Getting around · Lihue
Getting to and from LIH: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Lihue airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a metered taxi gets you to Lihue, and Uber & Lyft pick up at holoholo. Picking someone up? Note that LIH 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 LIH TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminal
- 1
- Checkpoints
- 3
- PreCheck
- Yes
- CLEAR
- No
- Global Entry
- Off site
- Wait data
- Predicted
Taxis from LIH — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
Metered
to Lihue
Drive time
5–12 min
2 mi to Lihue
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Fares to Lihue are on the meter, so the total depends on traffic and your exact address.
Taxis wait outside the baggage-claim area; fares are county-regulated. County-regulated fares vary by destination; confirm the rate before you ride.
The LIH cell-phone waiting lot
LIH doesn't post a dedicated cell-phone waiting lot. There is no dedicated cell-phone lot; meet arriving passengers at the curb in front of the terminal.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 LIHparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at LIH
Rideshare pickups at LIH run through holoholo. Uber, Lyft and the local holoholo app pick up at the Transportation Network Company zones marked on the airport map. Rideshare supply varies with flight volume and time of day; a taxi or shuttle is a reliable backup.
Dropping off? Drop departing passengers at the terminal curb; the airport uses open-air terminals. Lihuehas a single terminal, so there's no wrong-curb risk — any door gets you to check-in and security.
Driving to LIH — routes & drive time
LIH sits about 2 miles from Lihue, a drive of roughly 5–12 minutes via Kapule Highway (Hwy 51) to Lihue; Kuhio Highway (Hwy 56) north toward Kapaʻa and Princeville — 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 LIH by train or transit
No rail serves Kauaʻi. Two Kauaʻi Bus routes stop at the airport daily, at the bus stop in the median in front of the terminal.
Fare: Adult fare is $2.00.
Hotel and city shuttles to LIH
SpeediShuttle, Anytime Island Express and Polynesian Adventure offer shared rides; the Kauaʻi Marriott shuttle picks up every 15 to 30 minutes at the group-tour area outside baggage claim. 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 LIH?
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 LIHparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at LIH
Several shuttle operators offer ADA-accessible vehicles on request, and Kauaʻi Bus vehicles are wheelchair accessible.
Late or overnight arrival? Taxis, rideshare and shuttles meet flights; the Kauaʻi Bus runs only limited daytime trips.
Returning a rental on the way out? Return rental cars at the counters in the baggage-claim area (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 LIH'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 HNL (Honolulu), about 102 miles from LIH 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 LIH — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go LIH
LIH TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ LIH
How much is a taxi to or from LIH?
Taxis to Lihue are metered, so the fare depends on traffic and the exact address. Taxis wait outside the baggage-claim area; fares are county-regulated.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at LIH?
Uber, Lyft and the local holoholo app pick up at the Transportation Network Company zones marked on the airport map. Rideshare supply varies with flight volume and time of day; a taxi or shuttle is a reliable backup. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the LIH cell-phone lot?
LIH doesn't have a posted cell-phone waiting lot. There is no dedicated cell-phone lot; meet arriving passengers at the curb in front of the terminal.
How far is LIH from Lihue?
LIH is about 2 miles from Lihue — roughly 5–12 minutes by car depending on traffic, via Kapule Highway (Hwy 51) to Lihue; Kuhio Highway (Hwy 56) north toward Kapaʻa and Princeville.
Is there a train from LIH to Lihue?
Not directly. No rail serves Kauaʻi. Two Kauaʻi Bus routes stop at the airport daily, at the bus stop in the median in front of the terminal.