Traveling to Minneapolis
When planning your trip to Target Field, you might have questions about the best way to get there. We’ve got you covered with some helpful information. This chapter will provide guidance on traveling to Minneapolis, and getting from the airport to downtown Minneapolis.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Flying to Minneapolis
- Transportation from the airport to hotels
- Renting a car vs. public transportation
- Driving to Minneapolis
In our Local Transit chapter we’ll outline how to get to and from Target Field from wherever you’re staying.
Flying to Minneapolis
MSP Airport's Monorail Shuttle
When planning your trip to Target Field, your sole airport option is to fly into the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). This major airport serves the Twin Cities area and provides convenient access to downtown Minneapolis, where Target Field is located.
MSP is a major airport and also a Delta hub. You’ll find plenty of direct flights on Delta from just about every major city. You can also find direct flights on United and American from their hubs as well as direct flights on Southwest from a dozen airports (covering nine MLB cities), and a host of both connecting and direct flights on these and other airlines as well.
Getting from MSP to Downtown
MSP Airport connection to the light rail
Upon arriving at the airport, you’ll have several transportation choices to reach downtown Minneapolis and Target Field. Options include taxis, ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft, and public transportation.
The Metro light rail system offers a direct connection from the airport to downtown Minneapolis via the Blue Line. This is a convenient, safe, and cost-effective way to get around Minneapolis, avoiding the hassle of renting a car, battling traffic, and paying for parking. You can take the light rail directly from the airport (there’s a stop at each of the two terminals at MSP), and a $2-4 fare will get you to downtown in 40-45 minutes.
It’s an easy, low-stress trip on the Metro. Unlike some larger rapid transit systems, we don’t have huge stations, lots of stairs, and all kinds of hoops to jump through. The stations here are right on the street: you just step off the train and you’re on your way to your destination. The train cars are clean and bright and air conditioned. It’s just a much easier experience than you’ll find in New York, Chicago, Boston, or other places.
Depending on the time and day, Uber or Lyft will cost anywhere from $20-$40 from the airport to downtown Minneapolis. A taxi typically costs around $40-$50 for that trip, so the rideshare service is usually cheaper. The drive will take around 20-30 minutes depending on traffic.
Renting a car vs. public transportation
When it comes to getting from the airport to Target Field or your hotel, you might be wondering whether it’s best to rent a car or rely on public transportation. While renting a car is certainly an option, it’s not necessary unless you have specific reasons for doing so. It’s important to consider a few factors before making a decision.
First, parking at downtown hotels in Minneapolis can be expensive, potentially costing around $30-50+ per night. Additionally, parking at Target Field itself comes with a price tag usually in the range of $10 to $20. So driving from the airport to downtown will, at the very least, cost you for the rental car and various parking fees.
But more importantly, the majority of hotels that you will likely be staying at will be right downtown, and a 5-20 minute walk to the stadium, or a quick ride on the light rail system, which literally stops steps away from the entrance to the ballpark. So really, while a rental car can get you from the airport to downtown, once you’re downtown there’s absolutely no need to have it to get to the stadium.
So whether you take the light rail from the airport to downtown, which we consider to be safe and efficient, or you opt for a taxi/rideshare to get to your hotel, either choice is much better than renting a car. Get yourself downtown by one of these methods, and once you’re downtown, rely on either walking or using the light rail to get around. Only rent a car if you have a very specific reason to, like plans to travel outside of the city center.
Getting to Minneapolis by car
Bob Dylan mural downtown Minneapolis
If you’re driving to Minneapolis for your visit to Target Field, just use navigation tools like Google Maps to guide you to your hotel or directly to the ballpark. In terms of traffic, rush hour is typically between 3pm and 7pm on weekdays, so be mindful of when you’re traveling and be sure to leave yourself enough time to get to the ballpark in time for first pitch. Also, the city uses the summer months for construction projects, so be sure to check your route on your navigation app to see if there are any extra delays due to road work.
Bottom Line
Unless you’re planning on driving somewhere well beyond the downtown area (including St. Paul, which is also accessible from downtown Minneapolis via light rail or rideshare), skip the rental car and stick to rideshares, taxis, the light rail, and walking.
