MSP to Downtown Minneapolis: Train, Taxi and Rideshare

Trains stop at both terminals. MSP's own pages give three versions of the schedule: every 15 to 20 minutes from about 5 a.m. to midnight (rail page), every 15 to 30 minutes from about 3:30 a.m., with trains every 15 minutes at peak times (Between the Terminals page), and about every 10 minutes at peak times and 10 to 15 minutes otherwise (airlines page). Check the schedule at metrotransit.org for your stop.

From the airport, MSP gives about 12 minutes to Mall of America and about 25 minutes to the Warehouse District in downtown Minneapolis. Going north from Terminal 1, the stops are Fort Snelling, VA Medical Center, 50th St/Minnehaha Park, 46th St, 38th St, Lake St/Midtown, Franklin Ave, Cedar-Riverside, U.S. Bank Stadium, Government Plaza, Nicollet Mall, Warehouse District/Hennepin Ave and Target Field (Metro Transit stop list, checked October 10, 2026).

Buy tickets at machines in the stations or in the Metro Transit app. Children 5 and under ride free (limit 3) with a paid fare.

Fare (Metro Transit, checked October 10, 2026): $2 for an adult on METRO and Local Bus service at all times, and $1 reduced fare for youth ages 6 to 12, seniors 65 and over and Medicare card holders. Metro Transit lists no airport-specific fare. No ticket is needed between the two terminals.

Terminal 1: from the Tram Level, one level below baggage claim, take the tram to the Red, Blue and Silver parking ramps. The METRO Blue Line station is below those ramps. Follow the signs.

Terminal 2: from Level 1 near Ticketing, take the elevator or escalator up to the Orange Ramp skyway. Follow the signs to the station, then go down one level to the platform.

Both stations are fully accessible.

Terminal 1: go to the Tram Level (Level T), then follow signs one level up to the taxi starter booth. Terminal 2: the Ground Transportation Center, on the ground level of the Purple Ramp across from the terminal. Staff help you get a taxi from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. Outside those hours, taxis are self-service.

Fares MSP publishes (checked October 9, 2026, and subject to change):

• Downtown Minneapolis, about 12 miles: fares average $39 to $49.
• Downtown St. Paul, about 8 miles: fares average $31 to $38.
• The meter starts at $6.50, which includes a $2.50 flag drop and a $4.00 airport access fee.
• A $23.50 zone fare covers rides between airport locations and between MSP and Mall of America. MSP's list of zone locations also includes the area within Highway 77, Highway 62, Highway 5 and the I-494 loop.
• Other destinations are charged by meter.

Terminal 1: your ride picks you up in the Ground Transportation Center on Level 1 of the Green and Gold parking ramps.

Terminal 2: pickup is on the second level of the Purple Ramp.

MSP does not publish rideshare prices. Check the fare in your app before you request. Wait on the sidewalk until the car stops, check the license plate, and have the driver say your name before you get in.

Terminal 2 is part of a roadway project running 2026 to 2027 that moves the rideshare zone to the second level of the Purple Ramp. Follow the airport signs, which may change.

Metro Transit Route 54 stops at the Transit Center on Level 1 of the Silver Ramp at Terminal 1. Its stops run from Mall of America and American Blvd Station through MSP Airport Terminal 1, then along W 7th St to Union Depot in downtown St. Paul and on to Maplewood Mall Transit Center (Metro Transit stop list, checked October 10, 2026). It is the bus for St. Paul, not for downtown Minneapolis, where the Blue Line is the direct choice. There is no Metro Transit pickup at Terminal 2, so take the Blue Line to Terminal 1 first. The ride between terminals is free. Local Bus fare is $2 for adults. For route times, call 612-373-3333 or check metrotransit.org.

• MVTA Route 436 runs hourly, 46th St. Station to MSP to Viking Lakes in Eagan. Route 495 runs every two hours from Shakopee through Burnsville and Mall of America. Both use the Terminal 1 Transit Center. Call 952-882-7500.
• SouthWest Transit runs 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., local 686L (17 stops along the I-494 corridor) and express 686X (one stop at Mall of America), from Terminal 1 (Transit Center, Level 1 of the Silver Ramp) and Terminal 2 (Ground Transportation Center, Level 1 of the Purple Ramp). Call 952-949-2287.
• Jefferson Lines serves 14 Midwest states from the Terminal 1 Transit Center.

Ticket counters for scheduled van and limousine service are in the Ground Transportation Center on Level 1 of the Green and Gold ramps. MSP recommends booking out-of-town trips ahead and contacting each company for prices and routes.

• Groome Transportation serves St. Cloud (320-316-0943), Duluth (218-724-4676), Eau Claire (715-830-9400), La Crosse and Rochester (507-280-9270).
• Landline serves Duluth, and appears when you book a Sun Country flight (1-888-428-1149).
• Land to Air Express serves Mankato and St. Peter (651-224-5095).
• Northfield Lines serves Northfield, St. Olaf and Carleton (651-203-8888).
• Rochester Shuttle Service serves Rochester and the Mayo Clinic (507-216-6354).

Downtown Minneapolis: about 25 minutes by train to the Warehouse District, and about 12 miles by road, according to MSP's taxi page.

Mall of America: about 12 minutes by train.

Downtown St. Paul: about 8 miles by taxi, according to MSP.

MSP does not publish trip times by car to other neighborhoods. Check your rideshare app or a maps app for a live estimate before you leave.

Travel between the terminals is free and available 24 hours a day: by Blue Line train most of the day, and by the Metro Blue Line airport shuttle from 11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. A free shuttle van with a wheelchair lift runs about every 20 minutes from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for travelers with mobility needs. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., call MSP dispatch for on-demand service. MSP's pages give two Terminal 1 stops for this shuttle (Level 1 of the Brown Ramp, or the east roadway curb at Level 1 of the Gold Ramp) and two night numbers (612-794-4147 and 612-725-4681). Follow the signs or call.