Getting Around Metairie: A Practical Guide for Visitors
Metairie is an unincorporated community in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, sitting just west of New Orleans and forming part of the New Orleans metropolitan area. Because it is unincorporated, it has no single downtown core in the municipal sense, but its commercial life clusters along a few major arteries. That layout shapes how you get around: this is a car-oriented, suburban-style community rather than a dense city with a walkable center.
The Lay of the Land
Understanding Metairie's main roads is the key to moving around it. Three arteries do most of the work:
- Veterans Boulevard (Veterans Highway) — the wide main commercial avenue, running east to west. It is lined with businesses and is the spine of everyday driving in Metairie.
- Metairie Road — narrow and winding, running through the older part of town and flanked by more upscale small businesses.
- Causeway Boulevard — runs south to north, connecting with the causeway across Lake Pontchartrain to the North Shore. The central business district of Metairie sits on Causeway Boulevard near Lake Pontchartrain.
Interstate 10 is the main auto route in the area. Metairie is bordered by New Orleans to the east, Kenner to the west, and Lake Pontchartrain to the north, with the 17th Street Canal forming the border with New Orleans on the east side.
Getting Around by Car
By car is the practical way to get around Metairie. The community is spread out and oriented around its commercial boulevards, so having a vehicle makes it far easier to reach shops, restaurants, and attractions. If you are basing yourself in Metairie to explore the wider New Orleans area, a car gives you the most flexibility, and I-10 links you quickly to neighboring communities.
Rail, Metro and Tram
There is no rail, metro, or tram network serving Metairie today. Historically, an electric streetcar was installed along the old ridge road in the late 1910s, which opened the area to greater development — but that is a piece of history, not a current transport option. Visitors should not expect to move around Metairie by train or tram.
Buses and Public Transport
Public transit in Metairie is poor. While there are some bus routes, they do not form a convenient network for getting around the community, and you should not plan a visit around relying on them. If you intend to use public transport as your primary means of movement, Metairie is a difficult choice; a car or ride-hailing is far more practical.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Because the bus network is limited and the community is spread out along commercial boulevards, taxis and ride-hailing services are a sensible alternative for visitors who do not have a car. They are best suited to point-to-point trips — for example, between your accommodation and a restaurant or business along Veterans Boulevard or Causeway Boulevard — rather than for spontaneous wandering, since destinations are dispersed.
Walkability
Metairie is not a walking destination in the way a dense historic city is. Its commercial activity is strung along wide, car-oriented arteries such as Veterans Boulevard, and the community covers a broad area. Walking can work for a specific local errand or a stroll through one of the parks — Lafreniere Park and Pontiff Playground are among the notable green spaces — but you should not expect to cover the community on foot.
Getting There from the Airport
Louis Armstrong International Airport, the main airport of the Greater New Orleans area, is located in suburban Kenner, which borders Metairie just to the west. That makes the airport conveniently close to Metairie by road. The most straightforward way to reach Metairie from the airport is by car, taxi, or ride-hailing service; given how limited public transit is in Metairie, these are the options a visitor can count on. Once you are in Metairie, I-10 is the main auto route connecting you onward to the rest of the area.
Quick Practical Summary
- Best option: a car, or taxis and ride-hailing for point-to-point trips.
- Know your roads: Veterans Boulevard (east–west commercial spine), Metairie Road (older, winding, upscale small businesses), Causeway Boulevard (south–north, toward the lake causeway).
- Public transit: some bus routes exist, but service is poor — don't build your trip around it.
- No rail, metro, or tram: the old streetcar is history, not a current option.
- Walking: fine for parks and local errands, not for getting around the community as a whole.
- From the airport: Louis Armstrong International Airport sits in neighboring Kenner to the west; reach Metairie by car, taxi, or ride-hailing.