Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (KDTW/DTW)
Detroit, United States
Detroit Airline Crew Layover Guide
Reviewed by Captain AL
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The DTW crew card
| Fastest into town | Detroit Air Xpress (DAX), the nonstop express bus run by the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan. Scheduled 25 to 40 minutes from McNamara Terminal to downtown Detroit, and 40 to 55 minutes from Evans Terminal, which the bus calls at 15 minutes before McNamara |
|---|---|
| First and last | DAX runs 16 trips each way every day including holidays. Toward town, the first leaves Evans Terminal at 4:20 a.m. and McNamara at 4:35 a.m., the last leaves Evans at 10:25 p.m. and McNamara at 10:40 p.m. Toward the airport, the first leaves downtown at 3:30 a.m. and the last at 9:30 p.m. |
| Payments | DAX is USD 6.00 booked online in advance and USD 8.00 paid when boarding. The city buses are cheaper: a 4 Hour Dart Pass is USD 2.00 and covers both SMART and DDOT, and the SMART farebox takes coins and USD 1, 5, and 10 bills |
| Tap water | Safe to drink in the City of Detroit. Not verified at the airport, which is on a different retail system |
| Emergency | 911 (These numbers cover the City of Detroit. DTW sits outside it, so at the terminal use 911 or ask airport staff, not the Detroit non-emergency line.) · non-emergency (313) 267-4600 |
| Solo and at night | There is no all night link between DTW and the city. The last DAX to the airport leaves downtown at 9:30 p.m., and the last SMART FAST Michigan 261 leaves Jefferson and Beaubien at 10:45 p.m. on weekdays, reaching Evans Terminal at 11:53 p.m. After that the published WEEKDAY bus network is finished. Saturday runs later: the last 261 to the airport leaves Jefferson and Beaubien at 11:17 p.m. and reaches Evans at 12:23 a.m. Sunday is the other way round, with nothing leaving Evans before 6:32 a.m. and the last departure at 9:41 p.m. |
| Crew knows | The DAX airport bus does not reach DTW’s two terminals at the same minute: into town it calls Evans first and McNamara 15 minutes later, and going back the order flips, McNamara first and Evans 10 minutes later. Read the timetable row for your own terminal, not the first one you see |
| Crew deals | Verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff: on this page, right below this guide. |
airlinecrewdiscount.net · DTW crew card · Checked Aug 2026 · Next check Sep 2026 · Screenshot this card for offline
Every number on this page comes from an official source. Where no official source gives a number, we say so instead of guessing.
Getting from DTW Airport into downtown Detroit: which ride makes sense?
DTW is not in Detroit. It sits outside Detroit, well outside the city, and it has two terminals, McNamara and Evans (also signed as North Terminal), which are separate buildings you cannot walk between. Every bus below states which terminal it uses, because guessing wrong costs you a full journey leg. We could not confirm DTW taxi fares or ride app pickup points. Follow the ground transportation signs in your terminal, and ask the driver the price first.
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| Mode | Time | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Express bus (Detroit Air Xpress, DAX) | scheduled 25 to 40 minutes McNamara Terminal to downtown Detroit, and 40 to 55 minutes from Evans Terminal, which is called 15 minutes earlier on every eastbound trip 16 trips in each direction daily, every day of the week including holidays, spaced 55 to 85 minutes apart |
USD 6.00 booked online in advance, USD 8.00 when boarding, USD 4.00 for seniors 65 and over, people with disabilities, youth aged 2 to 17, and college students | DAX calls at BOTH terminals. At McNamara it picks up and drops off on the Departures Level (Level 3), just outside Door 1 labelled International Ticketing, toward the ramp. At Evans it uses the Ground Transportation Center, stalls 1 and 2: from baggage claim go up two levels to the skywalk (one level if you have no checked bag), cross it, take the elevators on the left down to ground level, and go out the doors next to the elevator. Downtown it stops on the west side of Washington Boulevard at State Street, near 1119 Washington Blvd, beside the Rosa Parks Transit Center. The service is nonstop: no stops exist between downtown and the two terminals. The operator’s own FAQ estimates 30 to 50 minutes one way, which is shorter than several scheduled trips; the timetable figures are published here, and they are the slower of the two. |
| City bus (SMART FAST Michigan, route 261) | 57 to 80 minutes from Evans Terminal to Rosa Parks Transit Center in downtown Detroit on weekdays, and 49 to 72 minutes from McNamara Terminal, which is called 7 to 9 minutes after Evans 35 trips on weekdays, roughly every 30 minutes measured at Evans Terminal, and about hourly on Saturdays (21 trips each way) and Sundays (18 trips out of the airport, 19 back) |
USD 2.00 full fare on SMART fixed route, or a 4 Hour Dart Pass at USD 2.00 that also covers DDOT; USD 0.50 for youth aged 6 to 18 who are not students, older adults 65 and over, and people with disabilities, and free for students with valid ID | Route 261 calls at BOTH terminals, Evans first and then McNamara, on its way into town. Weekday departures from Evans run 4:56 a.m. to 10:28 p.m. and from McNamara 5:04 a.m. to 10:36 p.m.; coming back, the last weekday trip reaches McNamara at 11:46 p.m. and Evans at 11:53 p.m. It is a limited stop service with stops about every mile, running via Dearborn Transit Center and Michigan Avenue to Rosa Parks Transit Center and Larned and Brush. SMART states its FAST buses are WiFi enabled. These times are the timetable published on 2026-08-31 and SMART has announced network wide runtime adjustments effective the week of September 7, 2026, so check the timetable again from that date. |
| City bus (SMART route 125, Fort-Eureka) | not applicable, this route does not serve downtown Detroit 36 weekday trips, with departures from Evans Terminal between 5:11 a.m. and 10:41 p.m. |
USD 2.00 full fare on SMART fixed route, the same fare as route 261 | This one does NOT go to downtown Detroit. Route 125 runs east and northeast from the airport through Southland Center, Southgate and Lincoln Park toward River Rouge, and SMART’s route description lists both Evans and McNamara Terminals. On the published weekday timetable, McNamara appears as a timepoint only in the southbound direction, arriving 5:56 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. on the way to Evans at 6:03 a.m. to 11:52 p.m., so treat Evans as the reliable stop when leaving the airport. Useful only if your hotel is downriver rather than in the city. |
| Downtown circulators (Detroit People Mover and QLINE) | People Mover trains arrive on average in under eight minutes People Mover runs Monday to Friday 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday 10:00 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; QLINE runs Monday to Saturday 8:00 a.m. to midnight and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
both are free: the People Mover states all rides are free, and the QLINE states riders ride for free | Neither goes to the airport. They are what you use once a bus has put you downtown, and both start within a short walk of where DAX and the 261 drop you. The People Mover’s Times Square station sits across from the Rosa Parks Transit Center. The People Mover is an elevated loop around the central business district; the QLINE runs up Woodward Avenue toward Midtown and New Center. |
Best Areas for Crew Stays in Detroit, from the downtown bus stop to the airport hotel belt at Romulus
Downtown and the Washington Boulevard spine: Where both airport buses put you down, within a few blocks of the People Mover loop, the riverfront, and the stadium district.
Corktown and Michigan Central: The oldest surviving neighborhood in the city, strung along Michigan Avenue around the restored train station, and directly on the route 261 corridor.
Midtown and New Center: Museums, the medical campus, and Wayne State, reached up Woodward Avenue on the free QLINE rather than by airport bus.
Greektown and Eastern Market: The late evening eating streets and the weekend market sheds, both on the eastern side of the downtown core.
Romulus and the airport hotel belt: The cluster immediately around DTW, built for early report times rather than for sightseeing, and a long way from anything in the city.
What to Do on a Layover in Detroit, from a short sit airside to a full day in the city
Under 5 hours: Stay airside. Downtown is about 20 miles away, the fastest scheduled bus leg is 25 minutes into town from McNamara and 30 minutes back and longer from Evans, and buses run roughly hourly rather than every few minutes, so a round trip plus rescreening does not sit comfortably in this window.
5 to 9 hours: One downtown run is realistic if you book the DAX seat before you land and pick your return trip off the timetable first. The free People Mover loop covers the central business district without another fare, which keeps the whole trip to two bus tickets.
9 hours plus: Enough for downtown plus one neighborhood beyond it, with the QLINE up Woodward for Midtown or the 261 back out along Michigan Avenue through Corktown. Fix your return departure before you go anywhere, because the last bus to the airport leaves downtown well before midnight.
Crew Tips for Detroit, DTW, and its two terminals
Know which terminal you are in before you plan anything: DTW has two terminals, McNamara and Evans (signed as North Terminal), and they are separate buildings. Both DAX and SMART route 261 call at both, but not at the same minute: on DAX it is Evans then McNamara 15 minutes later into town, and McNamara then Evans 10 minutes later going back, and on the 261 they are 7 to 9 minutes apart into town and 6 to 7 minutes apart going back. Read the timetable row for YOUR terminal, not the first one you see. At McNamara the DAX stop is on the Departures Level (Level 3) just outside Door 1, labelled International Ticketing. At Evans it is at the Ground Transportation Center in stalls 1 and 2.
Paying for transit: DAX is USD 6.00 if you book online in advance and USD 8.00 if you pay when boarding, so booking on the way to the gate saves USD 2.00 and, more usefully, reserves a seat. On the city buses a 4 Hour Dart Pass costs USD 2.00 and is valid on both SMART and DDOT; a 24 Hour Dart Pass is USD 5.00. The SMART farebox takes coins and USD 1, 5, and 10 bills, and if you do not have exact fare you get a change card for a future ride rather than cash back. Both agencies sell fares through the Transit app.
The DAX pass book is built for people like you: DAX sells Frequent Rider pass
Bags on the airport bus: DAX allows two suitcases stored underneath the coach plus one personal item that fits in the overhead compartment, and anything beyond that costs USD 10.00. The buses carry undercarriage storage, so a full crew bag set is fine. Bikes count as a checked bag and must be boxed; e-bikes and electric scooters are not carried at all.
Connectivity on the ride: Both airport buses carry WiFi. DAX buses are equipped with WiFi, USB charging ports, individual lighting, and a bathroom, and SMART states its FAST buses are WiFi enabled. That makes the hour into town usable for a crew call or a roster check without burning roaming data.
The downtown stop trap on the FAST routes: SMART warns in its own words that downtown stops on Jefferson and Larned serve certain FAST routes and in certain directions only, and that the stops used to LEAVE downtown will not be the same as the stops where you got off the bus. Read the information at the stop and the destination sign on the bus before boarding for the airport, or you will watch your return trip go past on another street.
Emergency Numbers for Detroit, DTW Airport, and the United States
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| Emergency (police, fire, medical) | 911 |
| Detroit Police non-emergency, Telephone Crime Reporting | (313) 267-4600 |
| Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, water and sewer emergencies | (313) 267-8000 |
| United States country code (calling from abroad) | +1 |
Save these before you fly; numbers work from any phone.
How do I get from Detroit airport to downtown Detroit?
The fastest scheduled option is Detroit Air Xpress (DAX), the nonstop express bus run by the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan. It calls at both terminals and takes 25 to 40 scheduled minutes from McNamara Terminal to downtown, or 40 to 55 minutes from Evans Terminal, which it calls at 15 minutes earlier. Tickets are USD 6.00 booked online in advance and USD 8.00 when boarding, and it runs 16 trips a day in each direction, every day including holidays. The cheaper option is SMART FAST Michigan route 261 at USD 2.00, which also calls at both terminals but takes 49 to 80 minutes on weekdays.
How much is the bus from DTW to Detroit?
DAX costs USD 6.00 if you book online in advance and USD 8.00 if you pay when boarding, with a USD 4.00 fare for seniors 65 and over, people with disabilities, youth aged 2 to 17, and college students. SMART route 261 costs USD 2.00 full fare, and a 4 Hour Dart Pass at the same USD 2.00 is valid on both SMART and DDOT buses. DAX also sells Frequent Rider pass
Does the bus from Detroit airport stop at both terminals?
Yes, both airport buses serve McNamara Terminal and Evans Terminal, which are separate buildings you cannot walk between. On DAX the direction decides the order: into town it calls Evans first, then McNamara 15 minutes later; going to the airport the order reverses, McNamara first, then Evans 10 minutes later; at McNamara the stop is on the Departures Level (Level 3) just outside Door 1, labelled International Ticketing, and at Evans it is at the Ground Transportation Center in stalls 1 and 2. On SMART route 261 the terminals are 7 to 9 minutes apart into town and 6 to 7 minutes apart going back, with Evans called first when heading into town.
Is there a night bus from Detroit airport?
No. The last DAX toward the airport leaves downtown at 9:30 p.m., and the last SMART route 261 leaves Jefferson and Beaubien at 10:45 p.m. on weekdays, reaching McNamara at 11:46 p.m. and Evans at 11:53 p.m. Coming the other way, the last DAX leaves Evans at 10:25 p.m. and McNamara at 10:40 p.m. Outside those hours the published weekday network is finished. On Saturday the last 261 to the airport leaves Jefferson and Beaubien at 11:17 p.m., reaching Evans at 12:23 a.m.; on Sunday nothing leaves Evans before 6:32 a.m. and the last departure is 9:41 p.m.
Is tap water safe to drink in Detroit?
Yes. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department states that the city’s drinking water is clean and safe to drink and that it meets or exceeds all federal and state regulatory standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Lead sampling in 2025 came in below the federal action level, water leaving the treatment plants contains no lead, and a corrosion inhibitor is added so that older household plumbing releases less of it. The wholesale supplier, the Great Lakes Water Authority, states separately that its water exceeds Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
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Crew Discounts in Detroit: verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff sit right below this guide. Bookmark this page before you walk out to the DAX stop. Next Detroit rotation you start on the rates instead of from scratch.
