Getting around · Billings
Getting to and from BIL: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Billings airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a metered taxi gets you to Downtown Billings, 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 BIL 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 BIL — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
Metered
to Downtown Billings
Drive time
5–10 min
2 mi to Downtown Billings
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Fares to Downtown Billings are on the meter, so the total depends on traffic and your exact address.
Taxis wait outside the terminal on the lower level; local operators include Billings Ride Co. and Red Lodge Tour and Taxi. Metered fares; a typical ride to downtown runs roughly $15 to $20.
The BIL cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at the cell-phone waiting lot. A designated Cell Phone Waiting Parking Lot sits east of the terminal off Airport Road; free, with a short drive to the terminal entrance. Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. Park free while waiting for your passenger to call, then make the short drive to the terminal curb for pickup.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare BILparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at BIL
Uber is available to and from the airport, picking up outside the terminal on the lower level. Rideshare pickups use the lower-level terminal curb; confirm the meeting point in the app on arrival.
Dropping off? Departing passengers use the terminal curbfront; the single compact terminal keeps drop-off and pickup close together. Billingshas a single terminal, so there's no wrong-curb risk — any door gets you to check-in and security.
Driving to BIL — routes & drive time
BIL sits about 2 miles from Downtown Billings, a drive of roughly 5–10 minutes via The airport sits on the rims just northwest of downtown; Airport Road and N 27th Street link the terminal to the city center about two miles away — 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 BIL by train or transit
No rail serves Billings; MET Transit Route 1 links downtown with the airport, stopping at revolving Door #1, weekdays only about every 30 minutes.
Fare: Adult one-way $1.75 (youth $1.50, senior/disabled $0.85); day pass $4.00.
Hotel and city shuttles to BIL
Many local hotels offer courtesy shuttles (contact the hotel); Cody Shuttle, Red Lodge Tour and Taxi, and Jefferson Lines serve outlying destinations. 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 BIL?
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 BILparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at BIL
Wheelchair assistance is available through the airlines; MET Route 1 buses are accessible with reduced senior and disabled fares.
Late or overnight arrival? No 24/7 transit; MET Route 1 runs weekdays only with the last airport bus around 6:35 p.m., so evening and late arrivals rely on taxi, Uber, or hotel shuttles.
Returning a rental on the way out? On-airport rental returns are managed by SP Plus at the terminal parking area. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified BIL'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 BZN (Bozeman), about 126 miles from BIL 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 BIL — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go BIL
BIL TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ BIL
How much is a taxi to or from BIL?
Taxis to Downtown Billings are metered, so the fare depends on traffic and the exact address. Taxis wait outside the terminal on the lower level; local operators include Billings Ride Co. and Red Lodge Tour and Taxi.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at BIL?
Uber is available to and from the airport, picking up outside the terminal on the lower level. Rideshare pickups use the lower-level terminal curb; confirm the meeting point in the app on arrival. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the BIL cell-phone lot?
A designated Cell Phone Waiting Parking Lot sits east of the terminal off Airport Road; free, with a short drive to the terminal entrance. It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is BIL from Downtown Billings?
BIL is about 2 miles from Downtown Billings — roughly 5–10 minutes by car depending on traffic, via The airport sits on the rims just northwest of downtown; Airport Road and N 27th Street link the terminal to the city center about two miles away.
Is there a train from BIL to Downtown Billings?
Not directly. No rail serves Billings; MET Transit Route 1 links downtown with the airport, stopping at revolving Door #1, weekdays only about every 30 minutes.