IAH is located about 20 miles north of downtown Houston. The five terminals serve millions of travelers annually, offering domestic and international flights on more than 25 airlines. On this page you'll find:
Route 500 IAH Downtown Direct and 102 Bush IAH Express travel directly to Terminal C at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. If you aren't directly along one of those routes, you may need to use one of the other services listed below. Select a tab for a brief overview of the service and how it can get you to the airport.
The 102 Bush IAH Express is the METRO bus route that stops at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, traveling between IAH and downtown Houston along I-45 and Beltway 8.
Transfer options to the 102 Bush IAH Express are available in downtown Houston, including near the Downtown Transit Center, at St. Joseph and Main. You'll reach the airport in about one hour.
If you're transferring at the Greenspoint Transit Center, reaching the airport will take just 30 minutes.
The Ride METRO section below shows the route, with maps and nearest stops. Transfers to the route shown are available at many city street intersections.
All METRO buses are ADA accessible, offer free Wi-Fi and come equipped with video surveillance security cameras.
The Red Line travels along Main Street through downtown Houston, the Museum District and Texas Medical Center. You can ride the Red Line to Preston Station, take a short three minute walk to Travis @ Congress and board the 102 Bush IAH Express. You'll be onboard for approximately one hour.
The Green Line travels through downtown Houston, the Theater District, EaDo (East Downtown) and the Second Ward. You can ride the Green Line to Central Station, take a short four minute walk to Travis @ Capitol and board the 102 Bush IAH Express. You'll be onboard for approximately one hour.
The Purple Line travels through downtown Houston, the Theater District and the Third Ward (southeast of downtown). You can ride the Purple Line to Central Station, take a short four minute walk to Travis @ Capitol and board the 102 Bush IAH Express. You'll be onboard for approximately one hour.
All METRORail vehicles are ADA accessible and come equipped with video surveillance security cameras.
Click or tap on the button below to learn more about how the three METRORail lines intersect in downtown Houston.
Learn MoreMETROLift provides curb-to-curb transportation for people with disabilities who meet certain eligibility requirements. Service is provided with ADA-accessible vans and minivans that accommodate persons using wheelchairs, scooters and walkers. Boarding chairs are available to assist any patron unable to access the van using the stairs. All vehicles offer free Wi-Fi.
If you're a current METROLift customer, you can schedule, verify and pay for your trip to George Bush Intercontinental Airport the same way you would for other trips.
You'll find bus routes and connecting METRORail routes that take you to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in the tabs below. Select a route to see a map of stops and transfer options.
| Route Name | Service | Frequency* | Stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102 Bush IAH Express | Local Bus | Every 15-30 min. | Bush IAH Terminal C |
| 500 IAH Downtown Direct | Park & Ride Bus | Every 30 min. | Bush IAH Terminal C |
*The frequency listed is approximate and may vary.
| Route Name | Service | Frequency* | Station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Line | METRORail | Every 6-12 min. | Preston Station |
| Green Line | METRORail | Every 12-18 min. | Central Station |
| Purple Line | METRORail | Every 12-18 min. | Central Station |
*All frequencies listed are approximate and may vary.
Below are fares to ride.
| Service | Regular Fare | Discounted Fare* |
|---|---|---|
Local Bus | $1.25 to board | 60 cents to board |
IAH Airport Direct | $4.50 to board | $2.25 to board |
METRORail | $1.25 to board | 60 cents to board |
*Discounted fares apply to students, seniors 65-69, or people with disabilities who aren't METROLift customers who already have a pre-approved discounted fare card.
The following individuals ride free on all services:
With the exception of METRORail tickets and cash, all ways to pay shown below include free transfers between any METRO service of equal or lesser value for up to three hours in any direction. Select each of the options below to learn more.
You can obtain a METRO Q® Fare Card, METRO Day Pass or METRO Money Card at any of the following:
You have the option of loading money on your card when you first obtain it. Reload options vary by fare card and location.
Additional payment options to ride METRO can be obtained through other sources.
More details can be found on the All About Fares page.
First, you’ll need an internet connection.
Download the METRO Q Mobile Ticketing App and set up an account. Then, mobile tickets may be purchased in one of two ways:
If you’ve purchased one or more mobile tickets that you haven’t used, they’ll be listed under Available in the Use section of the app. From there, you can activate a ticket.
Once activated, your ticket is valid for up to three hours.
If you pay your fare using a METRO Q® Fare Card, METRO Q Mobile Ticket, METRO Day Pass or METRO Money card, you’re entitled to free transfers between any of these METRO services for up to three hours in any direction:
Only regular fare mobile tickets are available for purchase.
Local bus and METRO curb2curb:
A route selector is accessible directly on the website home page, linking you directly to a page for the route of your choice.
At the top of each individual route page, you’ll find:
METRORail:
Frequency of service, a stop-by-stop schedule, a PDF schedule and a linear route map for each METRORail line are found on the METRORail page.
On the METRO website, there’s a route map on:
You can also use the website's Interactive System Map (best viewed on a desktop or laptop computer). In the map, you can check a box next to any METRO bus route or rail line and the map will draw a line showing where it runs.
If you’d prefer a physical map, we include a map image in the printed brochure for each individual bus route or rail line. Brochures are available for free at all METRO RideStore locations:
Trip planning tools are available on:
METRO local buses make stops at the following locations
All METRO buses have large, bright destination signs on the front of the bus above the windshield and along the passenger’s side, near the front door. These digital displays include the route number and destination.
We encourage you to do your part to keep yourself and those around you safe throughout your entire trip on a METRO bus. Learn more about rider safety.
METRORail trains make stops at rail station platforms along city streets in and around downtown Houston. You can also board a METRORail train at the following transit centers:
All METRORail trains have large, bright destination signs on the front of the train above the windshield and along the side of the train as it pulls into the station.
Red Line trains would say one of the following:
Green Line trains would say one of the following:
Purple Line trains would say one of the following:
We encourage you to be safe, be seen around trains and stay alert throughout your entire trip on METRORail. Learn more about rider safety.
Estimated arrival times can be found on:
If you know your stop number (it's posted on the bus stop sign at every bus stop location), you can text that stop number to 697433. We'll text you back the estimated arrival time of the next bus for all routes that stop at your location.
To help make the journey pleasant and safe for everybody, METRO has developed a Code of Conduct for riders.
For example, smoking is prohibited in covered or enclosed facilities, including transit centers, bus stop shelters and platforms. And consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on METRO property.
Please review the full METRO Code of Conduct.
METRO accepts six payment options:
Our experienced riders tell us that the most convenient way to pay is by using the METRO Q Mobile Ticketing app, available by downloading the app for your smartphone.
When you first open the app, you’ll need to create a secure, password-protected
account. That will allow you to purchase and activate mobile tickets. The tickets are valid for two years from the date of purchase.
When traveling by local bus or METRORail we recommend the following:
Below are some tools to make your METRO riding experience easier and more convenient so you can drive less and do more.
Explore METRO transit services near you
Valuable information to help you ride
Find out how much money you can save by taking METRO instead of driving.
Plan and manage your trip on METRO Local bus, Park & Ride bus and METRORail using an interactive map.
Find additional popular destinations that you can reach with METRO.
It appears you’re on an older web browser we don’t support. Please try one of the options below so you can view the METRO website.
Google Chrome
Safari Mac OS
Mozilla
Microsoft Edge