How to Take MAX to and from Portland International Airport

Flying in or out of Portland International Airport (PDX)? Make the smart choice and ride the MAX Red Line to or from one of the country’s most celebrated airports. Flying can be stressful, but taking MAX is easy, convenient and totally affordable. Here’s how to hop on light rail for the ultimate stress-free and cost-effective way to reach and depart from PDX ✈️✈️✈️

Riding MAX Saves Big Bucks

Riding the MAX Red Line to or from the airport means BIG savings compared to the costs of parking, taxis and ride share services. Parking at PDX costs between $15-$45 per day, while taking Uber or Lyft can easily mean a $30-60 cost each way.

TriMet’s Adult Fare is just $2.80 for unlimited rides and transfers on buses and MAX for 2 1/2 hours. Unlike ride sharing, there’s no surge pricing when you roll with us, so you can spend your savings on airplane snacks instead!

A MAX train at PDX airport. An overhead sign on the platform displays "Next train departs," with an arrow pointing at the train.

Frequent and Direct Service

The MAX Red Line serves PDX day and night, with the first train arriving at the airport at 4:43 a.m. and the last one departing for Beaverton at 12:27 a.m. Trains run about every 15 minutes most of the day, making light rail the predictable way to get around. Look for digital displays at MAX stations, including the airport’s, to know when trains are departing. Check out MAX Red Line schedules online. Only MAX Red Line trains depart from the airport, so you can take any train sitting on the tracks from the airport.

A MAX Red Line train is at Portland International Airport, in the background. The foreground has directional signs showing where to go, plus the distances of the locations.

A ride from Downtown Portland takes about 40 minutes, which gives you a reliable, congestion-proof estimate for getting where you need to go. Once you’re on our transit system, you can connect with other buses and MAX lines, so there’s no hassle to reach hotels, convention sites and the many cool Portland neighborhoods and other destinations.

This is a MAX Red Line train at the Portland International Airport MAX Station.

This map shows a simplified map of the five different MAX lines in the TriMet rail system: Blue, Green, Orange, Red and Yellow MAX lines.

Arriving and Departing is Easy

The MAX station is located at the west end of the PDX terminal building, near the baggage claim area. The station is literally outside the main terminal, so there’s no need to take a shuttle or walk far. Look for the “MAX Light Rail” and “Terminal” signs to get where you need to go.

MAX platform at PDX airport with a MAX train on the right.

How to Pay for your Ride

Paying for your ride on MAX is easy. Just tap the green Hop Fastpass reader with your phone, contactless credit/debit card, Hop card or Hop ticket to pay as you board.

Tourist tip: You don’t need a transit card to pay your Adult fare. Just tap your credit/debit card!

Hop reader with text near the reader that says "tap here" with an arrow pointing to the area where you tap on the Hop reader.

If you want to buy and reload plastic Hop cards for Adult, Honored Citizen and Youth riders, you can do so from the vending machines at MAX stations.

Reminder: You can just tap your phone or contactless credit card to pay the $2.80 Adult fare, no Hop card needed!

We also offer reduced fares for seniors, youth, people with disabilities, people who qualify based on income, veterans and active-duty military. Learn more at trimet.org/reduced.

Your Best Option for Getting to or from PDX

Whether you’re a frequent, occasional or first-time rider, riding MAX to or from PDX takes the stress out of traveling. It’s also the eco-friendly option, and it’s much cheaper than paying for parking, taxis or ride sharing. Ready to roll? Let’s go! Plan your trip at trimet.org.