Getting around · Hilo
Getting to and from ITO: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Hilo airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a metered taxi gets you to Downtown Hilo, 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 ITO 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 ITO — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
Metered
to Downtown Hilo
Drive time
8–15 min
3 mi to Downtown Hilo
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Fares to Downtown Hilo are on the meter, so the total depends on traffic and your exact address.
Courtesy taxi phones are curbside at the arrivals area to summon a cab. A cab to downtown Hilo runs about $20 and takes 10-15 minutes.
The ITO cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at Cell Phone Waiting Lot. By the commuter terminal; open 5 a.m. to close of business daily. Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. Wait free in the lot and pull to the curb when your party is ready.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare ITOparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at ITO
Uber and Lyft pick up at the west end of the curbside near the helicopter tour area. Rideshare availability on the Big Island is thin; drop-off is easy but a pickup may take longer to match.
Dropping off? Drop off along the curbside at the arrivals area. Hilohas a single terminal, so there's no wrong-curb risk — any door gets you to check-in and security.
Driving to ITO — routes & drive time
ITO sits about 3 miles from Downtown Hilo, a drive of roughly 8–15 minutes via Kanoelehua Ave (Hwy 11) and Kekuanaoa St reach downtown Hilo in minutes — 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 ITO by train or transit
No rail serves Hilo. The county Hele-On Bus Route 101 (Keaukaha) runs to downtown Hilo for $2, stopping between the airport restaurant and the helicopter counter.
Fare: $2.00.
Hotel and city shuttles to ITO
Rental-car and hotel shuttles serve the terminal curb; confirm pickup with your provider. 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 ITO?
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 ITOparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at ITO
Hele-On buses are lift-equipped; request accessible taxis via the curbside phones.
Late or overnight arrival? The Hele-On bus and cell-phone lot run daytime hours only; taxis cover late arrivals.
Returning a rental on the way out? Return rental cars at the on-airport rental lots reached by courtesy shuttle. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified ITO'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 KOA (Kona), about 65 miles from ITO 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 ITO — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go ITO
ITO TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ ITO
How much is a taxi to or from ITO?
Taxis to Downtown Hilo are metered, so the fare depends on traffic and the exact address. Courtesy taxi phones are curbside at the arrivals area to summon a cab.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at ITO?
Uber and Lyft pick up at the west end of the curbside near the helicopter tour area. Rideshare availability on the Big Island is thin; drop-off is easy but a pickup may take longer to match. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the ITO cell-phone lot?
Cell Phone Waiting Lot — By the commuter terminal; open 5 a.m. to close of business daily. It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is ITO from Downtown Hilo?
ITO is about 3 miles from Downtown Hilo — roughly 8–15 minutes by car depending on traffic, via Kanoelehua Ave (Hwy 11) and Kekuanaoa St reach downtown Hilo in minutes.
Is there a train from ITO to Downtown Hilo?
Not directly. No rail serves Hilo. The county Hele-On Bus Route 101 (Keaukaha) runs to downtown Hilo for $2, stopping between the airport restaurant and the helicopter counter.