Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (KMSP/MSP)
Minneapolis, United States
Minneapolis Airline Crew Layover Guide
Reviewed by Captain AL
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The MSP crew card
| Fastest into town | METRO Blue Line light rail from the station at either terminal: about 25 minutes to the Warehouse District in downtown Minneapolis, with trains every 15 to 20 minutes for most of the day |
|---|---|
| First and last train | From Terminal 1 the first northbound train to downtown leaves at 4:25 a.m. and the last at 12:22 a.m. Coming back is the tighter end: the last southbound train to the airport leaves Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis at 11:22 p.m., a full hour before the last train into town |
| Payments | There are no fareboxes on METRO trains and you must pay before you board. Buy a ticket at the machine on the station platform with cash or a credit card, tap a Go-To Card or pass at the platform reader, or use the Metro Transit app. The adult fare is USD 2.00 at any time of day |
| Tap water | Safe to drink in the city. Not verified for the terminal taps, which are on an unconfirmed supply |
| Emergency | 911 (City of Minneapolis and MSP Airport numbers) · non-emergency 612-348-2345 |
| Solo & at night | Taxi service runs 24 hours a day and Airport Police officers are available 24/7, with a Police Operations Center near Door 1 on the Arrivals Level of Terminal 1 and an office at Terminal 2 between doors 5 and 6 |
| Crew knows | The last train into town leaves Terminal 1 at 12:22 a.m., but the last train back to the airport leaves Nicollet Mall at 11:22 p.m., a full hour earlier. On an MSP layover you fix the return train first, not the outbound one |
| Crew deals | Verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff: on this page, right below this guide. |
airlinecrewdiscount.net · MSP crew card · Checked Aug 2026 · Next check Oct 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 MSP Airport into downtown Minneapolis: which ride makes sense?
One light rail line does nearly all the work. The METRO Blue Line has its own station at each of the two terminals and runs one seat into downtown Minneapolis. The ride between the two terminal stations is free, which matters here because Terminal 2 has no city bus stop of its own.
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| Mode | Time | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train (METRO Blue Line light rail) | about 25 minutes from the airport to the Warehouse District in downtown Minneapolis every 15 to 20 minutes for most of the day, with longer gaps early in the morning and late at night |
USD 2.00 adult at any time of day, and no charge at all between the two airport terminal stations | The Terminal 1 station sits below the Red, Blue and Silver parking ramps: from the Tram Level, one level below bag claim, take the tram to those ramps and follow the signs. The Terminal 2 station is on the north side of the Orange Ramp, reached from Level 1 near Ticketing by elevator or escalator up to the Orange Ramp skyway, then down one level to the platform. Both stations are fully accessible. From Terminal 1 the first northbound train leaves at 4:25 a.m. and the last at 12:22 a.m.; southbound the first is 3:36 a.m. and the last 11:44 p.m.; the last southbound train back to the airport leaves Nicollet Mall at 11:22 p.m. Those times are identical seven days a week in the current timetable. Inter-terminal travel runs 24 hours a day: outside Blue Line hours a separate airport shuttle train, operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission, covers the two terminal stations. |
| City bus (Metro Transit Route 54, Terminal 1 only) | 142 weekday departures toward downtown St. Paul and Maplewood Mall and 146 toward Mall of America, roughly half that at weekends | USD 2.00 adult local fare at any time of day | Route 54 is the airport’s city bus and it heads for St. Paul, not Minneapolis; for downtown Minneapolis the Blue Line is the direct ride. Pick up and drop off is in the Transit Center on Level 1 of the Silver Ramp at Terminal 1. There is no Metro Transit bus pickup at Terminal 2, so from Terminal 2 you take the free train to Terminal 1 first. Metro Transit’s Regional Transit Information Center is on 612-373-3333, with 24-hour automated bus information on 612-341-4287. The airport guarantees a window of 4:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. daily and that is the safe figure to plan on, but the operator’s own timetable runs wider: first departure from Terminal 1 is 04:02 toward St. Paul and 03:26 toward Mall of America, so a bus at 03:45 is 17 minutes away rather than 45. Note the route runs BOTH ways: St. Paul in one direction, Mall of America in the other. |
| Taxi | downtown Minneapolis is approximately 12 miles from the airport, downtown St. Paul approximately 8 miles 24 hours a day |
fares average USD 39 to USD 49 to downtown Minneapolis and USD 31 to USD 38 to downtown St. Paul; the meter shows USD 6.50 at the start of the trip, which is a USD 2.50 flag drop plus a USD 4.00 airport access fee; a flat zone fare of USD 23.50 applies to rides between locations on airport property and between MSP and Mall of America | At Terminal 1 the taxi rank is reached from the Tram Level, with signs directing you one level up to the taxi starter booth. At Terminal 2 taxis are at the Ground Transport Center on the ground level of the Purple Ramp, directly across from the terminal building. Airport staff are on hand to help you get a taxi from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. daily, and outside those hours the rank stays open as self service. Rides to anywhere outside the zone-fare area are priced by metered fare, per ordinance. |
| App-based ride services (Uber, Lyft) | app-priced; the airport publishes no fare and no flat rate | At Terminal 1 your ride collects you in the Ground Transportation Center on Level 1 of the Green and Gold parking ramps. At Terminal 2 pickup is on the second level of the Purple parking ramp. The airport’s own advice is to stay on the sidewalk until the vehicle has stopped, confirm the license plate, and have the driver say your name before you get in. |
Best Areas for Crew Stays in Minneapolis, from the rail line downtown to the hotel belt at Bloomington
Downtown Minneapolis and Nicollet Mall: The office and shopping core, with the Blue Line running straight through it and the skyway system overhead for winter walking.
North Loop and the Warehouse District: Brick warehouses turned restaurants, bars and small shops at the north end of downtown, and the end of the line the airport train points at.
Mill District and Downtown East: The old flour-milling riverfront by Saint Anthony Falls, with the stone arch bridge walk, sitting on the same rail line just east of the downtown core.
Uptown and Lake Street: The lakes-and-late-dinner side of the city, out west of the Blue Line’s Lake Street stop and better suited to a long window than a short one.
Bloomington and the airport hotel belt: The hotel cluster and the Mall of America sit a few stops south of the terminals, built around early report times rather than sightseeing.
What to Do on a Layover in Minneapolis, from a short sit in the terminal to a full day in the city
Under 5 hours: Stay in the terminal. The Wi-Fi is free and unlimited in four-hour blocks, and a downtown round trip plus screening on the way back does not sit comfortably in a short window. If you are at Terminal 2 late in the evening, read the checkpoint note in the tips before you consider leaving at all.
5 to 9 hours: One clean move works: the Blue Line to a single downtown stop, the riverfront or the Nicollet Mall blocks on foot, and back on the same line. Fix your return train before you leave the platform, because the last one back leaves downtown well before the last one into town.
9 hours plus: A fuller run is realistic: downtown plus one neighborhood beyond it, a proper meal, and the train back with time to spare. St. Paul is the other option, on the Route 54 bus from Terminal 1 rather than the train.
Crew Tips for Minneapolis and MSP Airport
Paying for transit: There are no fareboxes on METRO line buses or trains and you must pay before boarding. Buy a ticket from the machine on the station platform with cash or a credit card, tap a Go-To Card or pass at the platform card reader, or use the Metro Transit app. The adult fare for the airport ride is USD 2.00 at any time of day on local buses and METRO lines, with no express charge, and it is good for two and a half hours. An all-day pass is USD 4.00 for adults and runs until 2 a.m. the next day. Platforms are paid fare zones and TRIP agents ask for proof of payment on trains and at stations, so keep your ticket to hand. The rush hour surcharge Metro Transit does publish, USD 3.25 against USD 2.50 off-peak on weekdays 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6:30 p.m., applies to EXPRESS BUSES only and never to the light rail from the airport. Inside downtown there is also a Downtown Zone ticket at 50 cents at all times, valid for one ride on the next METRO bus or train, so hopping between downtown stops does not cost the full fare.
The free ride between the terminals, and where it stops being free: No ticket is needed to travel between the two airport terminal stations, and that service runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The condition is simple: it is free only between Terminal 1 Station and Terminal 2 Station. Stay on past either one, toward downtown Minneapolis or toward Mall of America, and you need a normal USD 2.00 ticket bought before you boarded. A complimentary shuttle bus covers the same terminal-to-terminal trip for passengers with mobility needs, running every 20 minutes from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with on-demand service outside those hours on 612-794-4147.
Terminal 2 security closes overnight: This is the one that strands people. At Terminal 2 both security checkpoints are closed between 10 p.m. and 3:30 a.m., hours may vary, so if you leave the secure area in that window you cannot get back in until a checkpoint reopens. Terminal 1 is different: one checkpoint on the Ticketing Level is open 24 hours a day. To re-enter security at either terminal you need a boarding pass issued within the last 24 hours plus government-issued photo ID.
There is nowhere to leave a bag: The airport states that lockers for luggage storage are currently unavailable at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, so plan a city trip around carrying what you bring. If something goes missing instead, Lost and Found is on the valet level of Terminal 1, open every day of the year from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., reachable in those hours on 612-726-5141.
Connectivity: Wireless internet is available in all public areas of both terminals. Select MSP Airport WiFi from the network list and accept the terms of use on first connection. Each session is a complimentary four hours with an on-screen timer, and when it expires you can start another four-hour session at no charge, as many times as you like while you are at the airport.
Watch the return train, not the outbound one: The trap on a Minneapolis layover is the direction of the last train. The last northbound train leaves Terminal 1 at 12:22 a.m., but the last southbound train back to the airport leaves Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis at 11:22 p.m. and Target Field at 11:17 p.m. Miss that and the fallback is a taxi: the meter opens at USD 6.50 and the airport’s own figure for the trip is an average of USD 39 to USD 49, in the other direction. There is also a 24-hour pharmacy at 4547 Hiawatha Avenue, on the Blue Line at the 46th Street station, on 612-722-4249 if the reason you are still out is medical.
Emergency Numbers for Minneapolis, MSP Airport, and the United States
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| Emergency (police, fire, medical, behavioral crisis response) | 911 |
| Minneapolis non-emergency police, fire or medical, from any phone | 612-348-2345 |
| City of Minneapolis non-emergency services (311), staffed 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday. Use 612-673-3000 from any phone, because a three-digit civic code often will not route on a roaming SIM | 311, or 612-673-3000 from any phone |
| MSP Airport Police, assistance at either terminal | 612-726-5577 |
| United States country code (calling from abroad) | +1 |
Save these before you fly; numbers work from any phone.
How do I get from Minneapolis airport to downtown Minneapolis?
Take the METRO Blue Line light rail from the station at your terminal. The airport puts the ride at about 25 minutes to the Warehouse District in downtown Minneapolis, with trains every 15 to 20 minutes for most of the day. The adult fare is USD 2.00 at any time of day. At Terminal 1 the station is below the Red, Blue and Silver parking ramps, reached by tram from the Tram Level one level below bag claim; at Terminal 2 it is on the north side of the Orange Ramp, up to the skyway from Level 1 near Ticketing and then down one level.
How much is the light rail from MSP airport to Minneapolis?
USD 2.00 for an adult, at any time of day, with no express charge and no rush hour surcharge on METRO lines. The ticket is good for two and a half hours. An all-day pass is USD 4.00 for adults and is valid until 2 a.m. the next day. The rush hour surcharge that Metro Transit does publish, USD 3.25 against USD 2.50 off-peak, applies to express buses, not to the light rail you take from the airport.
Is the train between MSP Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 free?
Yes. No ticket is needed to travel between the two airport terminal stations, and that service runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is free only between the two terminal stations: ride on toward downtown Minneapolis or Mall of America and you need a normal USD 2.00 ticket, bought before boarding. This matters most at Terminal 2, which has no city bus stop of its own, so bus passengers ride the free train to Terminal 1 first.
What time is the last train from Minneapolis to MSP airport?
Later than you would like in one direction and earlier in the other. From Terminal 1 the last northbound train into town leaves at 12:22 a.m., but the last southbound train back to the airport leaves Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis at 11:22 p.m. and Target Field at 11:17 p.m. First trains from Terminal 1 are 4:25 a.m. northbound and 3:36 a.m. southbound. The current timetable runs the same times seven days a week.
Is tap water safe to drink in Minneapolis?
Yes. The City of Minneapolis states that Minneapolis tap water is safe to drink and that you do not need to filter it, since the normal treatment process removes anything harmful before it reaches the tap. The city adds a small amount of orthophosphate to keep lead out of the water and says it tests the water 500 times per day against drinking water standards.
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Crew Discounts in Minneapolis: verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff sit right below this guide. Bookmark this page before you head down to the Blue Line platform. Next Minneapolis rotation you start on the rates instead of from scratch.
