Getting To and From Miami International Airport

The cheapest route between Miami International Airport and downtown Miami is Metrorail's Orange Line at $2.25 a ride, boarded at the Miami Intermodal Center after a free MIA Mover trip from the terminal (Miami-Dade Transit; MIA public transportation).

Inside MIA, the MIA Mover station is on the 3rd level between the Dolphin and Flamingo garages. The Miami Intermodal Center holds the Metrobus, Metrorail and Tri-Rail connections in one place, along with EASY Card vending machines (MIA public transportation). MIA's page says an EASY Card is needed to ride, but the Miami-Dade Transit fare page says Metrorail gates also take contactless bank cards, mobile wallets and smart watches; a 1-Day Pass at $5.65 or a 7-Day Pass at $29.25 covers repeat rides (Miami-Dade transit fares).

Weekend riders need one extra step. Monday through Friday, Orange Line trains run between MIA and downtown Miami without a change. On Saturdays and Sundays the Orange Line only shuttles between Earlington Heights and MIA every 15 minutes, so anyone bound for Brickell, Government Center or Dadeland changes to the Green Line at Earlington Heights (Metrorail). Metrorail runs from 5 a.m. to midnight.

For Miami Beach, the Miami Beach Airport Express (Metrobus Route 150) costs $2.25 and leaves the MIA Metrorail station every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 11:40 p.m., serving Miami Beach from 41st Street to South Pointe Drive on 40-foot buses with luggage racks (MIA public transportation). The other Metrobus routes MIA lists for the airport are 37, 42, 57 and J, and the City of Miami Trolley is reached by MIA Mover at the Rental Car Center side of the Miami Intermodal Center.

MIA taxis wait on the arrivals (ground) level outside baggage claim, ride app pickups happen on both level 1 and level 2, and a metered taxi from MIA carries a $2.00 airport origination fee and a $15 minimum fare (MIA taxis and ride app).

The MIA taxi meter starts at $2.95 for the first 1/6 mile, and wheelchair accessible taxis are available at MIA on request. The Miami-Dade Aviation Department tells arriving travelers to ignore anyone inside the terminal offering a ride, because soliciting ground transportation there is illegal and many solicitors are unlicensed and uninsured; uniformed staff work the taxi stands at the lower-level curb (MIA safety tip). Ground transportation at MIA runs 24 hours a day (MIA FAQ). The same FAQ gives two locations for hotel shuttles: one answer puts them on the departure level (level 2), another on the lower (arrivals) level, and the FAQ advises checking with the hotel directly about its shuttle. Ride app drivers pick up on the arrivals and departures levels, and MIA tells riders to check the app for the designated location and door number.

MIA garage parking costs $2.00 for every 20 minutes with a $25.00 daily maximum that kicks in after 4 hours, and the Economy Park and Ride lot caps out at $12.00 a day plus a $0.35 fee (MIA parking).

Spaces in the Dolphin and Flamingo garages can be reserved and prepaid up to a year ahead; the booking sends a QR code that opens the gate, and a booking can be changed or cancelled up to 24 hours before the reservation time, but the $2.99 reservation fee is non-refundable (MIA parking reservations). Vehicles left in a garage longer than 45 days are towed at the owner's expense. Drivers displaying a disabled parking permit get two hours free, and disabled veterans with the Florida DV plate park free when the veteran is in the car. Garage questions go to 305-876-7536.

At MIA, the Dolphin Garage serves Concourses D and E, the Flamingo Garage serves Concourses E through J, and the Ibis Garage serves Concourses J and H (MIA parking map).

Miami International Airport steers American Airlines, British Airways, JetBlue and Qatar Airways passengers to the Dolphin Garage and travelers on all other airlines to Flamingo or Ibis (MIA parking). Vehicles over 7 feet tall use the Ibis high-vehicle area beside the Dolphin Garage's east side or the Economy Park and Ride lot. A guidance system shows open spaces with a green light and taken spaces with a red one, and Quick Pay stations let drivers pay before reaching the exit lane.

Electric vehicle drivers at MIA charge at 50 ChargePoint ports on levels 1 through 5 of the Ibis Garage for $0.38 per kWh, and valet EV charging is available at the Dolphin Garage Departures level (MIA EV charging). For a pickup, the free Cell Phone Waiting Lot off LeJeune Road at NW 31 Street holds drivers until the traveler is at the curb; from the north, the route is I-95 south to State Road 112 west and the LeJeune Road south exit.

From MIA, cruise passengers can take pre-arranged cruise line transportation, rental car customers ride the free MIA Mover to the Rental Car Center, and Fort Lauderdale travelers can use a taxi or Tri-Rail (MIA FAQ).

At MIA, pre-arranged cruise line buses load at two bus stations on level 1: the North bus station at Concourse D, Door 1, and the South bus station at Concourse J, Door 33 (MIA FAQ). PortMiami also says most cruise lines run shuttles from Miami International Airport to the port (PortMiami directions). Public transit, a taxi or a ride app are the other choices for the PortMiami trip.

Tri-Rail's Miami Airport Station sits at 3861 Northwest 21st Street (Tri-Rail Miami Airport Station). The two MIA pages describe the trip there differently: the public transportation page says to take the MIA Mover from the 3rd level to the Miami Central Station, while the FAQ describes a free shuttle from the 1st level bus station (MIA public transportation; MIA FAQ). Its ticket kiosk is staffed weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on weekends, while vending machines on both platforms take cash, debit and credit cards. Tri-Rail passengers who register their vehicle can park there 12 hours a day at no charge, with a $2 hourly or $12 daily fee beyond 12 hours or overnight. For Tri-Rail fares and schedules, the MIA FAQ sends riders to Tri-Rail directly (MIA FAQ).

The MIA public transportation page lists a train frequency of every 30 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends beside its MIA Mover description, while Miami-Dade Transit gives the Orange Line a 15-minute frequency (MIA public transportation; Metrorail). For Metrorail departures, the Miami-Dade Transit schedule is the operator's own figure.

Miami-Dade County owns Miami International Airport and its Miami-Dade Aviation Department runs it on 3,230 acres near downtown Miami; MIA was founded in 1928 (About MIA).

In 2025, MIA handled 55,314,661 passengers, 30,464,597 of them domestic and 24,850,064 international, and 498,697 commercial aircraft movements (MIA airport facts). The airport counted 92 carriers in August 2026 and 164 nonstop destinations in September 2026, 67 domestic and 97 international. Among U.S. airports in 2025, MIA ranked 1st for international freight, 2nd for international passengers and 8th for total passengers. Its longest runway, 9-27, is 13,016 feet.

MIA is paid for mainly by airport-generated revenue such as airline fees, concessions, parking and revenue-backed bonds, and MIA says it receives no direct funding from local taxpayer dollars (About MIA). MIA's About page lists four other Miami-Dade Airports beside it: Miami-Opa-locka Executive, Miami Executive, Miami Homestead General Aviation and Dade-Collier Training and Transition.

Last verified: October 15, 2026, on the Miami International Airport website.