Getting around · Hartford
Getting to and from BDL: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Hartford airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a taxi runs about $40–$55 to downtown Hartford, and Uber & Lyft pick up at Ride App Pick-up. Picking someone up instead? Wait free at the Free 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 BDL TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminal
- 1
- Checkpoints
- 2
- PreCheck
- Yes
- CLEAR
- Yes
- Global Entry
- On site
- Wait data
- Predicted
Taxis from BDL — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
~$40–$55
to downtown Hartford
Drive time
20–30 min
13 mi to downtown Hartford
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Expect about $40–$55 to downtown Hartford on the meter, before tolls and tip — more in heavy traffic.
On-demand and prearranged taxis wait on Level 1 outside Arrivals and baggage-claim doors 2 and 3. Authorized cab companies (e.g., Arrow, Yellow Cab) serve the curb; confirm the fare before departing.
The BDL cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at Free Cell Phone Lot. On Light Lane, less than a 3-minute drive from Terminal A. Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. Wait in the free lot until your arriving passenger is at the curb, then drive to the terminal for pickup.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare BDLparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at BDL
Rideshare pickups at BDL run through Ride App Pick-up. Uber and Lyft pick up at the marked Ride App Pick-up area outside door 2 on the Arrivals and baggage-claim level. All on the same Arrivals level: taxis at doors 2-3, rideshare specifically at door 2.
Dropping off? Departing drop-off is on the upper Departures level; pickups are on the lower Arrivals level. Hartfordhas a single terminal, so there's no wrong-curb risk — any door gets you to check-in and security.
Driving to BDL — routes & drive time
BDL sits about 13 miles from downtown Hartford, a drive of roughly 20–30 minutes via I-91 (Exit 40) south to Hartford; CT Route 20 and Route 75 connect the airport to the interstate — 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 BDL by train or transit
No rail serves Bradley itself; the CTtransit Route 30 Bradley Flyer bus connects the airport to Hartford's Union Station, where Amtrak and CTrail Hartford Line trains are available.
Fare: One-way fare $1.75; every roughly 40 minutes weekdays and Saturdays, roughly hourly early morning, late night, and Sundays.
Hotel and city shuttles to BDL
Hotel courtesy shuttles and airport parking-lot shuttles serve the terminal; the Bradley Flyer boards at Terminal A lower level, door 6. 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 BDL?
Here's the math. Parking starts around $8/day, while a round-trip taxi or rideshare to downtown Hartford runs about $95. So a round trip by car comes out ahead once you're away more than about 12 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 BDLparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at BDL
The Bradley Flyer buses and parking shuttles are wheelchair-accessible; contact operators for accessible taxi or van service.
Late or overnight arrival? Taxis and rideshare run 24/7 on demand; the Bradley Flyer bus ends around midnight and resumes about 4 a.m.
Returning a rental on the way out? On-airport rental counters with returns at the adjacent rental-car facility near the terminal. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Recently changed: Bradley Flyer schedule updated Aug 25, 2024; buses still board Terminal A lower level pending the Ground Transportation Center move. Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified BDL'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 HVN (New Haven), about 48 miles from BDL 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 BDL — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go BDL
BDL TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ BDL
How much is a taxi to or from BDL?
A metered taxi to downtown Hartford typically runs about $40–$55, before tolls and tip and more in heavy traffic. On-demand and prearranged taxis wait on Level 1 outside Arrivals and baggage-claim doors 2 and 3.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at BDL?
Uber and Lyft pick up at the marked Ride App Pick-up area outside door 2 on the Arrivals and baggage-claim level. All on the same Arrivals level: taxis at doors 2-3, rideshare specifically at door 2. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the BDL cell-phone lot?
Free Cell Phone Lot — On Light Lane, less than a 3-minute drive from Terminal A. It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is BDL from downtown Hartford?
BDL is about 13 miles from downtown Hartford — roughly 20–30 minutes by car depending on traffic, via I-91 (Exit 40) south to Hartford; CT Route 20 and Route 75 connect the airport to the interstate.
Is there a train from BDL to downtown Hartford?
Not directly. No rail serves Bradley itself; the CTtransit Route 30 Bradley Flyer bus connects the airport to Hartford's Union Station, where Amtrak and CTrail Hartford Line trains are available.