Getting around · Austin
Getting to and from AUS: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Austin airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a taxi runs about $30–$40 to Downtown Austin, and Uber & Lyft pick up in a marked pickup zone. Picking someone up instead? Wait free at the Barbara Jordan Terminal Cell Phone 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 AUS TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminals
- 2
- Checkpoints
- 2
- PreCheck
- Yes
- CLEAR
- Yes
- Global Entry
- On site
- Wait data
- Predicted
Taxis from AUS — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
~$30–$40
to Downtown Austin
Drive time
15–30 min
7.5 mi to Downtown Austin
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Expect about $30–$40 to Downtown Austin on the meter, before tolls and tip — more in heavy traffic.
Taxis pick up at the relocated rideshare/taxi area on the ground floor of the Consolidated Rental Car Facility behind the Red Garage (not the terminal curb), reached by the free tram or a short walk from baggage claim; permitted firms are ATX Co-Op, Central City and Z-Trip. Metered, no flat airport fare; minimum fare about $13.80 including a $2.50 airport surcharge; three permitted cab companies (ATX Co-Op, Central City, Z-Trip).
The AUS cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at Barbara Jordan Terminal Cell Phone Lot. Free lot at the Texaco fuel station, 2901 Spirit of Texas Drive, off SH-71; open 24/7 with flight-info displays, restrooms, EV charging and food (convenience store, Whataburger/Subway-style options). Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. From SH-71 take the Spirit of Texas Drive 'Airport Cargo/Service Entrance' exit, turn onto Spirit of Texas Drive, and follow signs to the cell phone lot / Texaco at 2901 Spirit of Texas Drive.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare AUSparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at AUS
Uber/Lyft pick up under the Consolidated Rental Car Facility, just north/behind the Red Garage; from baggage claim take the free Rideshare Tram (Red Garage first floor) or walk about 210 steps to the pickup deck. Pickup is NO LONGER at the terminal curb-it moved to the rental-car garage deck; departing riders are still DROPPED at the upper/departures curb. Use the Rideshare Tram or walkway to reach the pickup area.
Dropping off? Drop off at the upper-level departures/ticketing curb, or the lower/arrivals level if it is less congested; the curb is for active loading only. AUS has 2 terminals (Barbara Jordan, South), so confirm your airline's before your driver commits to a curb — find your terminal at AUS.
Driving to AUS — routes & drive time
AUS sits about 7.5 miles from Downtown Austin, a drive of roughly 15–30 minutes via SH-71 / Spirit of Texas Drive out to I-35 (or US-183) north into downtown Austin — 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 AUS by train or transit
There is no rail link to AUS. CapMetro's high-frequency Route 20 bus runs about every 15 minutes between the airport and downtown Austin in roughly 35 minutes for $1.25; the overnight Route 483 covers after-midnight hours. The former airport rail/flyer Route 100 was discontinued.
Fare: $1.25 single ride on CapMetro Route 20 ($2.50 Day Pass for transfers); no surge pricing.
Hotel and city shuttles to AUS
Hotel shuttles and shared-ride vans (Carter Transportation/SuperShuttle, 360 Transportation) serve AUS; arrange in advance and meet at the designated ground-transport area. 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 AUS?
Here's the math. Parking starts around $11/day, while a round-trip taxi or rideshare to Downtown Austin runs about $70. 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 AUSparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at AUS
Free Mobility Assistance Zone (open daily 7 a.m.-2 a.m.) for wheelchair-accessible taxis and rideshares; request WAV in the app; arrange wheelchair/escort help in advance through your airline.
Late or overnight arrival? Uber/Lyft and the three cab firms run 24/7; CapMetro's Route 483 covers overnight (after midnight to roughly 4 a.m.) when Route 20 is not running.
Returning a rental on the way out? Return at the Consolidated Rental Car Facility connected to the terminal via the Red Garage walkway and trams (third-floor Mobility Tram crosses to the RCF entrance). (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Recently changed: AUS has moved all rideshare and taxi PICKUPS off the terminal curb to the Rental Car Facility deck (reached by free tram or the walkway); the airport is also mid-expansion, so curbside roadways and signage keep changing-confirm the pickup route on arrival. Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified AUS's ground-transport details as of June 27, 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 SAT (San Antonio), about 67 miles from AUS 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 AUS — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go AUS
AUS TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ AUS
How much is a taxi to or from AUS?
A metered taxi to Downtown Austin typically runs about $30–$40, before tolls and tip and more in heavy traffic. Taxis pick up at the relocated rideshare/taxi area on the ground floor of the Consolidated Rental Car Facility behind the Red Garage (not the terminal curb), reached by the free tram or a short walk from baggage claim; permitted firms are ATX Co-Op, Central City and Z-Trip.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at AUS?
Uber/Lyft pick up under the Consolidated Rental Car Facility, just north/behind the Red Garage; from baggage claim take the free Rideshare Tram (Red Garage first floor) or walk about 210 steps to the pickup deck. Pickup is NO LONGER at the terminal curb-it moved to the rental-car garage deck; departing riders are still DROPPED at the upper/departures curb. Use the Rideshare Tram or walkway to reach the pickup area. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the AUS cell-phone lot?
Barbara Jordan Terminal Cell Phone Lot — Free lot at the Texaco fuel station, 2901 Spirit of Texas Drive, off SH-71; open 24/7 with flight-info displays, restrooms, EV charging and food (convenience store, Whataburger/Subway-style options). It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is AUS from Downtown Austin?
AUS is about 7.5 miles from Downtown Austin — roughly 15–30 minutes by car depending on traffic, via SH-71 / Spirit of Texas Drive out to I-35 (or US-183) north into downtown Austin.
Is there a train from AUS to Downtown Austin?
Not directly. There is no rail link to AUS. CapMetro's high-frequency Route 20 bus runs about every 15 minutes between the airport and downtown Austin in roughly 35 minutes for $1.25; the overnight Route 483 covers after-midnight hours. The former airport rail/flyer Route 100 was discontinued.