Minneapolis and St. Paul share one transit system — Metro Transit — with a flat, simple fare and a light rail line that runs straight from the airport into downtown. There’s no fumbling with zones or peak surcharges: one tap, one price, all day.
The basics
Metro Transit runs it all under the METRO brand:
- METRO Blue Line — light rail from Mall of America, through the airport, up to downtown Minneapolis and Target Field.
- METRO Green Line — light rail linking downtown Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, and downtown St. Paul.
- Bus rapid transit — the Gold, Orange, and Red lines run on dedicated busway or freeway lanes; the A, B, C, D, and E lines are arterial BRT running in mixed traffic on major streets, with off-board payment and fewer stops than a regular bus.
- Local and express buses — the rest of the network, covering the neighborhoods and suburbs the trains and BRT lines don’t reach.
One heads-up if you’re researching from older guides: the Northstar commuter train to the northwest suburbs was discontinued in January 2026 and replaced with expanded bus service on that corridor.
How to pay
Everything runs on one fare system, with a few ways to pay it:
- Tap a Go-To card on the reader as you board (or at a station platform reader for light rail and BRT lines). Load it online, in the app, or at a station ticket machine.
- Use the Metro Transit app to buy and store a mobile ticket, then show it when asked.
- Pay cash — on a regular bus, drop it in the farebox by the driver (exact change only, no change given); at light rail and BRT stations, buy a paper ticket from the platform ticket machine before you board.
Light rail and BRT stations have no fare gates — it’s a proof-of-payment system, so buy or tap before you board and keep your ticket or card handy. On most buses you pay when you board, but on some express buses leaving downtown during the afternoon rush, you pay as you get off.
Fares
A single fare buys 2½ hours of unlimited transfers across buses and trains:
| Fare | |
|---|---|
| Adult, local bus & METRO | $2 (same all day, every day) |
| Reduced (youth 6–12, seniors 65+, Medicare) | $1 |
| Express bus | $2.50 off-peak / $3.25 rush hour |
| All-Day Pass | $4 adult / $2 reduced |
| Downtown Zone (short downtown-only trips) | 50¢ |
| Nicollet Mall | Free |
Riders certified for Metro Mobility (paratransit) or enrolled in the Transit Assistance Program — a $1-a-ride program for lower-income riders, open regardless of citizenship status — get further discounts; see Metro Transit’s site to apply.
Getting from the airport
Take the METRO Blue Line — it stops right at both MSP terminals.
- Stations: Terminal 1–Lindbergh and Terminal 2–Humphrey, each served directly by the Blue Line.
- Time: under 30 minutes to Target Field in downtown Minneapolis.
- Cost: the standard $2 fare — buy it at the station ticket machine or in the app before you board.
- Frequency: trains every 12 minutes.
- Between terminals: the ride between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 is free and runs 24 hours a day, even when the rest of the line doesn’t.
Right now, this is running as replacement buses, not trains — see the alert at the top of this guide. The route and fare are the same; just budget extra time.
Apps to download
- Metro Transit app — the official app for buying and storing mobile tickets and loading a Go-To card.
- NexTrip — Metro Transit’s real-time arrivals tool, for knowing exactly when the next bus or train shows up.
- Google Maps — solid for trip planning, with live Metro Transit data built in.
When it runs
METRO lines — Blue, Green, and the bus rapid transit lines — run at least every 15 minutes for most of the day. Local and express buses fill in the rest of the network on their own schedules; check NexTrip or the trip planner for a specific route and time.
Accessibility
Buses kneel and deploy ramps, and light rail platforms board level with the train. Priority seating near the front doors is set aside for riders who have a harder time standing or moving. Metro Mobility is Metro Transit’s shared-ride paratransit service for certified riders who can’t use regular fixed-route service — certified riders tap on for free on buses and METRO lines.
Etiquette & local quirks
- Bikes ride free. Buses have a two-bike rack on the front bumper; light rail cars have four bike racks inside — load into the one farthest from the door if you can.
- Tap or buy before you board on light rail and BRT — there’s no gate to stop you, but TRIP Agents do check, and it’s on you to have proof.
- Grab a free transfer if you pay cash on the bus — ask the driver, good for 2½ hours just like a card tap.
- Many downtown Minneapolis buildings connect via the Skyway system — useful for avoiding a transfer wait in a Minnesota winter.
Good to know
- Fare enforcement: riding without proof of payment gets you an administrative citation — $35 for a first offense (waivable by loading value onto a card), rising to $55, then $75 with a 60-day suspension, then $100 with a 120-day suspension for repeat violations. You have 90 days to resolve a citation.
- Winters are serious. Sub-zero cold snaps happen most winters; platforms are outdoors, so dress for the wait, not just the ride.
- The Blue Line closure is temporary but current — see the alert at the top of this guide before you plan an airport trip through August 19, 2026.