Getting Around Plano
Plano is a large, spread-out city, and the way you choose to travel will shape your visit. The short version: a car is by far the most practical option, public transit is genuinely useful but limited to a few corridors, and walking or cycling will only get you so far.
By Car
Driving is by far the best way — and, for most trips, the only reasonable way — to travel around Plano. The city's major roads follow a grid system, which makes navigation straightforward once you get your bearings. Local businesses often give their location as the intersection of two major roads, so addresses like "Coit and Legacy" are worth understanding before you set out.
Several major highways run through Plano, including the Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121), the Dallas North Tollway, US 75, and the George Bush Turnpike. US 75 runs straight through the east side of the city and connects to Interstate 45, making Plano easily accessible from Dallas by car.
Taxis and cars for hire are also readily available if you'd rather not drive yourself.
Public Transit: DART Rail
Dallas Area Rapid Transit, or DART, operates buses and two train lines within Plano. The network is small but connects the city to Dallas and to DFW International Airport.
- Red Line — a north-south light rail line that comes from Dallas in the south, stops in downtown Plano, and terminates shortly afterward at Parker Road Station.
- Silver Line — a northeast-southwest commuter train that comes from DFW Airport in the southwest, connects with the Red Line at 12th Street Station just south of downtown Plano, and terminates at Shiloh Road to the east.
From Parker Road Station, you can take a bus or an on-demand shuttle to reach much of the rest of the city.
Fares and Tickets
Trains and buses are all covered by the same fare, which makes transit simple to use once you're on the system. Unlimited access to the DART network costs $3 for a three-hour period or $6 for the entire day. For more detail on riding DART, see the Get Around section of the Dallas article.
Buses and On-Demand Shuttles
DART runs buses in the city alongside the two rail lines. The most useful connection point for bus service is Parker Road Station, from which you can take a bus or an on-demand shuttle to much of the rest of Plano. If your destination isn't near a rail stop, this is likely how you'll cover the last stretch.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis and cars for hire are readily available in Plano. Given how spread out the city is and how limited the transit coverage is outside the rail corridors, these are a sensible fallback for trips that don't line up with a bus or train.
Walkability and Biking
Plano is a very large and spread-out city, so walking is not a realistic way to cover most of it. Bike lanes, bike paths, and recreational bike trails do exist in some parts of Plano, but a bike will not allow you to get to most places in a reasonable amount of time. Treat both walking and cycling as options for a specific neighborhood or trail rather than as ways to get around the city as a whole.
Getting There from the Airport
The nearest airports are Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and Love Field, each roughly a 30-minute drive outside Plano. Both can also be reached by public transit.
- From DFW International Airport: Take the Silver Line from Terminal B Station directly to 12th Street Station, just south of downtown Plano. From 12th Street Station, ride the Red Line or Orange Line a short distance north to either Downtown Plano Station or Parker Road Station. Alternatively, you can take the DART Orange Line from Terminal A, but because the Orange Line reaches Plano via Downtown Dallas, this takes much longer than simply riding the Silver Line. During off-peak hours, the Orange Line ends at LBJ/Central Station, so you'll need to transfer to the Red Line there to complete the trip.
- From Dallas Love Field Airport: Take the DART shuttle bus from the lower level to reach Inwood/Love Field Station. From there, take the Orange Line south through downtown Dallas to Plano, or the Green Line north to Downtown Carrollton Station, where you can transfer to the Silver Line.
Practical Summary
- Plan on a car for most of your time in Plano; the grid of major roads makes driving easy.
- Use DART rail for connections to Dallas and DFW Airport, and buses or on-demand shuttles from Parker Road Station for the rest of the city.
- One fare covers trains and buses: $3 for three hours or $6 for a day.
- From DFW, the Silver Line is the direct, faster option; the Orange Line works but routes through Downtown Dallas.
- From Love Field, a shuttle bus links the airport to the rail network.
- Don't count on walking or biking to get across the city — it's too spread out.