Getting around · Asheville
Getting to and from AVL: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Asheville airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a metered taxi gets you to downtown Asheville, and Uber & Lyft pick up in a marked pickup zone. Picking someone up instead? Wait free at the 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 AVL TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminal
- 1
- Checkpoint
- 1
- PreCheck
- Yes
- CLEAR
- No
- Global Entry
- Off site
- Wait data
- Predicted
Taxis from AVL — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
Metered
to downtown Asheville
Drive time
15–25 min
13 mi to downtown Asheville
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Fares to downtown Asheville are on the meter, so the total depends on traffic and your exact address.
Taxis stage at the ground-transportation pickup area at the north end of Shuttle Lot South on Airport Rd/NC-280, not the terminal curb. Reach the pickup lot via the free continuous airport shuttle from the baggage-claim curb, or a roughly 5-minute downhill walk.
The AVL cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at Cell Phone Lot. Across from the terminal entrance on Airport Park Rd, adjacent to Shuttle Lot B (near 115 Rental Car Dr, Fletcher); marked by a large purple sign. Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. Drivers must stay with their vehicle; when your passenger is at the curb, they call you, then you proceed to pick up.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare AVLparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at AVL
Uber and Lyft pick up at the ground-transportation area at the north end of Shuttle Lot South, reached by continuous shuttle from baggage claim or a short walk. Rideshare and taxi pickups are not at the terminal curb; they relocated to Shuttle Lot South off Airport Rd/NC-280 south of the terminal.
Dropping off? Departing drop-off is at the terminal curb; curbside waiting is prohibited. Ashevillehas a single terminal, so there's no wrong-curb risk — any door gets you to check-in and security.
Driving to AVL — routes & drive time
AVL sits about 13 miles from downtown Asheville, a drive of roughly 15–25 minutes via I-26 to Exit 40 (Airport Rd/NC-280); US-25 (Hendersonville Rd) also reaches the terminal — 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 AVL by train or transit
No rail serves Asheville; ART Route S3 links the airport to downtown Asheville, but service is limited to daytime hours.
Fare: Confirm current fare at ridetheart.com; Apple Country Transit also serves the Hendersonville area.
Hotel and city shuttles to AVL
Many area hotels run their own airport shuttles (most free of charge); parking-lot shuttles serve the shuttle lots. 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 AVL?
The rule of thumb: a round-trip ride is one fixed cost, while parking adds up by the day. For a quick 1–2 day trip, parking usually costs less; for a longer trip, a round-trip taxi or rideshare often comes out ahead.
Want the exact trade-off for your dates? compare AVLparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at AVL
Airport shuttles serve the ground-transportation pickup lot; contact providers for accessible-vehicle service.
Late or overnight arrival? Taxis and rideshare operate on demand overnight; ART Route S3 runs daytime only with no late-night transit.
Returning a rental on the way out? On-airport rental counters in the terminal; returns are at the adjacent rental-car area off Rental Car Dr. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Recently changed: Ground-transportation and rideshare/taxi pickup relocated to Shuttle Lot South on June 18, 2024. Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified AVL's ground-transport details as of July 1, 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 GSP (Greenville-Spartanburg), about 42 miles from AVL 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 AVL — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go AVL
AVL TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ AVL
How much is a taxi to or from AVL?
Taxis to downtown Asheville are metered, so the fare depends on traffic and the exact address. Taxis stage at the ground-transportation pickup area at the north end of Shuttle Lot South on Airport Rd/NC-280, not the terminal curb.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at AVL?
Uber and Lyft pick up at the ground-transportation area at the north end of Shuttle Lot South, reached by continuous shuttle from baggage claim or a short walk. Rideshare and taxi pickups are not at the terminal curb; they relocated to Shuttle Lot South off Airport Rd/NC-280 south of the terminal. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the AVL cell-phone lot?
Cell Phone Lot — Across from the terminal entrance on Airport Park Rd, adjacent to Shuttle Lot B (near 115 Rental Car Dr, Fletcher); marked by a large purple sign. It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is AVL from downtown Asheville?
AVL is about 13 miles from downtown Asheville — roughly 15–25 minutes by car depending on traffic, via I-26 to Exit 40 (Airport Rd/NC-280); US-25 (Hendersonville Rd) also reaches the terminal.
Is there a train from AVL to downtown Asheville?
Not directly. No rail serves Asheville; ART Route S3 links the airport to downtown Asheville, but service is limited to daytime hours.