Transportation

Getting Around Saint Paul

Air                  Saint Paul is centrally located in North America and is the international gateway for air transportation in the Upper Midwest. The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), located only 8 miles from downtown Saint Paul, offers an abundance of available seats on more than 900 daily departures/arrivals that fly nonstop to U.S. and international destinations.

                           The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is headquarters for Northwest Airlines and is also served by virtually every major airline. From Minneapolis/Saint Paul, travelers can book daily nonstop flights to 104 domestic and 14 international destinations.  

                            The International Air Transport Association’s annual customer surveys ranked MSP the
Best Large Airport in North America in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. MSP also ranks as runner up for Best Large Airport in the World. In a 2001 review of the nation’s 20 largest airports, the Wall Street Journal awarded MSP four stars – the highest ranking possible. In a 2003 airport customer satisfaction survey, J.D. Edwards and Associates ranked MSP the third best airport in the world. In 2004, MSP served 36.7 million passengers, making it the 8^th ranking airport in North America and 16^th in the world in number of passengers served annually. The 541,093 aircraft landings and takeoffs at MSP make it the 6^th busiest airport in North America and the 7^th busiest in the world. (Source: Metropolitan Airport Commission website).

Railroads             Saint Paul is served by Amtrak from the Saint Paul Amtrak Depot. Rail service is east/west through Seattle and Chicago and north/south through Denver and Chicago. Railroads within the Saint Paul area provide service which is integrated with the national US railway system, as well as the Canadian national railway system.

Highways             Two major interstate highway systems serve the Saint Paul area: I-94 runs east and west, and

I-35 runs north and south. The Twin Cities area also has two belt-line freeways, I-494 and

I-694, which facilitate travel in and around the first-and second-ring suburbs. Seven federal and thirteen state highways provide an excellent highway transportation network to points within the metropolitan area and throughout the United States and Canada.

Mileage Chart & Flight Times

Flight Flight

City Mileage

Ground Transportation

SuperShuttle SuperShuttle offers a direct transit service from Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport to many downtown hotels in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
The cost of a one-way trip is $11.

Cab Fares The average cab fare from Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport to downtown Saint Paul is around $17. Taxi fares in general are $3 for the first mile and $1.30 for each additional mile. There are no set charges; all rates are approximate.

Bus Service The Twin Cities is accessible by bus from all parts of the country. Saint Paul’s Greyhound terminal is located at 166 University Avenue West. Jefferson Lines also serves the Twin Cities area.

Local transportation is provided by the Metro Transit.

Car Rental Rental facilities are located both downtown and at Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport, making renting a car easy and convenient. The daily rate for a midsize rental car is approximately $40.

Rates subject to change without notice.

The Saint Paul/East Metro area enjoys the benefits of being a major transportation hub for the Midwest. Home to many major corporations and more than 1.1 million people, the area takes advantage of all major modes of travel to help people get where they need to go.

Approximately 400 miles west of Chicago, the Saint Paul/East Metro area is easily accessible via major Interstate Highway 35 from the north and south and 94 from the east and west. It is just hours away from other major Midwest cities including: Des Moines, Omaha, Milwaukee and Sioux Falls. A well-designed system of freeways connects neighborhoods to the downtown areas efficiently. Traffic management is proactive in the area, with construction underway to remove remaining traffic bottlenecks over the coming years.

It is also home to the Saint Paul/Minneapolis International Airport (MSP), which offers access to the world with service provided by major carriers (including Air Tran Airways, America West, American, American Trans Air, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Northwest, Sun Country, United and US Airways). MSP is one of the busiest airports in the world, with more than a half million takeoffs and landings each year. It ranks third in the world in an airport customer satisfaction survey released by J.D. Power and Associates. The airport recently underwent a $3 billion expansion program aimed at making travel more safe, efficient and enjoyable. Among the improvements were added runway capacity, new gates and a major expansion of retail and dining options.

One of the Saint Paul/East Metro areas key competitive advantages is Holman Field, a corporate and regional airport adjacent to downtown Saint Paul. Companies in the East Metro area rely on Holman Field to get them quickly and easily to and from customers and suppliers. Saint Paul is one of few major cities that can boast a business airport within walking distance of the central business district.

Amtrak serves the Midwest using Saint Paul as a daily hub between Seattle and Chicago. Visitors also can take advantage of Greyhound Bus Lines, which link the area to over 1,400 communities across the United States.

Metro Transit is the country’s 11th largest bus system, and operates 127 routes to provide over 67-million bus trips annually via fast, frequent service to both downtown Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Mall of America, the University of Minnesota and hundreds of other popular attractions. There are 66 local-service routes, 49 express routes and 12 contract service routes covered by 939 buses.

The Twin Cities completed its first light rail transit (LRT) line in 2004 and it has been an unprecedented success, far surpassing ridership projections. The Central Corridor, connecting downtown Saint Paul and downtown Minneapolis is now being developed. It includes the University of Minnesota, the rapidly developing Midway area, and the State Capitol complex. The Central Corridor transit line will begin at Union Depot, the proposed multi-modal transit hub in downtown Saint Paul, link to the State Capitol, travel down University Avenue, extend over the Washington Avenue bridge passing through the University of Minnesota and connect to the Hiawatha light rail transit line at the Downtown East/Metrodome station. New commuter rail lines are also being planned to provide even more transportation options for the region.

The Mississippi River, the historical transportation artery in the area, remains a viable commercial channel for the barge traffic that carries cargo to industries in other states. This mode of transportation remains a vital link for business and an efficient mode of bulk transport.