I’ve been to Portland a few times for various conferences and gatherings, and I’ve always been there without a car. So I’ve tried a few different ways to get from PDX airport to Downtown Portland, and I thought that I would share some of what I’ve found out. There are a few different ways you can try, but I think I’ve found the best way to get from Portland airport to Downtown Portland, and I thought I would display the different options so that you can make the right decision for your particular situation.
How to get from Portland airport to Portland – car, taxi or Uber
You can get from Portland airport to the Portland Convention Center or other places in Downtown Portland by car, taxi or Uber of course, but depending on traffic, you’re going to be either paying an arm and a leg… or TWO arms and TWO legs :-). How far is it from PDX airport to Downtown Portland ? It’s only about 8 to 10 miles, depending on where exactly you’re going, but it can take quite awhile if there’s traffic.
It will take you about 25-30 minutes if there’s no traffic, and can be as much as 40 to 60 minutes if traffic is bad. How much will it cost to get from PDX to Downtown Portland with Uber? In the times I’ve checked, it’s been anywhere from USD$22 to $45)
If you do want to take a taxi, you can generally get better rates if you book it through a service like Carmel Limo — plus you can save $4 off using this link.
There are a variety of airport shuttles as well which will cost about the same amount to get to Downtown Portland. You can check out GO Airport Shuttle, and use coupon code GOWEB to save $5 off your ride anywhere between PDX and points downtown.
The cheapest and best way to get from Portland PDX airport to Portland
My preferred way to get from PDX to downtown Portland and what I think is the best way to get from the Portland airport to downtown is taking public transport, specifically the MAX light rail.
The MAX light rail system has a station right at PDX and has a direct route to several places in Downtown Portland. In my case, I was headed to the Oregon Convention Center, which has a MAX stop right outside the building
Step-by-Step Guide To Using MAX Light Rail to get from PDX to Downtown Portland
The MAX Light rail runs every 15 minutes from the airport, and it’s quite easy to get to the station. After you deplane, follow the signs for baggage claim and ground transportation and the airport exit.
You’ll go down a level to the baggage claim area
Pass the baggage carousels and continue to follow the signs for the MAX Light Rail
It is a bit of a journey, but the signage is good, and eventually you will go out this door to the outside
Once outside, it’s a short walk to the MAX Light Rail station
How To Pay For The MAX Light Rail From PDX To Portland
Once you’ve reached the MAX Light Rail station, you’ll need to pay for your MAX Light Rail ticket to go from PDX to Downtown Portland. Portland’s public transit system (TriMet) uses the Hop card, but if you are a visitor like I am, the good news is that you don’t need to get an actual physical card. Instead, you can either use Google Pay or Apple Pay or even a contactless credit card. I used my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (read review) – you just tap it on one of these machines that are located right outside the train platform.
You will tap on but then do not need to tap off when using your Apple Pay, Google Pay or contactless credit card.
How much does it cost to ride the MAX Light Rail from PDX To Downtown Portland?
Trips on the MAX Light Rail are USD$2.80, regardless of where you go. So the ticket price to ride the MAX Light Rail from Portland Airport to Portland is USD$2.80. If you are transferring to another line, including bus routes, you don’t need to pay anything else. Your ticket is good for 3 hours of travel on the TriMet system in Portland.
The Bottom Line
The total trip from PDX to Downtown Portland should take you about 25-30 minutes, and the best part about your trip is that you won’t have to deal with traffic. I would say that it is definitely significantly cheaper to take the train to get from PDX to Downtown Portland, and it’s likely faster or about as fast in most cases as well.
Readers – any other tips on how to get from Portland airport to Downtown Portland?Â
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at
The tram is super easy in Portland unless you just have gobs of luggage. Sorry you had to stay at the Hyatt Regency there. The location is pretty awful. The Hyatt Centric is much better located.
It wasn’t too bad for me because I’m here for a conference at the Convention Center next door 🙂