Getting around · Kona
Getting to and from KOA: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Kona airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a metered taxi gets you to Kailua-Kona, and Uber & Lyft pick up at holoholo. 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 KOA TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminals
- 2
- Checkpoint
- 1
- PreCheck
- Yes
- CLEAR
- No
- Global Entry
- Off site
- Wait data
- Predicted
Taxis from KOA — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
Metered
to Kailua-Kona
Drive time
12–20 min
7 mi to Kailua-Kona
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Fares to Kailua-Kona are on the meter, so the total depends on traffic and your exact address.
Taxis wait outside the baggage-claim area; fares are metered. Fares vary by distance and time of day; confirm the rate before you ride.
The KOA cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at Cell Phone Lot. Free cell-phone waiting area for drivers picking up arriving passengers. Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. Wait in the lot until your passenger calls, then meet them at the curb.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare KOAparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at KOA
Rideshare pickups at KOA run through holoholo. Uber, Lyft and the local holoholo app pick up at the Transportation Network Company zones in the median between Terminals 1 and 2.
Dropping off? Drop departing passengers at the terminal curb; the airport uses open-air terminals. KOA has 2 terminals (1, 2), so confirm your airline's before your driver commits to a curb — find your terminal at KOA.
Driving to KOA — routes & drive time
KOA sits about 7 miles from Kailua-Kona, a drive of roughly 12–20 minutes via Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway (Hwy 19) south to Kailua-Kona; north to the Kohala Coast resorts — 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 KOA by train or transit
No rail serves the island. The county Hele-On bus stops at the airport only a couple of times a day on weekdays, next to the rideshare zone outside Terminals 1 and 2.
Fare: Single adult fare $2.00; children under 5 free.
Hotel and city shuttles to KOA
SpeediShuttle, Roberts Hawaiʻi Airport Express and other shared-ride vans serve the resorts; many Kohala Coast hotels offer complimentary 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 KOA?
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 KOAparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at KOA
Accessible vans are available from several shuttle operators on request.
Late or overnight arrival? Taxis, rideshare and shuttles meet flights; the Hele-On bus runs only limited daytime trips.
Returning a rental on the way out? Return rental cars at the counters across from the terminal building (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National). (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified KOA'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 ITO (Hilo), about 65 miles from KOA 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 KOA — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go KOA
KOA TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ KOA
How much is a taxi to or from KOA?
Taxis to Kailua-Kona are metered, so the fare depends on traffic and the exact address. Taxis wait outside the baggage-claim area; fares are metered.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at KOA?
Uber, Lyft and the local holoholo app pick up at the Transportation Network Company zones in the median between Terminals 1 and 2. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the KOA cell-phone lot?
Cell Phone Lot — Free cell-phone waiting area for drivers picking up arriving passengers. It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is KOA from Kailua-Kona?
KOA is about 7 miles from Kailua-Kona — roughly 12–20 minutes by car depending on traffic, via Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway (Hwy 19) south to Kailua-Kona; north to the Kohala Coast resorts.
Is there a train from KOA to Kailua-Kona?
Not directly. No rail serves the island. The county Hele-On bus stops at the airport only a couple of times a day on weekdays, next to the rideshare zone outside Terminals 1 and 2.