Getting Around Fargo
Fargo is a compact, car-friendly city with a walkable core and a modest public transport network. For a visitor, the practical picture is simple: downtown is best explored on foot, buses cover much of the city on weekdays and Saturdays, and taxis or ride-hailing fill in the gaps — especially for the airport, which buses do not serve.
Rail: Amtrak's Empire Builder
Fargo has a railway station near downtown, surrounded by restaurants and bars, with food trucks often found nearby in summertime. Amtrak's Empire Builder serves the station daily on its route between Seattle/Portland and Chicago, with stops including Spokane, Glacier National Park, Saint Paul, and Milwaukee. Between Seattle and Spokane, and between Portland and Spokane, the train splits into separate branches, then operates as a combined train between Spokane and Chicago.
Two practical warnings for visitors: the arrival time in Fargo is in the middle of the night, around 2:30AM, and delays are quite common on this route. If you plan to arrive or depart by train, build in flexibility and arrange your onward transport in advance.
Buses
Matbus provides bus transportation Monday through Saturday to most parts of the city and to Moorhead, Minnesota, across the river. Note that Matbus does not serve the airport.
For longer-distance travel, Jefferson Lines connects Fargo with cities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana. Jefferson Lines has three stops in the Fargo–Moorhead area:
- Fargo (NDSU) at 1201 University Drive N
- Fargo (Jefferson Lines) at 1211 41st St N
- Moorhead (MSU – Comstock) at 615 14th Street S, Moorhead
Check all three stops when booking, since different buses serve different stops — and be aware that the main Fargo (Jefferson Lines) stop sits well out on the outskirts of town.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Uber and Lyft both operate in the Fargo area. These are the most straightforward option for trips that buses don't cover, including the airport.
Walking
Fargo has maintained a charming and very walkable downtown area, which is also within tolerable walking distance of downtown Moorhead across the river. Parking around Fargo is plentiful, even on the main thoroughfares in the downtown areas, so driving in and walking once you've parked is easy.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Hector International Airport (FAR) is small, served by Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, and United, with flights to Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, and Dallas. The airport has only a few gates and a handful of food options, mostly outside of security; North Dakota souvenirs are also sold outside security.
There are no buses to the airport. If you are not renting a car or being picked up by someone, your main ground transportation options are taxi, Uber, or Lyft.
If you can't find a suitable flight into Fargo and want to get creative, the nearest major airport is Minneapolis–Saint Paul, roughly a four-hour drive or a five-hour bus ride away.
Arriving by Car
Fargo sits at the intersection of Interstate Highways 29 and 94. It's about 230 miles (370 km) northwest of the Twin Cities on I-94, a drive of roughly three hours and twenty minutes.