Getting around · West Palm Beach
Getting to and from PBI: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to West Palm Beach airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a metered taxi gets you to Downtown West Palm Beach, and Uber & Lyft pick up in a marked pickup zone. Picking someone up? Note that PBI 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 PBI TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminal
- 1
- Checkpoints
- 2
- PreCheck
- Yes
- CLEAR
- Yes
- Global Entry
- Off site
- Wait data
- Predicted
Taxis from PBI — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
Metered
to Downtown West Palm Beach
Drive time
10–15 min
3 mi to Downtown West Palm Beach
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Fares to Downtown West Palm Beach are on the meter, so the total depends on traffic and your exact address.
Taxis are arranged at the ground transportation desk at the west end of baggage claim on Level One (Metro Taxi 561-444-9999). Metered taxi service arranged at the Level One ground transportation desk; downtown West Palm Beach is only about 3 miles away.
The PBI cell-phone waiting lot
PBI doesn't post a dedicated cell-phone waiting lot. Meet arriving passengers curbside on Level One (baggage claim); short-term parking is available if you arrive before your passenger.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 PBIparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at PBI
Uber and Lyft pick up on the outer curb of Level Three (Departures). Rideshare pickup is up on Level Three Departures, not at the Level One baggage-claim curb where taxis and shuttles wait.
Dropping off? Drop off departing passengers on the Level Three Departures curb. West Palm Beachhas a single terminal, so there's no wrong-curb risk — any door gets you to check-in and security.
Driving to PBI — routes & drive time
PBI sits about 3 miles from Downtown West Palm Beach, a drive of roughly 10–15 minutes via Belvedere Road and Australian Avenue connect the airport to I-95 and downtown West Palm Beach, less than 3 miles away — 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 PBI by train or transit
Palm Tran public buses serve PBI and connect toward downtown West Palm Beach; the Tri-Rail commuter train and Amtrak are reachable via a connecting bus or shuttle to the nearby West Palm Beach stations.
Hotel and city shuttles to PBI
Hotel courtesy shuttles and shared-ride vans serve the Level One ground transportation area. 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 PBI?
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 PBIparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at PBI
Accessible taxis and vehicles can be requested; Palm Tran buses are wheelchair accessible.
Late or overnight arrival? Taxis and rideshare operate around the clock; Palm Tran bus service is limited late at night.
Returning a rental on the way out? On-airport rental car facility; follow Rental Car Return signs from the terminal. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified PBI'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 FLL (Fort Lauderdale), about 42 miles from PBI 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 PBI — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go PBI
PBI TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ PBI
How much is a taxi to or from PBI?
Taxis to Downtown West Palm Beach are metered, so the fare depends on traffic and the exact address. Taxis are arranged at the ground transportation desk at the west end of baggage claim on Level One (Metro Taxi 561-444-9999).
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at PBI?
Uber and Lyft pick up on the outer curb of Level Three (Departures). Rideshare pickup is up on Level Three Departures, not at the Level One baggage-claim curb where taxis and shuttles wait. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the PBI cell-phone lot?
PBI doesn't have a posted cell-phone waiting lot. Meet arriving passengers curbside on Level One (baggage claim); short-term parking is available if you arrive before your passenger.
How far is PBI from Downtown West Palm Beach?
PBI is about 3 miles from Downtown West Palm Beach — roughly 10–15 minutes by car depending on traffic, via Belvedere Road and Australian Avenue connect the airport to I-95 and downtown West Palm Beach, less than 3 miles away.
Is there a train from PBI to Downtown West Palm Beach?
Not directly. Palm Tran public buses serve PBI and connect toward downtown West Palm Beach; the Tri-Rail commuter train and Amtrak are reachable via a connecting bus or shuttle to the nearby West Palm Beach stations.