Getting around · Chattanooga
Getting to and from CHA: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Chattanooga airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a metered taxi gets you to Downtown Chattanooga, 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 CHA TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminal
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- Checkpoint
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- PreCheck
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- CLEAR
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- Global Entry
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- Wait data
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Taxis from CHA — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
Metered
to Downtown Chattanooga
Drive time
12–20 min
7 mi to Downtown Chattanooga
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Fares to Downtown Chattanooga are on the meter, so the total depends on traffic and your exact address.
Curbside at the terminal; call companies directly, as there is no formal staffed stand. Airport-listed cab companies include Ave Taxi (423-531-7000), Mercury Cab (423-624-1084), and Nooga Taxi (423-458-2701); arrange by phone, as the airport does not publish fares.
The CHA cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at the cell-phone waiting lot. Free cell phone waiting lot on airport property off Airport Road; wait here rather than circling the terminal. Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. Follow Airport Road toward the terminal and watch for the cell phone lot signage before the terminal loop.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare CHAparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at CHA
Uber and Lyft meet arriving riders curbside at baggage claim, and departing riders are dropped at the terminal front. Uber does not offer a taxi option here; use UberX or standard Lyft rides.
Dropping off? Drop departing passengers at the terminal curb; the adjacent hourly lot is free for the first 15 minutes for longer waits. Chattanoogahas a single terminal, so there's no wrong-curb risk — any door gets you to check-in and security.
Driving to CHA — routes & drive time
CHA sits about 7 miles from Downtown Chattanooga, a drive of roughly 12–20 minutes via Airport Road to TN-153, then I-24 west or Brainerd Road into downtown — 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 CHA by train or transit
CARTA Route 19 links the airport with downtown, running roughly every 30 minutes from about 6am to 5:30pm on weekdays.
Fare: Standard fixed-route fare is $1.50 one-way (exact change); a 24-hour pass is $6 from the driver.
Hotel and city shuttles to CHA
A free airport shuttle connects the economy lot to the terminal about every 15 minutes; hotel shuttles are arranged directly with each hotel. 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 CHA?
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 CHAparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at CHA
CARTA offers accessible fixed-route buses and paratransit dial-a-ride; the terminal is a single compact building with close accessible parking.
Late or overnight arrival? CARTA buses run only weekday daytime hours, so late-night arrivals should plan on rideshare, taxi, or a pre-arranged car.
Returning a rental on the way out? Return rentals to the on-airport rental facility at the terminal (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Thrifty). (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Recently changed: As of 2026 one long-term lot is closed for construction of a new parking garage; the CARTA base fare rose to $1.50 in April 2025. Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified CHA'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 TYS (Knoxville), about 87 miles from CHA 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 CHA — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go CHA
CHA TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ CHA
How much is a taxi to or from CHA?
Taxis to Downtown Chattanooga are metered, so the fare depends on traffic and the exact address. Curbside at the terminal; call companies directly, as there is no formal staffed stand.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at CHA?
Uber and Lyft meet arriving riders curbside at baggage claim, and departing riders are dropped at the terminal front. Uber does not offer a taxi option here; use UberX or standard Lyft rides. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the CHA cell-phone lot?
Free cell phone waiting lot on airport property off Airport Road; wait here rather than circling the terminal. It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is CHA from Downtown Chattanooga?
CHA is about 7 miles from Downtown Chattanooga — roughly 12–20 minutes by car depending on traffic, via Airport Road to TN-153, then I-24 west or Brainerd Road into downtown.
Is there a train from CHA to Downtown Chattanooga?
Not directly. CARTA Route 19 links the airport with downtown, running roughly every 30 minutes from about 6am to 5:30pm on weekdays.