PHX to Downtown Phoenix: Sky Train, Light Rail, Taxi, Uber

Downtown Phoenix is about 7 miles from the airport by road, roughly a 16 minute drive with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing from Terminal 4 to Phoenix City Hall). Real trips take longer at rush hour.

Your options, from cheapest to most direct:

• Light rail: ride the free PHX Sky Train to the 44th Street station, then Valley Metro Rail to Downtown, Tempe or Mesa.
• Taxi: a $20 flat rate applies to a set part of Downtown.
• Rideshare: Uber, Lyft, Wridz, Waymo and HUM pick up at the terminal curbs.
• Pre-arranged car or shuttle: book ahead for a set price.

Prices change, so check the official pages linked below.

The PHX Sky Train is free and runs 24 hours a day. It links Terminal 3, Terminal 4, the 24th Street station, the Rental Car Center and the 44th Street station, where you change to Valley Metro Rail at 44th and Washington streets. Valley Metro Rail goes to Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa.

• From Terminal 3: the station is on Level 5. Take the escalators in Ticketing up to Level 4, enter the station, then go up to Level 5.
• From Terminal 4: the station is on Level 3.
• At 44th Street, buy Valley Metro Rail tickets from the machines on Level 2.
• Sky Train waits: about 3.5 to 7 minutes from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. From 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., waits can reach 15 minutes or more.
• Overnight, PHX says buses leave from the south side of the 44th Street station from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. to Terminal 3 and Terminal 4, but another line on the same page says they are for employees. Do not count on them; the Sky Train keeps running.

Fare: ASU's State Press reported in August 2025 that a light rail ride costs $2 at full fare, with fare caps of $4 per day, $20 per week and $64 per calendar month for full-fare riders on local buses and light rail. Fares can change, so confirm on valleymetro.org or at 602-253-5000.

Frequency: the City of Phoenix said in June 2025 that weekday trains arrive every 12 minutes until 7 p.m. Valley Metro publishes the first and last train, which vary by station and day, so check the trip planner before a late arrival or an early flight.

Two local routes connect with the airport, and both are wheelchair accessible:

• Route 13 stops at the 24th Street PHX Sky Train station, on the northwest curb near Passenger Pick-Up #9.
• Route 44 connects at the 44th Street PHX Sky Train station.

After you land, take the Sky Train to the station you need. Local buses fall under the same fare caps as light rail (see above), and Valley Metro sets fares and times. Call 602-253-5000 or use its trip planner.

Taxi stands:

• Terminal 3: north curb, outside door 7.
• Terminal 4: Level 1, north curb outside door 7, or south curb outside door 4.

Rates are the same for every company, passenger count and bag count: the first mile is $7, each extra mile is $2.60, a traffic delay is $36 per hour, and the minimum fare is $18. A $20 flat rate applies from the airport to Downtown Phoenix inside these borders: Roosevelt Street to the north, Lincoln Street to the south, Seventh Avenue to the west and Seventh Street to the east. All major credit cards are accepted, and wheelchair accessible taxis are available on request.

Companies listed by PHX: Apache Taxi 480-804-1000, Mayflower Cab 602-955-1355 and VIP Taxi 602-300-3000. Rates were checked on October 9, 2026 and can change.

PHX lists Uber, Lyft, Wridz, Waymo and HUM, available 24 hours a day for most providers. Request your ride once you have your bags and are ready to leave.

Pickup spots:

• Terminal 3: the entire south outer curb except the far east end, plus the far east end of the north outer curb.
• Terminal 4: Level 1, north outer curb, far west end outside door 1. Also Level 1 south outer curb, east end outside door 6 or door 8, and west end door 2.
• 24th Street station: south curb.
• 44th Street station: north curb.

Waymo's driverless service picks up and drops off at the same terminal rideshare spots 24 hours a day, and also at the 24th Street (south curb) and 44th Street (north curb) stations. PHX does not publish rideshare fares. Check the app. Car seats are your responsibility, so ask the provider if it can supply one.

PHX lists many permitted car services. For example, Onyx Express is listed for pre-arranged pickups at 480-837-8577. The airport page lists these sample set rates from one provider, Andrews Transportation (480-808-5888): Fashion Square $65, Tempe Marketplace $40, Chandler Fashion Center $65 and Gilbert Town Square $75, with $10 more overnight. Rates differ by company, so compare several.

To request a hotel or off-airport parking shuttle, ask a Guest Service Representative at an Information Counter or a volunteer Navigator.

Several companies run shuttles from PHX to Arizona cities, including Sedona, Flagstaff and Tucson. PHX lists names and phone numbers but not fares or schedules. Call the company. Arizona GO! is listed for all three at (888) 603-1766. Groome Transportation is listed for Flagstaff and Sedona at (928) 350-8466.

The Maricopa Amtrak shuttle (Stagecoach Express) picks up at Terminal 4, Level 1, outside door 5, on the north outer curb, Monday, Thursday and Saturday at 4:15 a.m. and Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. During daylight saving time, those times are 5:15 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Thursday appears on both lists on the airport page, so confirm the day with the company.

FlixBus picks up at the 44th Street PHX Sky Train station, on the north curb near ground transportation.

The Greyhound station is at 2115 E. Buckeye Road, about a mile west of the airport near 24th Street. From either terminal, ride the Sky Train to 24th Street Station, take the escalator to the ground floor, exit south, turn right at the sign that says Walkway to Greyhound, and follow the walkway to 24th Street and then Buckeye Road.

Downtown Phoenix is about 7 miles from Terminal 4, roughly 16 minutes with no traffic. Other drive times without traffic, from Terminal 4 by road (OpenStreetMap routing, calculated October 10, 2026):

• Tempe, Arizona State University campus: about 5 miles, 11 minutes.
• Scottsdale Fashion Square: about 9 miles, 16 minutes.
• Downtown Mesa, Mesa Arts Center: about 12 miles, 21 minutes.

Rush hour adds time. For Tempe or Mesa by rail, ride the Sky Train to 44th Street and change to Valley Metro Rail. For Scottsdale, use your ride app for live times.

Construction on the north side of Terminal 3 has overnight lane restrictions on Sky Harbor Boulevard with no end date. Westbound Sky Harbor Boulevard on the west end is down to one lane until further notice. Terminal access stays open, but allow extra time in a car.

Park at the 44th Street PHX Sky Train station, where there are free bike racks, and ride the Sky Train in. Enter off Washington Street by heading south on 41st Place. Locks left on the racks are removed after five days, and the airport is not responsible for loss or damage.