Columbus runs on buses, full stop. The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) is the only public transportation provider in town, and it’s the only mode there is — Columbus has no light rail, streetcar, or subway. What COTA does run, it runs well: one flat fare, a brand-new tap-to-pay system, and a direct bus from the airport.
The basics
COTA’s network is almost all local bus routes fanning out from downtown, plus a few things worth knowing by name:
- CMAX — a bus rapid transit line running about 15.6 miles up Cleveland Avenue, from downtown to the OhioHealth Westerville Medical Campus, with its own rush-hour lanes, traffic signal priority, and real-time arrival screens at each station.
- COTA//Plus — an on-demand, app-booked microtransit service (like a shared rideshare) inside a few specific zones: Grove City, Westerville, and the South Side. It’s a different app and a different fare than the fixed-route network.
- Mainstream — COTA’s ADA paratransit service, for riders who can’t use fixed-route buses.
More rapid-transit corridors are coming: Central Ohio voters approved a regional funding plan called LinkUS in November 2024, which is paying for new bus rapid transit lines and a 45% increase in COTA’s service hours over the next several years.
How to pay
COTA just made paying a lot simpler. You’ve got four ways to do it:
- Tap to Pay (new as of January 2026) — tap a Visa or Mastercard debit/credit card, or your phone/smartwatch wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), right on the farebox as you board at the front door. No account needed, no fee added, and it automatically applies fare capping and your two-hour transfer — as long as you keep using the same card or device every time.
- The Transit app — load money onto a digital account and tap your phone, or just use it to track buses and pay in-app.
- A COTA Smartcard — a free physical card you register at the Customer Experience Center (33 N. High St.) or online; it gets you fare capping without needing a smartphone, and it’s the way to get a reduced-fare or family account.
- Cash — exact change only, paid to the farebox as you board; ask the operator for a paper transfer if you’ll need one.
One quirk worth knowing: each card or phone only covers one rider. If you’re traveling with a companion, you each need your own payment method (cash is easiest for groups), or set up a Smartcard family account ahead of time.
Fares
Every fixed-route trip — Standard, Frequent, or Rush Hour service — costs the same:
| Single ride | Day pass | 31-day pass | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | $2.00 | $4.50 | $62 |
| Children 5–12 | $1.00 | $2.25 | $31 |
| Reduced fare (65+, Medicare, disability, veterans, qualifying assistance programs) | $1.00 | $2.25 | $31 |
| ADA cardholders | Free | Free | Free |
| Kids 4 & under | Free | — | — |
A single fare includes a free transfer within two hours to another route of the same type; switching between fare types (say, a Standard route to a Rush Hour express) costs an extra $0.75. You don’t need to plan ahead for the caps, either — pay with the same Tap to Pay card, Transit app account, or Smartcard every time, and COTA automatically stops charging you once you hit $4.50 in a day or $62 in a calendar month.
One more thing worth knowing: COTA waives fares systemwide on any day the National Weather Service’s Wilmington, Ohio office issues a heat or cold advisory or warning.
Getting from the airport
John Glenn International Airport (CMH) doesn’t have a train — take COTA Route 7 (Mt Vernon). It’s a regular city bus, not a special airport express, and it costs the same standard $2.00 fare as any other ride.
- The stop is on the baggage-claim level, at the airport’s ground transportation area.
- Route 7 splits into two branches a few miles from downtown — make sure you’re on the Airport branch, not the Easton Town Center branch.
- You may see older references online to a dedicated “AirConnect” airport shuttle — it’s been discontinued; Route 7 is the current public bus link.
Apps to download
- Transit — COTA’s recommended app for real-time bus tracking, trip planning, and paying fares with the “GO” feedback feature.
- Google Maps — solid for trip planning with live COTA data, and it can load a Day Pass straight into Google Wallet.
- MagnusCards — a free visual, step-by-step guide to riding COTA (boarding, paying, transferring), built for autistic and neurodiverse riders but handy for anyone new to the system.
When it runs
COTA groups routes into three service types: Standard routes run all day, every 16 to 60 minutes; Frequent routes run all day at 15 minutes or better; and Rush Hour routes only run weekdays, 6:30–9am and 3–6pm. Across the network, the earliest buses start a little after 4am, and the last trips of the night wrap up by around 1am — there’s no overnight or 24-hour service. COTA adjusts routes and schedules three times a year, in January, May, and September.
Accessibility
All fixed-route buses lower to the curb and deploy ramps for wheelchairs and other mobility devices, and stops are announced both over the speaker and on a visual display. Service animals and mobility devices are welcome aboard. For riders who can’t use fixed-route buses, COTA Mainstream provides ADA paratransit (shared, scheduled rides, a flat $3.50 a trip, or $105 for a 31-day/30-trip pass) and Mainstream On-Demand (private, same-day, door-to-door rides via Uzurv, priced by mileage — $5 minimum plus $1 per additional mile); both require an application and an in-person functional assessment, though visitors to Columbus can get temporary Mainstream eligibility for up to 21 days. The MagnusCards app offers guided, visual travel training for neurodiverse riders.
Etiquette & local quirks
- Board at the front, pay as you board — this isn’t an honor-system network; have your fare ready at the door.
- Exit at the rear, and pull the yellow cord ahead of your stop to request it — operators don’t stop at every stop automatically.
- Bikes ride free on the fold-down rack at the front of every bus, which holds two bikes at a time.
- Park & Ride lots are free at transit centers around the region if you’re driving in from the suburbs.
- Remember that a single tap-to-pay card or phone only pays for one person — plan ahead if you’re riding as a group.
Good to know
- COTA’s Zoo Bus runs a seasonal, separate $2.00 route to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium from May through October — a nice option if you’re headed there without a car.
- The agency is in the middle of a yearslong expansion under LinkUS, the funding plan Central Ohio voters approved in 2024, so expect new bus rapid transit corridors and added service hours to keep rolling out over the next few years.
- COTA bus stops post a unique ID number — text it to 95292 for a real-time arrival estimate without opening an app.