Getting around · Cedar Rapids
Getting to and from CID: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Cedar Rapids airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a metered taxi gets you to Downtown Cedar Rapids, and Uber & Lyft pick up in a marked pickup zone. Picking someone up instead? Wait free at the Cell Phone Waiting 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 CID 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 CID — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
Metered
to Downtown Cedar Rapids
Drive time
15–20 min
9 mi to Downtown Cedar Rapids
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Fares to Downtown Cedar Rapids are on the meter, so the total depends on traffic and your exact address.
Designated taxi pickup area just outside the baggage claim exit. The airport publishes no meter rate; local cab companies include Yellow Cab (319-365-1444), American Class Taxi (319-363-8294), and Atlas Taxi (319-241-8294).
The CID cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at Cell Phone Waiting Lot. Near the Airport Administration building, before the terminal on the airport entrance road. Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. Free lot for meeting arriving passengers; stay with your vehicle, then pull to the curb once your party is at baggage claim.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare CIDparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at CID
Uber and Lyft use designated pickup and drop-off areas at the curb outside the terminal. Follow rideshare signage to the curbside pickup zone rather than the taxi stand outside baggage claim.
Dropping off? Drop departing passengers at the curb in front of the terminal; do not leave vehicles unattended. Cedar Rapidshas a single terminal, so there's no wrong-curb risk — any door gets you to check-in and security.
Driving to CID — routes & drive time
CID sits about 9 miles from Downtown Cedar Rapids, a drive of roughly 15–20 minutes via Wright Brothers Blvd SW to I-380 north into Cedar Rapids — 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 CID by train or transit
Route 11 links the airport with downtown Cedar Rapids, with no Sunday service; ask at the terminal information desk for the stop.
Fare: $1.00 cash adult one-way; the farebox takes coins and $1/$2/$5 bills with no change given.
Hotel and city shuttles to CID
Private shuttles serve CID, including Airport Express (319-626-5466) and ACS Airport Shuttle Service (319-382-5839); some hotels run their own shuttles. 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 CID?
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 CIDparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at CID
Accessible parking is available in the short-term lot near the entrance, and the terminal is single-level and step-free.
Late or overnight arrival? Route 11 does not run late nights or Sundays; use rideshare, taxi, or a pre-booked shuttle outside bus hours.
Returning a rental on the way out? Return to the marked rental car area in the airport parking lot near the terminal; counters are inside the terminal. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Recently changed: Cedar Rapids Transit reduced its cash fare to $1.00 effective September 26, 2022. Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified CID'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 DSM (Des Moines), about 104 miles from CID 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 CID — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go CID
CID TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ CID
How much is a taxi to or from CID?
Taxis to Downtown Cedar Rapids are metered, so the fare depends on traffic and the exact address. Designated taxi pickup area just outside the baggage claim exit.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at CID?
Uber and Lyft use designated pickup and drop-off areas at the curb outside the terminal. Follow rideshare signage to the curbside pickup zone rather than the taxi stand outside baggage claim. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the CID cell-phone lot?
Cell Phone Waiting Lot — Near the Airport Administration building, before the terminal on the airport entrance road. It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is CID from Downtown Cedar Rapids?
CID is about 9 miles from Downtown Cedar Rapids — roughly 15–20 minutes by car depending on traffic, via Wright Brothers Blvd SW to I-380 north into Cedar Rapids.
Is there a train from CID to Downtown Cedar Rapids?
Not directly. Route 11 links the airport with downtown Cedar Rapids, with no Sunday service; ask at the terminal information desk for the stop.