If you are flying into Minneapolis for a month of work rather than a long weekend, the rental car is usually the first expense worth questioning. Downtown parking is not cheap, and for most of a stay the car sits still. The good news is that MSP is one of the easier American airports to leave without one — the train runs from inside both terminals, and it drops you four blocks from our front door.
Here is how it actually works, including the parts that are confusing the first time.
The short answer: the METRO Blue Line
The METRO Blue Line stops at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 and runs north into downtown Minneapolis and south to the Mall of America. The airport puts the downtown trip at about 25 minutes, and the Mall of America at about 12 if you are killing a layover.
Trains run every 15 to 20 minutes, roughly 5 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Some stations have earlier southbound pickups starting around 3:30 a.m., so an early flight out is workable, but check the schedule rather than assuming. Between the two airport terminals the train runs 24 hours a day and costs nothing at all.
Finding the platform in each terminal
This is the bit people miss, because in neither terminal is the station where you would guess.
Terminal 1. The station sits below the Red, Blue and Silver parking ramps. Go down to the Tram Level, which is one level below baggage claim, take the tram towards those ramps, and follow the signs for the METRO Blue Line when you get off.
Terminal 2. The station is on the north side of the Orange Ramp. From Level 1 near Ticketing, take the elevator or escalator up to the Orange Ramp skyway, follow the signs, then go down one level to the platform.
Both stations are fully accessible, and there is a complimentary shuttle between the terminals for anyone who would rather not manage the train with bags and mobility needs at the same time.
What the ride costs
An adult fare on the light rail is $2 at any time of day, and it is good for two and a half hours, so a transfer onto a bus at the other end is included. An all-day pass is $4. Riders aged 6 to 12 and 65 and over pay $1, and children five and under ride free, up to three of them, with a paying adult.
Buy at the ticket machines on the platform or in the Metro Transit app before you get on. If something is confusing, Metro Transit staffs a phone line at (612) 373-3333 that will plan a trip for you.
For context: that is roughly the price of a coffee for a trip that a car service will charge you thirty-odd dollars for, and you will do it more than once during a month-long stay.
Getting from the downtown platform to 9th Street
The Blue Line’s downtown Minneapolis stations run along 5th Street. Oakland’s on 9th is at 215 South 9th Street — four blocks south, which is a five-minute walk on a decent day and a slightly brisker one in February.
A word on the skyway, because guests ask and the answer gets muddled: our building is not connected to the skyway system. It is one block away. That is a short walk, and once you are in the skyway you can cross a good deal of downtown without going back outside, but you do have to go outside first. We wrote a full guide to how the skyway actually works, including its hours, which surprise people.
Before you travel, it is worth putting the exact address into the Metro Transit trip planner. It will pick the right downtown station for the time of day and flag any service changes, which is more reliable than a map you looked at last month.
If the train is not the answer
Late arrivals, heavy luggage and small children all argue for something else. The options from the airport are the usual ones — taxis, app-based ride services, van and shuttle companies, all with clearly marked pickup areas — plus Metro Transit’s Route 54 bus, which leaves from the Transit Center on Level 1 of the Silver ramp.
One catch on the bus: there is no bus pickup at Terminal 2 at all. If you land at Terminal 2 and want the 54, you first ride the Blue Line over to Terminal 1, which at least is free.
Why this matters more on a long stay
For one night, none of this is worth the thought. For a month, it changes the budget. A rental car for a four-week contract, plus downtown parking, is a real line item — and we have written separately about what parking downtown actually costs if you decide you do want one.
Most of our guests find they do not. Travel nurses working at Hennepin Healthcare are close enough to walk. Groceries, the Central Library, Target on Nicollet Mall, Target Center, the Armory and Orchestra Hall are all inside a walk. Our longer piece on whether you need a car here at all goes through it neighbourhood by neighbourhood.
Come straight from the airport
Our studios are fully furnished, with a full kitchen, WiFi, heat, all utilities and laundry included, and no lease to sign — a night, a week or a month. There are three tiers, Good, Better and Best, and some units are pet friendly.
You can check dates and book online, or call us at (612) 314-5124 and we will talk it through. If you are landing late and want to know exactly which door to come to, ring ahead — we would rather you arrive knowing than wander 9th Street with a suitcase.
Keep reading: What Year Is the Newspaper Inside the Walls of Oakland’s on 9th Actually From?