BDL to Downtown Hartford: Bus, Train, Taxi and Uber Options

For most solo travelers, the 30-Bradley Flyer bus is the easy pick. It runs direct to Hartford and the airport says the trip takes about 30 minutes.

A taxi or Uber may suit you better if you have bags or land late, when the bus runs about once an hour. Airport pages give 15 to 30 minutes by car to Hartford, depending on traffic, so allow extra time.

CTtransit's local fare is $1.75 for a 2-hour pass or $3.50 for an all-day pass (checked October 15, 2026). CTtransit lists no separate airport fare for the Bradley Flyer, so confirm on cttransit.com before you ride. The airport publishes no taxi or ride app fares: call the taxi line for a quote, and check your ride app.

CTtransit runs the 30-Bradley Flyer between the airport and Downtown Hartford. It is semi-express and stops at the Connecticut Convention Center and Union Station in Hartford.

• Board at Terminal A, baggage claim/arrivals level, door 6. The stop is on the outer curb.
• Trip time: about 30 minutes.
• Weekdays and Saturdays: about every 40 minutes.
• Early morning, late night and Sundays: about every hour.

CTtransit's timetable (effective August 25, 2024) shows the same first and last buses every day of the week:

• From Terminal A: first bus 4:33 a.m., last bus 12:10 a.m. The ride to Union Station takes 28 minutes on the timetable.
• From Union Station in Hartford: first bus 4 a.m., last bus 11:20 p.m.

The timetable also shows buses about every 40 minutes on Sundays, while the airport says about hourly. Check the CTtransit timetable before you go. CTtransit lists no separate airport fare for this route. Its local fare is $1.75 for a 2-hour pass or $3.50 for an all-day pass (checked October 15, 2026), so confirm with CTtransit that it applies before you ride.

Windsor Locks station is on the Hartford Line, which runs between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield, MA, with CTrail and Amtrak trains. From Sunday, October 18, 2026, the station is at 231 Main Street in Windsor Locks, with 160 parking spaces.

CTtransit Route 24 links Terminal A with Windsor Locks station. From October 18, 2026, the state says it runs daily, every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 40 minutes on weekends, and the ride to Terminal A takes about 12 minutes. Board at Terminal A, baggage claim/arrivals level, door 6, on the outer curb at the sign marked Local Buses/CTtransit. Route 24 uses CTtransit's local fare: $1.75 for a 2-hour pass or $3.50 for an all-day pass (checked October 15, 2026). Check the new timetable at cttransit.com.

From the Hartford Line you can connect in New Haven to the New Haven Line, Amtrak Acela and Northeast Regional, and Shore Line East. For Amtrak, call 1-800-872-7245. From Windsor Locks, the Hartford Line lists one-way fares of $4.00 to Hartford, $4.75 to Springfield and $11.50 to New Haven (fares effective July 1, 2026). Check train times at hartfordline.com, which also posts bus substitutions during track work.

Taxis wait outside the Arrivals/Baggage Claim level at Terminal A, between exit doors 2 and 3. An attendant helps match you with a cab.

You can also schedule a taxi ahead or ask about fares at (860) 627-3128. The airport publishes no taxi fare to Hartford, so ask when you call.

Uber and Lyft are the two ride apps authorized at BDL. Request your ride in the app.

The pickup spot is the curb marked Ride App Pick-up, outside door 2 on the Arrivals/Baggage Claim level. The airport says drivers wait near the terminal and can arrive in 3 to 5 minutes. Fares are set by the app, and the airport lists none, so check the quote before you confirm.

Limousine service must be arranged in advance. Your driver will typically meet you inside the terminal on arrival and walk you to the vehicle.

The airport lists authorized providers with phone numbers on its taxi and car service page. Examples include Bill's Limousine at (860) 426-1793 and Gateway Limousine at (203) 753-5466. The airport does not endorse any of them, and it lists no prices.

The airport is in Windsor Locks, CT, on Schoephoester Road. Its drive-time chart lists:

• Hartford, CT: 15 minutes
• Springfield, MA: 15 minutes
• New Haven, CT: 1 hour
• Stamford, CT: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Boston, MA: 2 hours

Other airport pages give 20 or 30 minutes for Hartford, so allow extra time. Driving from the south, take I-95 North to I-91 North to Exit 40. From the north, take I-91 South to Exit 40.

By road, without traffic, OpenStreetMap routing gives:

• Downtown Hartford (City Hall): about 15 miles (24 km), 22 minutes
• Hartford Union Station: about 14 miles (23 km), 22 minutes
• West Hartford Center (Town Hall): about 18 miles (29 km), 28 minutes
• Downtown Springfield, MA (City Hall): about 20 miles (32 km), 28 minutes

Rush hour adds time, so check a live traffic map before you go.

International flights that clear U.S. customs at the airport arrive at Terminal B. Flights from Dublin and Toronto arrive at Terminal A, where customs is already done.

From Terminal B, airport shuttles go to the parking facilities and to Terminal A. Courtesy phones in Terminal B connect you to other ground transportation services. To reach the CTtransit buses, the taxi stand or ride app pickup, go to Terminal A first. For shuttle questions, call the airport at (860) 292-2000.

All nine rental brands are in the Ground Transportation Center at 180 Schoephoester Road, Windsor Locks, CT 06096. It is reached by a sheltered walkway from Terminal A, with no shuttle. After baggage claim, follow Rental Car signs to level 2 and the connecting corridor at door 6.

From Terminal B, take the shuttle to Terminal A, then go to door 6 on level 2. Rental counters and phone numbers are on the airport's rental car page.

Waiting at the arrivals curb is not allowed. Your driver can use the free Cell Phone Waiting Lot on Light Lane, less than three minutes by car from Terminal A. Call them when your bags are in hand.

For Terminal B arrivals, the airport says to follow the overhead signs for Terminal B and park in Lot 2, across from the terminal.