How to get to Houston
Whether you’ve been to Houston before or are traveling here for the first time, getting around this sprawling metropolis is no easy task. The fourth-largest city in the U.S. by population (more than 2.3 million people), it covers more than 600 square miles, making it one of the largest by land area as well. You can drive for over an hour from one end to the other and still be inside Houston’s city limits.
Because the city is so spread out, navigating Houston can be a challenge for visitors, but our guide can help you figure out the best way to get around the city once you’re there. In this chapter, we’ll cover how to get to and from Houston and how to get from either airport to area hotels. Our later chapter on “Local Transit” will cover how to get to/from the stadium.
In this chapter we’ll cover the following:
Flying to Houston: which airport to choose when visiting Minute Maid Park
Houston Intercontinental Airport's Tower
Houston has two airports:
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is located in the northeastern part of Houston near the Sam Houston Tollway and U.S. Hwy 59/Interstate 69 (yes, this freeway has two names), and is approximately a 25-30 minute drive from Minute Maid Park, without traffic.
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) is located in the southeastern part of Houston near Interstate 45, approximately a 15-20 minute drive from Minute Maid Park without traffic.
Which is more convenient to get to Minute Maid Park?
Hobby is the smaller of the two airports, while IAH has more international flight traffic and is generally more congested. Driving to the ballpark via a major interstate from either airport is relatively simple, but Hobby is somewhat closer. The time it takes to get from either airport to the ballpark just depends on traffic.
From IAH, US 59/I-69 will take you straight to the ballpark. Though this is a straight shot into town, the traffic tends to be heavier on this highway than the one that runs from Hobby to Minute Maid Park. From Hobby, I-45 is the main freeway you’ll take to get to the ballpark. It’s open and easy to navigate, so the drive is a bit less hectic than commuting from IAH to Minute Maid Park.
Since both airports are convenient to Minute Maid Park, we recommend flying into whichever one has flights that better fit your schedule.
From the airport to your hotel: should you rent a car for your Minute Maid Park trip, or stick to public transportation and rideshares?
If you choose a hotel near the ballpark, renting a car isn’t necessary, but it’s worth considering if you plan to do anything outside of the immediate downtown area. The city is so expansive, and there are so many points of interest around town that renting a car can be easier than using rideshare services if you’re going to be doing a lot of moving around. So, the choice of whether or not to rent a car really just depends on where you stay and what your plans are outside of visiting Minute Maid Park.
But also consider this: depending on what time you arrive/leave Houston, you’ll need to factor in the pickup and return times for a rental car as they relate to your game times and flight times. Both IAH and HOU have off-airport rental car centers that require a shuttle bus to get to. So depending on shuttle times and how busy the rental car company you chose might be, you could be looking at an additional hour of time added into your process (and even more if you need to stop for fuel on the way back to the airport). That extra time could mean the difference between getting to a Friday evening game by first pitch, or making your return flight home. If the choice between renting a car or not renting a car is close, then we say opt for not renting one. Your total out of pocket cost will probably be lower (if you aren’t traveling beyond the downtown area), and it will definitely save you time.
If you aren’t renting a car, both airports offer rideshare and taxi services that can take you to your hotel. Simply exit the baggage claim area and follow the signs to the designated taxi or rideshare pickup area. Here’s what you can expect to pay to get from each airport to downtown:
| IAH to Downtown | Hobby to Downtown | |
|---|---|---|
| Uber | $30-40 | $25-30 |
| Lyft | $25-35 | $25-30 |
| Taxi | $55-60 | $30-35 |
| Bus | $1.25 | $1.25 |
Taking public transit from the airports to downtown Houston
Houston's Metro Bus
There’s no rail line running from either airport into the city, and there are no downtown hotels that run free airport shuttles. But, believe it or not, you can take the public bus from both airports to downtown Houston. But the travel time is about an hour from IAH and 1:15 from Hobby, plus the time you’ll spend walking from the dropoff point to your hotel. The IAH bus is at least a direct line that doesn’t require a transfer, while the bus from Hobby would require one.
Are these doable options? Yes. Is it the kind of thing that people do in Houston? No. This is a very slow, very tedious, and, quite frankly, just not well populated way to get around Houston, and we simply don’t recommend it. If you’re looking to save money, we would suggest that airport to downtown transit isn’t the best place to do it. This is a driving city, and we just can’t recommend the bus option unless you are an extreme cost-cutter.
Taking public transit once you’re downtown
METRORail, Houston's Light Rail
As opposed to the bus from the airports, once you’re in downtown Houston, the city’s METRORail service does offer an inexpensive way to get around the city’s interior. Depending on where you choose to stay, the rail may be able to get you from your hotel to the ballpark. It’s a safe way to get around, but the points of access are relatively limited since residents mainly use it to commute within the city’s central neighborhoods.
In general, our suggestion is that if your trip’s main purpose is going to Minute Maid Park and you won’t be doing too much exploring around the city, then using taxis or rideshares will be the easiest and most cost-efficient way to go.
Getting to Houston by car
If you plan to drive to Houston, Google Maps has all you need to help you navigate to your hotel or directly to the park. Rush hour traffic peaks across the city from 8-9am, and then again from 4-6pm, and inching along bumper-to-bumper on major Houston freeways during those times isn’t uncommon. Be careful if you’re driving in on gameday, and give yourself plenty of time to get downtown well in advance of your game. With baseball’s new, shorter game times, missing an inning or two will cost you more experience time than it used to.
Bottom Line
It’s really a judgment call about whether to rent a car or rely on rideshares. Most people think of Houston as a driving town, and they’re not wrong. But if you’re just going to be here for baseball and will stay close to downtown, then you don’t really need the car. And by skipping the car, you’ll save yourself not just the cost of parking and gas, but also the time necessary to pick up and return that car as well, which may impact what flight you can catch on your way home.
So if you’re going to do some exploring outside of downtown, go ahead and rent the car. Otherwise, we say stick to ridesharing.
