Rideshare & Ground Transport

Uber & Lyft Pickup at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Rideshare pickup at DTW is not always at the arrivals curb — most airports now route Uber and Lyft to a dedicated lot or garage. Here is exactly where to go, how to get there, and how to keep the fare reasonable.

Diagram of an airport rideshare pickup lot with numbered stalls and the walking path from arrivals. — Most airports route Uber and Lyft to a dedicated pickup lot or garage rather than the arrivals curb.

Where to get picked up at DTW

UUber Pickup Zone

McNamara Terminal: Ground Level Arrivals, Zone B — outside Doors B8–B12. North Terminal: Arrivals curb, designated TNC zone outside baggage claim.

LLyft Pickup Zone

Same zones as Uber — McNamara Terminal Zone B (Doors B8–B12); North Terminal Arrivals curbside TNC zone.

Diagram showing the upper departures curb and the lower arrivals level where rides wait. — Pickup and drop-off often sit on different curb levels — arrivals below, departures above — so follow signs to the right level.

In the app

Select 'DTW McNamara Terminal' or 'DTW North Terminal' in the app matching your arrival terminal.

How to find the rideshare zone

McNamara Terminal: from baggage claim exit via lower level doors and follow 'Rideshare / TNC' signs along the curb to Zone B (Doors B8–B12). North Terminal: exit arrivals and look for TNC signs at the ground-level curb.

Cell Phone Lot

The DTW Cell Phone Lot is on Goddard Rd off I-94 Service Drive — follow signs from the airport approach; 4–6 min from either terminal. Cell phone lot details →

Avoiding surge pricing at DTW

When surge peaks: Surge peaks Friday 4–8pm, Sunday 4–8pm, and during Detroit Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, and Pistons home game nights; auto show week (NAIAS, January) also drives surges.

Wait tip

McNamara Terminal is over 1 mile long — walk to Zone B doors (B8–B12) before requesting; drivers may time out if they arrive while you are still deep in the terminal.

Compare your options

Rideshare is usually the fastest door-to-door option, but it is not always the cheapest — especially during surge.

Option	Best for	Watch out for
Rideshare Uber / Lyft	Door-to-door convenience, groups with bags, no cash needed	Surge pricing on busy evenings & events; long walk to pickup lot
Taxi Metered cab	Predictable metered fare during surge, no app required	Often more expensive off-peak; cash sometimes required
Transit Train / bus	Lowest cost option, immune to surge pricing and traffic	Not available at every airport; less practical with luggage

For full ground-transport options at DTW including rental cars and public transit, see the DTW Getting Around guide.

Know exactly when to leave for DTW

Add your rideshare pickup time to the Leave-By calculator — it factors in current TSA wait times, so you hit the zone with time to spare.

Calculate leave-by time →