Getting around · Raleigh–Durham
Getting to and from RDU: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Raleigh–Durham airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a taxi runs about $30–$40 to Downtown Raleigh, and Uber & Lyft pick up in a marked pickup zone. Picking someone up instead? Wait free at the Cell Phone Lot (Cell 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 RDU TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminals
- 2
- Checkpoints
- 2
- PreCheck
- Yes
- CLEAR
- Yes
- Global Entry
- On site
- Wait data
- Predicted
Taxis from RDU — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
~$30–$40
to Downtown Raleigh
Drive time
20–35 min
14 mi to Downtown Raleigh
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Expect about $30–$40 to Downtown Raleigh on the meter, before tolls and tip — more in heavy traffic.
Walk-up taxis in the marked Taxi zones at both terminals: Terminal 1 outside baggage claim at the north end; Terminal 2 on the lower level outside the north end. Dispatch via Taxi Taxi at (919) 333-3333. RDU has no single airport-published flat fare; metered/quoted fares to downtown Raleigh typically run about $30-40, and various private cab companies advertise their own flat rates - confirm the price before riding.
The RDU cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at Cell Phone Lot (Cell Lot). 1000 Trade Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560, in the rental-car area about a 3-minute drive from the terminals. Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. Follow signs toward the rental-car area / Trade Drive; wait in the lot and stay with your vehicle until your passenger is ready at the curb, then drive to the terminal.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare RDUparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at RDU
Uber/Lyft (and Wingz) pick up at the prearranged-services area outside baggage claim: Zone 1 at Terminal 1 and Zone 8 at Terminal 2; match your zone in the app. Drivers waiting for a request must use the Cell Phone Lot at 1000 Trade Drive; the rideshare pickup itself happens curbside at the Zone 1 (T1) / Zone 8 (T2) prearranged-services area, not at the cell lot.
Dropping off? Departures drop-off is on the upper level at each terminal; no curb fee, but no waiting at the curb. RDU has 2 terminals (1, 2), so confirm your airline's before your driver commits to a curb — find your terminal at RDU.
Driving to RDU — routes & drive time
RDU sits about 14 miles from Downtown Raleigh, a drive of roughly 20–35 minutes via I-40 to I-440 (or US-70) for downtown Raleigh; I-40 West toward Durham (downtown Durham ~12 miles) — 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 RDU by train or transit
RDU has no rail link. Public transit is GoTriangle bus ($2.25 one-way): the RDU Shuttle runs the Regional Transit Center to RDU roughly every 30 minutes before about 7 p.m. on weekdays, and Route 100 runs directly between downtown Raleigh and RDU evenings and weekends; at the RTC you connect to other GoTriangle/GoRaleigh routes into downtown. Service runs only about 6:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. with reduced weekend hours.
Fare: GoTriangle Route 100 / RDU Shuttle costs $2.25 one-way to the Regional Transit Center, where you transfer (free transfer card on request) to buses toward downtown Raleigh or Durham.
Hotel and city shuttles to RDU
Hotel courtesy shuttles board at the Ground Transportation areas; the GoTriangle RDU Shuttle / Route 100 is the public bus connection to the Regional Transit Center. 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 RDU?
Here's the math. Parking starts around $7/day, while a round-trip taxi or rideshare to Downtown Raleigh runs about $70. So a round trip by car comes out ahead once you're away more than about 10 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 RDUparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at RDU
Wheelchair-accessible taxis can be requested through the airport taxi dispatch; rideshare WAV may be requested in-app and is picked up at the Zone 1/Zone 8 prearranged area; curb zones and shuttles are ADA-accessible.
Late or overnight arrival? The GoTriangle bus stops running around 10:30 p.m., so for late arrivals the options are 24/7 taxis and Uber/Lyft from the prearranged-services curb, plus pre-booked hotel and car-service shuttles.
Returning a rental on the way out? Return at the on-airport rental-car area southwest of the terminals (follow 'Rental Car Return' signs) - the same lot where you picked up; complimentary shuttles run back to the terminals, with a secure after-hours key drop. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Recently changed: GoTriangle split its RDU service into the RTC-based RDU Shuttle (daytime) and Route 100 (evenings/weekends, direct to downtown Raleigh); the one-way fare is $2.25, and RDU is planning a future consolidated rental-car/ground-transportation facility - confirm current bus stops and rental-car location near departure. Verified as of 2026-06-27. Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified RDU'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 GSO (Greensboro), about 66 miles from RDU 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 RDU — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go RDU
RDU TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ RDU
How much is a taxi to or from RDU?
A metered taxi to Downtown Raleigh typically runs about $30–$40, before tolls and tip and more in heavy traffic. Walk-up taxis in the marked Taxi zones at both terminals: Terminal 1 outside baggage claim at the north end; Terminal 2 on the lower level outside the north end. Dispatch via Taxi Taxi at (919) 333-3333.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at RDU?
Uber/Lyft (and Wingz) pick up at the prearranged-services area outside baggage claim: Zone 1 at Terminal 1 and Zone 8 at Terminal 2; match your zone in the app. Drivers waiting for a request must use the Cell Phone Lot at 1000 Trade Drive; the rideshare pickup itself happens curbside at the Zone 1 (T1) / Zone 8 (T2) prearranged-services area, not at the cell lot. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the RDU cell-phone lot?
Cell Phone Lot (Cell Lot) — 1000 Trade Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560, in the rental-car area about a 3-minute drive from the terminals. It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is RDU from Downtown Raleigh?
RDU is about 14 miles from Downtown Raleigh — roughly 20–35 minutes by car depending on traffic, via I-40 to I-440 (or US-70) for downtown Raleigh; I-40 West toward Durham (downtown Durham ~12 miles).
Is there a train from RDU to Downtown Raleigh?
Not directly. RDU has no rail link. Public transit is GoTriangle bus ($2.25 one-way): the RDU Shuttle runs the Regional Transit Center to RDU roughly every 30 minutes before about 7 p.m. on weekdays, and Route 100 runs directly between downtown Raleigh and RDU evenings and weekends; at the RTC you connect to other GoTriangle/GoRaleigh routes into downtown. Service runs only about 6:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. with reduced weekend hours.