Touching down in a new city, unsure of the best way to get from the airport to your destination—it’s one of the more miserable parts of travel. If you’re not lucky enough to have a friend or family member pick you up, it will probably come down to taking public transportation or calling a rideshare, like Uber or Lyft.
What’s the best option? Well, that depends on several factors. While taking public transportation is almost always the cheaper option, it can sometimes double or even triple your travel time. Depending on how much you value your time, it may be more efficient to take a rideshare.
We surveyed 500 frequent travelers and found:
We analyzed 20 popular travel destinations within the United States and compared the average cost and travel time of a rideshare and public transportation from the airport to the downtown area. In order to consider the value of the time saved between the two options, we used $0.83 per minute (see methodology for how we established this value).
New York, New York - La Guardia Airport
Charleston, South Carolina - Charleston International Airport
Las Vegas, Nevada - McCarran International Airport
Miami, Florida - Miami International Airport
Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles International and Long Beach Airport
Austin, Texas - Austin-Bergstrom Airport
Dallas, Texas - Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
City | Airport | Rideshare Time | Rideshare Price | Public Transit Time | Public Transit Cost | Best Option |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlanta, Georgia | ATL | 20 min | $19.00 | 22 min | $2.50 | Public Transit |
Austin, Texas | AUS | 28 min | $19.00 | 51 min | $1.25 | Rideshare |
Boston, Massachusetts | BOS | 16 min | $25.75 | 21 min | $1.70 | Public Transit |
Charleston, South Carolina | CHS | 16 min | $20.25 | 54 min | $2.00 | Public Transit |
Chicago, Illinois | ORD | 32 min | $35.50 | 52 min | $5.00 | Public Transit |
Chicago, Illinois | MDW | 30 min | $21.00 | 21 min | $2.25 | Public Transit |
Dallas, Texas | DFW | 32 min | $23.00 | 13 min | $2.50 | Rideshare |
Honolulu, Hawaii | HNL | 13 min | $39.50 | 32 min | $2.50 | Public Transit |
Las Vegas, Nevada | LAS | 15 min | $19.50 | 44 min | $2.00 | Rideshare |
Los Angeles, California | LAX | 36 min | $31.25 | 78 min | $10.25 | Rideshare |
Los Angeles, California | BUR | 45 min | $28.00 | 37 min | $6.00 | Public Transit |
Los Angeles, California | LGB | 45 min | $34.00 | 110 min | $3.00 | Rideshare |
Miami, Florida | MIA | 10 min | $19.50 | 37 min | $2.35 | Rideshare |
New Orleans, Louisiana | MSY | 29 min | $37.25 | 65 min | $2.00 | Public Transit |
New York, New York | JFK | 58 min | $61.25 | 77 min | $7.75 | Public Transit |
New York, New York | LGA | 30 min | $40.50 | 76 min | $2.75 | Rideshare |
Orlando, Florida | MCO | 32 min | $31.25 | 48 min | $2.00 | Public Transit |
Phoenix, Arizona | PHX | 12 min | $12.00 | 48 min | $2.00 | Public Transit |
Portland, Oregon | PDX | 30 min | $30.00 | 50 min | $2.50 | Public Transit |
San Diego, California | SAN | 17 min | $12.00 | 18 min | $2.25 | Public Transit |
San Francisco, California | SFO | 29 min | $29.75 | 31 min | $8.95 | Public Transit |
Seattle, Washington | SEA | 31 min | $36.50 | 38 min | $2.50 | Public Transit |
St. Louis, Missouri | STL | 23 min | $36.75 | 37 min | $4.00 | Public Transit |
Washington, D.C. | DCA | 19 min | $16.00 | 22 min | $2.40 | Public Transit |
Washington, D.C. | IAD | 45 min | $44.75 | 66 min | $8.85 | Public Transit |
Methodology
For each airport we considered:
If the value of time saved is greater than the difference in price between rideshare and public transportation, then rideshare is more cost-effective than taking public transportation.
We surveyed 500 frequent travelers in the United States on transportation considerations via the survey platform Pollfish. The survey was conducted November 8, 2017.
Brionna is on a roller coaster that only goes up. You can follow her on twitter @BrionnaLewis.