Getting around · Albuquerque
Getting to and from ABQ: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Albuquerque airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a taxi runs about $15–$25 to Downtown Albuquerque, and Uber & Lyft pick up in a marked pickup zone. Picking someone up instead? Wait free at the Cell Phone Waiting Lot. Below: every way to and from the airport, what it costs, whether to park or grab a ride, and how to fold the drive into your Leave-By Time so you reach security with room to get through the line. Check ABQ TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminal
- 1
- Checkpoint
- 1
- PreCheck
- Yes
- CLEAR
- No
- Global Entry
- On site
- Wait data
- Predicted
Taxis from ABQ — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
~$15–$25
to Downtown Albuquerque
Drive time
10–20 min
4 mi to Downtown Albuquerque
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Expect about $15–$25 to Downtown Albuquerque on the meter, before tolls and tip — more in heavy traffic.
Baggage claim level, Door 2. Companies include Aspen Rides (505-388-3692), zTrip (505-247-8888), My Ryde Taxi (505-814-4442), and Green Cab (505-243-6800). Multiple metered taxi companies. No published flat fare. ~$15-25 to downtown Albuquerque.
The ABQ cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at Cell Phone Waiting Lot. 2325 Sunport Loop SE, approximately 0.3 miles north of the terminal, adjacent to the Sheraton Hotel. Features real-time flight information display boards. Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. Free, no time limit. Driver must remain with vehicle. Follow Sunport Loop SE from the airport entrance.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare ABQparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at ABQ
Uber and Lyft pick up at the Level 1 (baggage claim level) commercial lane outside baggage claim at Door 7.
Dropping off? Drop off on the upper Departures level; active loading only. Albuquerquehas a single terminal, so there's no wrong-curb risk — any door gets you to check-in and security.
Driving to ABQ — routes & drive time
ABQ sits about 4 miles from Downtown Albuquerque, a drive of roughly 10–20 minutes via I-25 north links the Sunport to downtown Albuquerque; Yale Blvd and Gibson Blvd also connect — closer to the high end at rush hour. That drive time is the first input into your Leave-By Time, so the calculator counts it backward from your flight along with today's security wait and the walk to your gate.
Getting to ABQ by train or transit
No rail serves the Sunport directly. ABQ Ride Route 50 stops at the Sunport on weekdays and Saturdays (free). ABQ Ride also provides a connecting shuttle between the Sunport and the NM Rail Runner Express station for trips to Santa Fe or Belen.
Fare: ABQ Ride bus fares are currently free. NM Rail Runner Express fares vary by zone.
Hotel and city shuttles to ABQ
Sunport Shuttle (private, door-to-door van service) operates from Level 1 ground transportation, serving hotels and residences throughout Albuquerque. If a shuttle is part of your plan, add its ride time to your Leave-By Time — it's easy to forget the 15–20 minutes between the curb and the terminal.
Park or ride to ABQ?
Here's the math. Parking starts around $7/day, while a round-trip taxi or rideshare to Downtown Albuquerque runs about $40. So a round trip by car comes out ahead once you're away more than about 6 days — for a quick trip, parking usually costs less; for a long one, getting a ride does.
Want the exact trade-off for your dates? compare ABQparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at ABQ
ABQ Ride buses are wheelchair accessible. Accessible taxi and rideshare services available.
Late or overnight arrival? ABQ Ride has limited late-night service; taxis and rideshare operate around the clock.
Returning a rental on the way out? On-airport rental car facility; follow Rental Car Return signs from the terminal. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified ABQ's ground-transport details as of June 29, 2026. Always check the in-app pickup pin and posted signs when you land.
Flying out of a nearby airport instead?
If a fare or a schedule points you elsewhere, the closest airport we cover is ELP (El Paso), about 224 miles from ABQ in a straight line. The same math on this page — drive time, ride cost, security wait — decides whether the extra distance is worth it.
Other airports nearby
Straight-line distance from ABQ — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go ABQ
ABQ TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ ABQ
How much is a taxi to or from ABQ?
A metered taxi to Downtown Albuquerque typically runs about $15–$25, before tolls and tip and more in heavy traffic. Baggage claim level, Door 2. Companies include Aspen Rides (505-388-3692), zTrip (505-247-8888), My Ryde Taxi (505-814-4442), and Green Cab (505-243-6800).
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at ABQ?
Uber and Lyft pick up at the Level 1 (baggage claim level) commercial lane outside baggage claim at Door 7. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the ABQ cell-phone lot?
Cell Phone Waiting Lot — 2325 Sunport Loop SE, approximately 0.3 miles north of the terminal, adjacent to the Sheraton Hotel. Features real-time flight information display boards. It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is ABQ from Downtown Albuquerque?
ABQ is about 4 miles from Downtown Albuquerque — roughly 10–20 minutes by car depending on traffic, via I-25 north links the Sunport to downtown Albuquerque; Yale Blvd and Gibson Blvd also connect.
Is there a train from ABQ to Downtown Albuquerque?
Not directly. No rail serves the Sunport directly. ABQ Ride Route 50 stops at the Sunport on weekdays and Saturdays (free). ABQ Ride also provides a connecting shuttle between the Sunport and the NM Rail Runner Express station for trips to Santa Fe or Belen.