAX’s new FlyAway ticket system, they might not be the easiest to figure out.
Do you want information on which US cities have airport train service that you’ll actually want to use? These are my recommendations based on the criteria of being able to plan a fully carless trip—starting from the airport.
US cities with airport train service that’s easy & functional—no car rentals needed
- San Francisco
- NYC (La Guardia & JFK)
- Chicago O’Hare
- Philadelphia
- Atlanta
- Seattle
- Minneapolis
- Washington DC
- Boston
- Miami
US cities with airport train service that’s easy & functional—no car rentals needed
San Francisco
You can use the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system to get to and from San Francisco International Airport without a hitch. BART operates daily from 5 am to midnight—so be aware that late-night arrivals will probably funnel you toward a taxi or rideshare.
To use San Francisco’s airport train service, simply board BART at your preferred stop, then navigate to its International Terminal. From there, you can deboard and take the free AirTrain system at SFO, which takes you to each terminal. At the time of writing, a one-way fare is just over $5 and will take around 30 minutes from downtown SF.
NYC (La Guardia & JFK)
You can use the Subway to reach JFK and La Guardia, though you’ll need to use bus lines to reach La Guardia rather than the airport train system. If you’re heading to JFK, board the Subway and navigate toward the A Line. Take the A Line to Howard Beach Station-JFK Airport Station. From there, de-board and take the AirTrain JFK to the main terminal.
You can also take the E, J, or Z subway lines to Jamaica Station, which also includes an AirTrain line that takes you to JFK. However, the most popular (and the fastest) way to reach JFK via metro is usually on the A line.
In terms of reaching La Guardia, I recommend using Google Maps or a similar app to figure out a bus route. In New York City, you can use the same Subway card for buses.
Chicago (O’Hare & Midway)
For how miserable my experiences at Chicago O’Hare have been over the last decade (due to construction), I’ve always gotten to the airport faster than anticipated thanks to the Chicago L train system. (The subway/metro/public train system is called the L in Chicago, short for elevated because it runs above ground) Jump onto the L anywhere in the city, then navigate to the Blue Line. The Blue Line provides 24/7 transportation to/from Chicago O’Hare.
If you’re heading to Midway Airport, take the Orange Line to the Midway Station. It deposits you right at the airport’s terminals.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia has its own Airport Line that runs straight from Center City Philadelphia. Like San Francisco’s BART, it doesn’t offer 24-hour service. The train runs from 4am to 12 am daily, so plan accordingly. Just hop on the SEPTA Regional Rail Line’s Airport Line from the Center City Station, which serves only four stations: Philadelphia International Airport’s four terminals.
Atlanta
Atlanta’s airport train service is managed by MARTA, aka the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. It’s not the most comprehensive in the country by a long shot, but it offers reliable airport transit. Simply head to a MARTA stop, then navigate to the Red or Gold Lines. Both will take you directly to Airport Station, which deposits you at Atlanta-Hartsfield International.
Seattle
Take the city’s functional Sound Transit Link light rail train straight to the airport. Simply hop on at any stop around the city, then navigate toward the SeaTac/Airport Link Station. You need to walk over a very cool skybridge to actually get to the airport, but it’s one of the fastest and most affordable airport train services out there.
Minneapolis
Want to know one of the most mind-blowing things about visiting Minneapolis-Saint Paul? It has a pretty badass public transit system—and its airport train service showcases that. Take the Metro to the airport. Simply board at any Metro station, then navigate toward the Blue Line. It includes two stops for each airport terminal. The cherry on top? It costs $2.00 during off-peak times and $2.50 during rush hour.
Washington DC (Washington Dulles International Airport)
DC has one of the coolest train transit systems, called the Metrorail. (Some of the stations are like works of art.) If you’re heading to IAD (that’s the more popular airport in the area), head to any Metrorail station and navigate to the Silver Line. It runs to the airport, though you’ll need to do a bit of walking to reach the terminals, similar to Seattle.
Boston
Heading to Logan International? You can take the local MBTA metro line to South Station and catch the Silver Line 1 Bus (or SL1 Bus), which takes you directly to the airport. Is it a direct train service? No, but it’s free, and that makes up for the hassle.
Miami & Fort Lauderdale
Last but not least, you can use Miami’s Tri-Rail system to get to the airport. The best way to use it is to head to Miami Central Station. From there, you can get an EASY card, then take the train to Metrorail Transfer, which is part of the Tri-Rail system. Then wait just two stops to reach Miami International Airport.
The Tri-Rail system also connects Miami to Fort Lauderdale and even West Palm Beach. Tri-Rail refers to the three counties that the train passes through: Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach.
