Getting Around Minneapolis
Minneapolis is the larger half of the Twin Cities, sitting on both banks of the Upper Mississippi River and adjoining Saint Paul. For a visitor, the practical geography is simple: downtown is compact and walkable, a light rail spine connects downtown to the airport and the Mall of America, and a second light rail line links downtown to the University of Minnesota and on to Saint Paul. Public transport across the region is operated by Metro Transit.
Orientation and Walkability
Downtown Minneapolis is laid out on a grid, and learning the street naming system pays off quickly. The city is divided into quadrants — North, South, Northeast and Southeast — and Hennepin Avenue forms the divider between streets labeled N and S near downtown. East of the Mississippi, the same division continues, splitting the city into Northeast (NE) and Southeast (SE). Further west of downtown, the dividing line runs along Linden Avenue, just north of the I-394 freeway.
Street signs use a color code that is genuinely useful on foot and behind the wheel:
- Blue signs mark major roads that are "Snow Emergency Routes" — the first to be plowed during heavy snowstorms.
- Rust-colored signs indicate roads that run primarily east-west.
- Light green signs indicate roads that run primarily north-south.
- Dark green signs indicate scenic parkways that ring the city and the lakes.
Most downtown hotels sit within a few minutes' walk of the light rail and the bus stops along Hennepin Avenue, which makes the core easy to cover on foot. Beyond downtown, the city spreads out and walking becomes less practical for crossing town, though the park system and the lakes are pleasant on foot or by bike.
Light Rail
The Metro Light Rail is the backbone of visitor transit. It consists of two lines, the Blue Line and the Green Line, and both run on 5th Street through downtown Minneapolis.
- Green Line: past downtown it runs on Washington Avenue through the University of Minnesota campus, then along University Avenue through Saint Paul, terminating at Union Depot in downtown Saint Paul.
- Blue Line: heads to South Minneapolis along Hiawatha Avenue, then passes through MSP Airport before terminating at the Mall of America in Bloomington.
The northern head of the light rail is a station at 5th Street and 3rd Avenue North, next to Target Field — home of the Minnesota Twins and also the southern terminus of the Northstar Line. Along Hennepin next to that station are bus stops for Route 6, which connects Uptown, Downtown, and Dinkytown/the University of Minnesota. This light rail and Route 6 nexus is a good starting point for first-time visitors, since most downtown hotels are within a few minutes' walk.
Riding south from downtown, stops of visitor interest include U.S. Bank Stadium, home to the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and host to concerts and large events, and Cedar/Riverside, near the Cedar-Riverside (West Bank) neighborhood. That neighborhood is vibrant and diverse but also has a reputation for being sometimes dangerous — the practical advice is to stay in well-lit areas and take a cab home if you stay out late, since bars are open until 2AM.
Buses
Metro Transit also runs an extensive bus network. The routes and fares can be confusing to non-natives, but the Metro Transit website is user-friendly: its Trip Planner takes your beginning and ending points and times and suggests the best route, and you can customize it for walking distances, number of transfers, and similar preferences. Because routes are anything but linear, it is worth carrying a schedule and map for any bus route you ride — these are available on buses (generally right behind the driver) as well as at many city government buildings and libraries.
Bus stops are nearly everywhere throughout the city, but some are served infrequently, and some are not labeled as to which routes serve them at which times. White Metro Transit notices are sometimes posted at stops to flag route changes due to construction, local events, or parades.
Express buses largely terminate one block over from the light rail at Hennepin and South 4th Street, which makes them relevant if you are staying in suburban accommodations. If you are staying at the airport, you can reach downtown via the light rail instead.
Fares and Passes
Single-ride fares on local and limited-stop services, including the Metro Light Rail, are $2 for all days and times, and include unlimited transfers for 2.5 hours. Express services cost $3.25 during peak hours and $2.50 during off-peak hours.
Unlimited ride passes are available in 1-day, 7-day, and 31-day formats, and stored value (pay-per-ride) passes are also available:
- Day passes ($6): can be purchased online, at a Metro Transit Store, from a bus driver, or from a ticket machine at any light rail station.
- 7-day ($24) and 31-day ($65–120) passes: must be loaded on a Go-To card, which can be purchased online, at a Metro Transit Store, or at participating Metro Transit sales outlets.
- Stored value: can be loaded on a Go-To card in increments of $10, up to $400.
Once you have a Go-To card, reloading it with new unlimited ride passes or stored value is easy and can be done online, at Metro Transit stores and outlets, or at light rail ticket machines.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis and ride-hailing services are a practical option for trips that do not line up with transit, and for getting home late from nightlife districts such as Cedar-Riverside. The intercity bus terminal at N 3rd Ave and N 5th St is just a few minutes' taxi ride from most downtown hotels, which gives a sense of how short taxi hops around the core tend to be.
Arriving by Air
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is located toward the south of the city, on the city limits, southeast of downtown. The airport has two terminals: Terminal 1-Lindbergh and Terminal 2-Humphrey, with most flights arriving at Terminal 1. There is no airside connection between the terminals — transferring between them requires using the metro, which is free between the two stations. Know which terminal you are arriving at or departing from, because transferring between the two can be time-consuming.
The METRO Blue Line light rail is the key connection: it operates between the airport and downtown, the Mall of America, and parts of South Minneapolis, and offers connections to buses serving other parts of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The trains are convenient, fast, and clean. The fare is $2 regardless of time or day, and includes a transfer to any local bus or train for 2.5 hours after purchase. The light rail has stations at both terminals, so you can board directly from either one.
Arriving by Intercity Bus or Train
Greyhound, Jefferson Lines, and FlixBus buses arrive at the lower level of the transit center at N 3rd Ave and N 5th St (516 2nd Ave North). It is just a few minutes' taxi ride from most downtown hotels and a couple of blocks from a few major bus routes and the light rail; some routes make additional stops. Megabus serves Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago, stopping in downtown Minneapolis at 318 3rd Avenue North, between Washington Avenue and 5th Street, under the Ramp C parking garage, with an indoor waiting area nearby and the Target Field Metro Light Rail station three blocks away. Daily long-distance inter-city train service is available at Union Depot in downtown Saint Paul.
Arriving by Car
Interstate Highways 35W and 94 are the main arteries into town, both taking you to the edges of downtown. I-35W runs mostly north-south and I-94 east-west, and both connect to the I-494/694 beltway around the metro area. I-394 runs west from downtown to I-494, where it becomes US Hwy 12. Keep an eye on which lane you are in, as freeway interchanges come up fast and traffic backups can occur at any time, day or night; the morning (7–9AM) and evening (3–7PM) rush hours are predictably congested.