Getting around · Las Vegas
Getting to and from LAS: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Las Vegas airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a taxi runs about $35–$48 to The Las Vegas Strip, and Uber & Lyft pick up in a marked pickup zone. 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 LAS TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminals
- 2
- Checkpoints
- 4
- PreCheck
- Yes
- CLEAR
- Yes
- Global Entry
- On site
- Wait data
- Predicted
Taxis from LAS — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
~$35–$48
to The Las Vegas Strip
Drive time
10–20 min
4 mi to The Las Vegas Strip
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Expect about $35–$48 to The Las Vegas Strip on the meter, before tolls and tip — more in heavy traffic.
Terminal 1: ground level outside baggage claim, east side near doors 1-4; Terminal 3: Level Zero (ground) near door 52. Strip rides are flat by zone; Downtown/Fremont and off-Strip rides run on the meter (typically $35-$48). Same rates regardless of company.
The LAS cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at Cell Phone Lot. Free short-term waiting lot at 576 Kitty Hawk Way, minutes from the Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 passenger-pickup curbs; paved, lit and video-monitored (no restrooms). Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. Follow 'Cell Phone Lot' signs to Kitty Hawk Way; open 6 a.m.-1 a.m. daily (confirmed on harryreidairport.com). Wait in your vehicle until your party reaches the pickup curb (no posted minute limit, but short-term/no parking).
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare LASparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at LAS
Uber/Lyft pick up inside the parking garages: Terminal 1 on Level 2 of the garage (the new 'Fabulous Pickups' area), Terminal 3 on the Valet Level of the T3 garage. From baggage claim, take the elevator up and cross the pedestrian bridge to the garage. Rideshare pickup is up in the parking garage (across a pedestrian bridge), NOT at the ground-level curb where taxis and shuttles queue, a very common point of confusion at LAS.
Dropping off? Rideshare and private drop-off is at the regular upper departures/ticketing curbs at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. LAS has 2 terminals (1, 3), so confirm your airline's before your driver commits to a curb — find your terminal at LAS.
Driving to LAS — routes & drive time
LAS sits about 4 miles from The Las Vegas Strip, a drive of roughly 10–20 minutes via Paradise Rd / Swenson St or I-215 to I-15 and Las Vegas Blvd for the Strip; about 9 mi north to Downtown/Fremont Street via I-15 — 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 LAS by train or transit
No rail connects LAS. RTC public buses serve the airport, Route 109 (Maryland Pkwy) and the Westcliff Airport Express (WAX); Route 109 reaches the South Strip Transit Terminal for transfers toward the Strip and downtown. Buses are slow (~35-40 min) and not luggage-friendly.
Fare: RTC bus ~$4 (2-hour pass) / $8 24-hour pass; no train serves the airport.
Hotel and city shuttles to LAS
Shared-ride shuttle vans depart the ground-level transportation area for Strip hotels from roughly $19+ one-way; most resorts do not run their own airport 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 LAS?
Here's the math. Parking starts around $7/day, while a round-trip taxi or rideshare to The Las Vegas Strip runs about $83. So a round trip by car comes out ahead once you're away more than about 12 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 LASparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at LAS
Wheelchair-accessible taxis are available at the taxi stands on request; Uber/Lyft WAV and Assist options use the same garage pickup zones; both terminals have accessible curb cuts and elevators.
Late or overnight arrival? Taxis and rideshare operate 24/7; the Cell Phone Lot closes 1 a.m.-6 a.m.; RTC buses run limited overnight service.
Returning a rental on the way out? Return at the off-site McCarran Rent-A-Car Center on Gilespie St (about 3 mi south); free shuttles run from Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 every ~5 minutes. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Recently changed: Terminal 1's redesigned 'Fabulous Pickups' rideshare area (disco balls, neon selfie wall, extra seating) debuted Sept 12, 2025; Nevada Strip zone flat fares ($21.25/$25.25/$29.25 + $3 card fee) confirmed for 2026. Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified LAS's ground-transport details as of June 27, 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 PSP (Palm Springs), about 173 miles from LAS 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 LAS — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go LAS
LAS TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ LAS
How much is a taxi to or from LAS?
A metered taxi to The Las Vegas Strip typically runs about $35–$48, before tolls and tip and more in heavy traffic. Terminal 1: ground level outside baggage claim, east side near doors 1-4; Terminal 3: Level Zero (ground) near door 52.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at LAS?
Uber/Lyft pick up inside the parking garages: Terminal 1 on Level 2 of the garage (the new 'Fabulous Pickups' area), Terminal 3 on the Valet Level of the T3 garage. From baggage claim, take the elevator up and cross the pedestrian bridge to the garage. Rideshare pickup is up in the parking garage (across a pedestrian bridge), NOT at the ground-level curb where taxis and shuttles queue, a very common point of confusion at LAS. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the LAS cell-phone lot?
Cell Phone Lot — Free short-term waiting lot at 576 Kitty Hawk Way, minutes from the Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 passenger-pickup curbs; paved, lit and video-monitored (no restrooms). It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is LAS from The Las Vegas Strip?
LAS is about 4 miles from The Las Vegas Strip — roughly 10–20 minutes by car depending on traffic, via Paradise Rd / Swenson St or I-215 to I-15 and Las Vegas Blvd for the Strip; about 9 mi north to Downtown/Fremont Street via I-15.
Is there a train from LAS to The Las Vegas Strip?
Not directly. No rail connects LAS. RTC public buses serve the airport, Route 109 (Maryland Pkwy) and the Westcliff Airport Express (WAX); Route 109 reaches the South Strip Transit Terminal for transfers toward the Strip and downtown. Buses are slow (~35-40 min) and not luggage-friendly.