Where will the downtown drop-off be?

Most services target Uptown Charlotte (Charlotte Transportation Center), so drop a pin in your maps app before boarding.

How frequent are departures?

LYNX Blue Line (via CATS Routes 5 or 60) usually runs every 10-20 minutes. If it pauses, follow the overhead signs to the bus bay for the fallback service.

CLTUnited StatesTPL: city-transfer-guide

Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Charlotte, United States

Drop-off

Uptown Charlotte (Charlotte Transportation Center)

Pin before customs

Fastest

CATS Route 5 – Airport Sprinter

bus · 20-30m

Data

Nov 28

Audit

Quick verdict

Fastest into town

Service: CATS Route 5 – Airport Sprinter
Headway: 20-30
Backup: CATS Route 60 – Tyvola Road · 30m

Note

Frequent CATS bus between CLT and Uptown Charlotte/Charlotte Transportation Center via Wilkinson Boulevard, typically every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes evenings and weekends; journey time is about 25–35 minutes and standard local fare applies. Stop is outside baggage claim at the CATS/public transit zone, with easy connections to other CATS buses and the LYNX Blue Line in Uptown.

Arrivals decoded

Charlotte: City Transfer Guide

Fast, easy ways to reach the primary city center after landing. Targets queries likecharlotte airport busandclt to city centerfor eSIM funnels.

Budget path

Brief

Cheapest door-to-door option; expect extra stops and tighter luggage space.

Service: CATS Route 60 – Tyvola Road
Mode: bus
Freq: 30m
Note: Local CATS bus linking CLT with the LYNX Blue Line Tyvola Station, generally every 30 minutes daily; travel time to Tyvola Station is about 25–30 minutes. From Tyvola, riders transfer to the LYNX Blue Line toward Uptown Charlotte for fast rail access to the city center.

Priority path

Brief

Fastest connection with wider aisles and better luggage handling.

Service: LYNX Blue Line (via CATS Routes 5 or 60)
Mode: rail
Freq: 10-20m
Note: Light rail line between I‑485 South and UNC Charlotte; airport passengers connect via Route 5 at the Charlotte Transportation Center or via Route 60 at Tyvola Station for direct rail service into Uptown. Trains typically run every 10–15 minutes at peak and about every 15–20 minutes off‑peak.

Fare math

Brief

Express trains tend to be twice as expensive but half the time. Budget routes take longer yet often have more frequent departures after work.

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FAQs

01Where will the downtown drop-off be?: Most services target Uptown Charlotte (Charlotte Transportation Center), so drop a pin in your maps app before boarding.
02How frequent are departures?: LYNX Blue Line (via CATS Routes 5 or 60) usually runs every 10-20 minutes. If it pauses, follow the overhead signs to the bus bay for the fallback service.