Ridgefield is a small Clark County city just north of Vancouver, Washington, and it’s built around a single local bus route plus an on-demand shuttle — not a big-city network. C-TRAN is the only agency here, and it’s also the one that gets you started toward Vancouver and, eventually, Portland.
The basics
Ridgefield’s own service is small and simple:
- Route 48 (Ridgefield/La Center) is the local bus. It links Ridgefield to La Center and to the 99th Street Transit Center in Vancouver, with a stop at the ilani casino resort along the way. From 99th Street Transit Center, you can transfer onto C-TRAN’s bigger Vancouver network.
- The Current is C-TRAN’s on-demand shuttle for Ridgefield and La Center — you request a ride by app, website, or phone, and it picks you up and drops you off within the service zone, similar to a rideshare.
There’s no light rail or streetcar in Ridgefield itself — for that, you’re heading into Portland, which is a different agency (TriMet).
How to pay
C-TRAN buses and The Current all take the same fare:
- Tap a Hop Fastpass card on the reader as you board. Cards cost $3 and can be loaded at C-TRAN’s Van Mall or Mill Plain Transit Center customer service offices, or managed through the Hop Fastpass app.
- Tap a contactless bank card or your phone (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay) — it’s charged the same fare automatically.
- Pay cash as you board — bring exact change, since drivers don’t carry any.
Unlike some transit systems, C-TRAN fares are checked by the driver as you board, not by roaming fare inspectors.
Fares
| Local (Ridgefield/Vancouver) | Regional (crossing into Portland) | Express to Portland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | $1.50 | $2.80 | $3.25 |
| Honored (65+, low-income, disabled, Medicare) | $0.75 | $1.40 | $3.25 (50% off 9am–3pm weekdays) |
| Youth (18 and under) | Free | $1.40 | $3.25 |
A Hop tap on Route 48 or The Current buys a 2½-hour transfer — if you then board a Regional or Express bus toward Portland, Hop automatically charges the difference up to that fare. Day and month caps also apply and cap out automatically the more you ride; ask C-TRAN Customer Service (360-695-0123) for the current cap amounts if you’re a frequent rider.
Getting from the airport
There’s no single, direct route between Ridgefield and Portland International Airport (PDX) — you’re connecting through Vancouver. The general path:
- Ride Route 48 (or book The Current) to the 99th Street Transit Center.
- Transfer to Route 105, C-TRAN’s all-day weekday Express bus into downtown Vancouver and Portland (it doesn’t run on weekends).
- In Portland, transfer to TriMet’s MAX light rail to reach the airport. A Hop tap paid at the Express fare covers this transfer within your 2½-hour window.
Cost: the Express fare ($3.25) covers the C-TRAN legs and the connecting MAX ride, if paid with Hop. No official source gives a total door-to-door travel time for this trip, so budget extra — and note the alert above: starting September 11, 2026, a five-week I-5 closure suspends Route 105’s downtown Portland service and reroutes Route 105X, so check c-tran.com before you travel. Given the number of transfers and the weekend gap, many Ridgefield travelers find driving or a rideshare more practical for airport trips.
Apps to download
- Transit — C-TRAN’s official app for real-time bus locations and trip planning; it can also suggest The Current for your trip and hand you off to the Current app to book with one tap.
- Hop Fastpass — for buying and reloading your fare card, or carrying a virtual one on your phone.
- The Current — C-TRAN’s own app for booking the on-demand shuttle directly.
When it runs
- Route 48 runs roughly every 2 hours, about 6:20am–8:15pm on weekdays and 7:50am–6:15pm on weekends and holidays.
- The Current operates 5:30am–7pm on weekdays and 8am–6pm on Saturday and Sunday in the Ridgefield/La Center zone.
- Route 105 to Portland runs all day, Monday through Friday only — there’s no weekday-style express service to Portland on weekends from this connection.
Accessibility
All C-TRAN buses are wheelchair lift/ramp-equipped and kneel to help riders board. C-VAN, C-TRAN’s paratransit service, doesn’t extend to Ridgefield or La Center — locally, The Current is the on-demand option if fixed-route Route 48 doesn’t work for you.
Etiquette & local quirks
- To signal your stop, pull the cord near the window about a block ahead — the driver won’t automatically stop unless someone’s requested it or waiting at a stop.
- After 8pm, you can ask the driver for a Safe Stop anywhere along the route where it’s safe to let you off, even between official stops.
- Route 48 stops right at ilani, the casino resort in La Center — a popular reason locals and visitors ride it.
- Have exact change ready if you’re paying cash; drivers can’t make change.
Good to know
- Washington law bans smoking (including e-cigarettes and vaporizers) within 25 feet of any C-TRAN bus, shelter, or building.
- Every C-TRAN vehicle is a SafeWatch vehicle — if you need help, you can flag one down even if you’re not riding.
- Because Route 48 runs only about every 2 hours, plan your trip around its schedule rather than assuming a bus will be along shortly — the Transit app’s real-time view helps confirm before you head out.