St. Louis runs on one system that ties together both sides of the Mississippi — MetroLink light rail connects downtown, the airport, and Illinois’ Metro East, with MetroBus filling in the rest. The catch right now: Metro is in the middle of switching how you pay, with new fare gates going up at every MetroLink station through the summer, so it’s worth reading the how-to-pay section before you go.
The basics
MetroLink is the light rail spine, with two lines that share track through downtown:
- Red Line — runs from Lambert Airport Terminal #1 in the west out to Shiloh-Scott in Illinois, passing through downtown.
- Blue Line — runs from Shrewsbury-Lansdowne in the south out to Fairview Heights, Illinois, also through downtown. It doesn’t serve the airport.
Both lines share stations between Forest Park-DeBaliviere and Fairview Heights, which covers downtown stops like Union Station, Civic Center, and 8th & Pine.
Around that, MetroBus runs more than 50 routes across a service area topping 500 square miles on both the Missouri and Illinois sides. Metro Call-A-Ride is the ADA paratransit service, and Via Metro STL is a newer on-demand shuttle filling gaps in parts of St. Louis County. Across the river in Madison County, Illinois, Madison County Transit (MCT) runs its own buses that connect into MetroLink.
How to pay
Metro is mid-changeover to a new fare system, so how you pay depends a bit on where you are:
- The Transit app — Metro’s official app. Buy a ticket, then show or scan it to board.
- The Ride On app — Metro’s own simpler fare-only app, if you don’t need trip planning.
- A Ride On card — a reloadable physical card, if you’d rather not use a phone. Load a 7-day or 30-day pass, or a “Tap & Ride” balance, at a station ticket machine.
- Cash — still works, but only at a ticket vending machine on the platform or MetroBus stop, not at a MetroLink fare gate itself, and MetroBus drivers can’t make change, so bring exact fare.
The old plastic Gateway Card was permanently switched off on January 1, 2026 — if you still have one, it won’t work anymore (except for ADA paratransit and senior reduced-fare cardholders, who can keep using theirs).
Fare gates are going up at every MetroLink station in phases through mid-August 2026 (see the alert above) — at a gated station you’ll need a valid digital ticket to get through, so buy and validate before you reach the gate.
Fares
| Single ride | |
|---|---|
| MetroBus (cash) | $1.00 |
| MetroLink (cash) | $2.50 |
Passes cover both bus and rail:
| Pass | Standard | Reduced |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Day | $5.00 | — |
| 7-Day | $27.00 | — |
| 30-Day | $78.00 | $39.00 |
Reduced fares: kids 4 and under ride free; kids 5–12 ride at half price with no permit needed; seniors 65+ ride at half price with a Senior Reduced Fare Permit. ADA paratransit riders travel free through Metro’s On the Way With ADA program.
Crossing into Illinois? Madison County Transit’s own local fare is $1 and its express fare (for trips to or from St. Louis) is $3 — but MCT’s $3 2-hour Regional Pass is also valid for unlimited rides on MetroBus and MetroLink during that window, so it’s a handy one-ticket option if you’re moving between systems.
Getting from the airport
Take the MetroLink Red Line — the station sits right at Lambert Airport’s Terminal #1.
- Cost: $2.50, same as any other MetroLink ride.
- Route: straight through to downtown St. Louis without a transfer.
Metro doesn’t publish a specific airport-to-downtown travel time, so budget some slack, especially if you haven’t bought your ticket yet — buy and validate it before you reach the platform gate.
Apps to download
- Transit — Metro’s official app: real-time arrivals, trip planning, and buying or validating your fare in one place.
- Ride On — Metro’s own app if all you want is to buy a ticket or pass without the trip-planning extras.
- Via Metro STL — for booking the $2 on-demand shuttle in parts of North, South, and West St. Louis County.
When it runs
MetroLink operates seven days a week, roughly 5am to 1am. Metro doesn’t publish specific train frequencies, so check the Transit app or a station schedule for your line and time of day.
Accessibility
All MetroLink trains, platforms, and stations are ADA accessible, with audible and visual announcements at stations. All MetroBus vehicles have lifts or ramps and reserved space for mobility devices. Metro Call-A-Ride provides ADA paratransit for riders who qualify — call 314-982-1510 or email adaservices@metrostlouis.org to apply or confirm eligibility.
Etiquette & local quirks
- Buy your ticket before you reach the gate. With fare gates rolling out station by station, showing up at a gated platform without a ticket already validated means a stop at the machine before you can board.
- Heading into Illinois? MetroLink and some MetroBus routes cross the river into St. Clair County, and MCT buses connect further out into Madison County — different agency, but the fares interconnect (see above).
- Keep exact change handy for MetroBus — drivers can’t make change.
Good to know
- The fare system is genuinely in flux this summer. If something about payment looks different from what a friend described last month, it probably is — check metrostlouis.org/nextgenfare for the current state before you travel.
- Contactless bank card tap-to-pay isn’t supported yet at fare validators — for now it’s the Transit app, Ride On app, Ride On card, or cash/ticket at a machine.
- On the Way With ADA riders and eligible seniors keep using their existing cards under the new system — no need to re-enroll.