Getting around · New Haven
Getting to and from HVN: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to New Haven airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a taxi runs about $30–$40 to Downtown New Haven, and Uber & Lyft pick up in a marked pickup zone. Picking someone up? Note that HVN has no posted cell-phone waiting lot, so plan your loop to the curb. 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 HVN 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 HVN — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
~$30–$40
to Downtown New Haven
Drive time
10–18 min
5 mi to Downtown New Haven
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Expect about $30–$40 to Downtown New Haven on the meter, before tolls and tip — more in heavy traffic.
M7 Ride cabs stage at the Arrivals curb ahead of each landing. Expect about $35 to downtown; M7 Ride (203-777-7777) adds a $3.75 airport pickup/drop-off fee.
The HVN cell-phone waiting lot
HVN doesn't post a dedicated cell-phone waiting lot. There is no dedicated cell-phone lot; meet arrivals curbside on the compact terminal frontage or use short-term parking.The safest move is to wait off-site and time your loop to the curb so you're not circling.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare HVNparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at HVN
Uber and Lyft are authorized at HVN and pick up at the terminal curb.
Dropping off? Drop off at the terminal curb; parking is limited so plan ahead. New Havenhas a single terminal, so there's no wrong-curb risk — any door gets you to check-in and security.
Driving to HVN — routes & drive time
HVN sits about 5 miles from Downtown New Haven, a drive of roughly 10–18 minutes via I-95 links the East Haven airport with downtown New Haven — 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 HVN by train or transit
No rail serves the airport itself. CT Transit Route 206 offers same-day service to downtown (call 203-624-0151), and Union Station's Amtrak and Metro-North trains are a short cab ride away.
Hotel and city shuttles to HVN
Parking shuttles serve Lot C; private car services such as Absolute Limousine and Teddy's Limo also operate. 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 HVN?
Here's the math. Parking starts around $10/day, while a round-trip taxi or rideshare to Downtown New Haven runs about $70. So a round trip by car comes out ahead once you're away more than about 7 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 HVNparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at HVN
Parking shuttles between the Park & Walk and Economy lots are wheelchair-lift equipped.
Late or overnight arrival? Route 206 runs limited hours (roughly 6:30am-9:30pm), so taxis and rideshare cover late arrivals.
Returning a rental on the way out? Return rental cars to Avis or Budget at their on-airport spaces. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Recently changed: Uber was added as an authorized rideshare provider at HVN, joining Lyft. Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified HVN'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 ISP (Long Island), about 34 miles from HVN 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 HVN — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go HVN
HVN TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ HVN
How much is a taxi to or from HVN?
A metered taxi to Downtown New Haven typically runs about $30–$40, before tolls and tip and more in heavy traffic. M7 Ride cabs stage at the Arrivals curb ahead of each landing.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at HVN?
Uber and Lyft are authorized at HVN and pick up at the terminal curb. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the HVN cell-phone lot?
HVN doesn't have a posted cell-phone waiting lot. There is no dedicated cell-phone lot; meet arrivals curbside on the compact terminal frontage or use short-term parking.
How far is HVN from Downtown New Haven?
HVN is about 5 miles from Downtown New Haven — roughly 10–18 minutes by car depending on traffic, via I-95 links the East Haven airport with downtown New Haven.
Is there a train from HVN to Downtown New Haven?
Not directly. No rail serves the airport itself. CT Transit Route 206 offers same-day service to downtown (call 203-624-0151), and Union Station's Amtrak and Metro-North trains are a short cab ride away.