Airport Guide to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW)

Airport Overview

Terminal Transfer | Getting into Town | Car Parking | Information Desks | Airport Facilities

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) handles most of the flights in and out of Michigan, as it is the busiest airport in the state. It’s an easy drive from downtown Detroit as it is situated 26km (16 miles) southwest of the city, in the suburb of Romulus. It is also only 76km (47 miles) from Toledo, in the neighbouring state of Ohio.

To say that Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is big might be considered something of an understatement. The two terminals have close to 150 boarding gates in total, and the Edward H. McNamara Terminal has a one-mile (1.6km) long terminal, making it the second-longest terminal building in the world. Passengers using the airport can rest assured that with a terminal this big, the airport houses plenty of shopping opportunities and some good leg-stretching space (although moving walkways are available for those with travel fatigue).

Cheap flights to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport are generally easy to find because the airport is a hub for both Delta and Spirit Airlines. There are many flights to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport from places such as Toronto, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt; as well as Atlanta, Orlando and New York.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is an airport that makes travelling easy. It has a great range of facilities, and a wide selection of airlines offering regular Detroit flights. Also, despite its size, the airport is easy to navigate.

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Terminal Transfer

The North Terminal is connected to the McNamara Terminal via a free shuttle service that runs every 15 to 20 minutes. Within the terminals, there are moving walkways to assist passengers when moving from one side of the terminal to the other.

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Getting into Town

Taxis: Taxis at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport can be found as you exit the arrivals section of both terminals. The main companies available at the airport are Metro Cars, a luxury sedan service (tel: (800) 456 1701), and Metro Cab (tel: (734) 997 6500). Fares into downtown Detroit tend to be around $45, but the luxury sedan service is about $10 more expensive than Metro Cabs. Passengers catching a cab to Ann Arbor, Grosse Pointe, Southfield or Farmington Hills should expect to pay about $48 to $56. Taxis to Troy generally cost $65 to $70, and taxis to Dearborn tend to be about $35. The trip into the city centre takes between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on traffic.

Bus: Detroit’s local buses are known as SMART buses. The airport bus station is located on the lower level of the North Terminal, on the outer roadway. It’s easy to find, as it is clearly labelled ‘Ground Transportation Offices’. Bus fares start at $2, and passengers will need to have exact change. SMART buses connect to various parts of Detroit, and all the bus routes can be found on the SMART website. Route 125 travels to downtown Detroit, with buses leaving every hour from 5:36am to 8:35pm; and additional buses leaving at 4:41am, 10:24pm and 11:04pm between Monday and Friday. On Saturdays, and particularly on Sundays, the buses tend to operate far less frequently, with buses leaving once every 90 to 120 minutes depending on the time of day. A bus to downtown Detroit generally takes about 45 minutes, or more if traffic is bad.

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Car Parking

With more than 19,000 parking bays available, passengers needing to park at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport shouldn’t have a problem finding a spot. The parking areas closest to the terminals are the Big Blue Deck and the McNamara Terminal Parking Structure, which are covered; and the uncovered Yellow and Green parking lots, which are slightly further away from the terminals, and cater for those with long-stay parking needs. A free shuttle service connects all the parking lots with both the McNamara Terminal and the North Terminal.

The McNamara Terminal Parking Structure is right next to the McNamara Terminal, and passengers can easily walk to the terminal via a covered walkway. The Big Blue Deck is within easy walking distance of the North Terminal, and there is a free shuttle service to the McNamara Terminal as well.

The cheapest parking is the Green Lot, which has a flat rate of $8 per day. The Yellow Lot’s rates are $10 per day. Within the McNamara Parking Garage, passengers can choose between long-term, short-term and valet options. Long-term parking starts at $3 for half an hour, $5 for up to one hour, $6 for up to 90 minutes, $7 for two hours, $13 for four hours, and three dollars per hour thereafter, up to a maximum of $20 per day. Short-term rates are the same; however, the daily rate is $25. Valet parking in the McNamara Parking Garage has a rate of $33 per day, but starts at $12 for two hours, and $4 for each additional hour.

Passengers using the Blue Deck Parking Garage for long-term parking will be charged $3 for the first 30 minutes, $5 for an hour, $6 for 90 minutes, $7 for two hours and $10 per day. Short-term parking at the Big Blue Deck is the same as long-term parking, except that charges are $3 per hour after the $7 charge for the initial two hours, and the daily maximum is $25.

The parking area shuttle-buses are blue and white, and the pick-up areas within the parking garages are well signposted. There is no free parking for pick-ups and drop-offs, but there are two cell phone lots on the north and south sides of the terminals. Drivers can park in the cell phone lots while they wait for their passenger to arrive, and then drive to the doors outside the arrivals section and quickly load up a passenger before driving off.

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Information Desks

The airport’s main information desk is located in the baggage reclaim area of the North Terminal. Although there are no other information desks available, there are numerous information display boards throughout both terminals, and the staff at all the restaurants and shops are generally informed, approachable and helpful.

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Airport Facilities

Money and communications: Currency exchange facilities, as well as ATMs and banks, are widely available in both terminals of the airport. There are also a number of payphones available, throughout the terminals.

Luggage: The Airport’s Lost and Found Office deals with all items lost within the terminals and concourses. Passengers who have lost items at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport can contact the airport’s lost and found centre through their website, and have their lost item “FedExed” to them.

Conference and business: Conference and business facilities at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport are provided by the Westin Hotel (tel: (734) 942 6500), which is located in the McNamara Terminal. The hotel has a full range of conference facilities, including catering and audio-visual equipment, and even a video-conferencing service. Business lounges at the airport offer workstations, photocopying, faxing and local telephone services.

Other facilities: Vending machines, baby-changing facilities, shoeshine services and assistance for passengers with disabilities are all readily available at the airport. The McNamara Terminal boasts seven kids’ play areas, making it a great airport for parents travelling with young ones.

Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is available throughout the airport. The service provider at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is Boingo. Passengers who want to use this service will need to register with Boingo, either through the Boingo website beforehand, or at the airport, when your browser will be directed to a sign-up page. The service costs $7.95 for 24 hours’ access.

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