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:
How to ride METRO to IAH
Different payment methods you can use to ride
Answers to common questions
Rider tools, including our trip planner
Transit Services
Local bus route 102 Bush / IAH Express travels directly to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport. If you aren't directly along the 102 Bush / IAH Express route, you may need to use one of the other services listed below. Click or tap on any of the tabs
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 IAH / Bush 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 IAH / Bush 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 IAH / Bush Express. You'll be onboard for approximately one hour.
All METRORail vehicles are ADA accessible, offer free Wi-Fi 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.
METROLift 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.
Ride METRO
You'll find the local bus route and connecting METRORail routes that take you to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in the tabs below. You can click or tap on the local bus route and the METRORail lines to see a map of stops and transfer options.
*All frequencies listed are approximate and may vary.
Fares
Below are fares to ride.
Service
Regular Fare
Discounted Fare*
Local Bus
$1.25 to board
60 cents 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:
Children five years or younger ride free when accompanied by an adult
Seniors 70+ who have a discounted METRO Q® Fare Card
Qualified veterans who have a METRO Veterans Pass
METROLift customers (with up to one assistant)
Ways to Pay
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.
Serving as contactless fare payment options – these forms of payment are used by most METRO riders. They function as debit cards for riding METRO. You can continually load and store money on them – and then money will
be deducted each time you pay your fare with a METRO Q® Fare Card or daily upon use with a METRO Day Pass.
How To Pay
Tap your regular ordiscounted METRO Q® Fare Card or Day Pass on the validator that can be found:
inside the local bus when you board
on all METRORail platforms (some fare validators are attached to ticket vending machines, others are freestanding or attached to platform railing)
on all METRORapid platforms (look for the TAP HERE message with an arrow pointing to the validator)
inside the curb2curb vehicle when you board
If you prefer to go contactless, you can wave your card close to the validator as well.
Make sure the light registers green in the upper right when you tap or wave.
Transfers
After the fare amount is deducted from your METRO Q® Fare Card, you’ll receive free transfers between any of these METRO services for up to three hours in any direction:
Local bus
METRORail
METRORapid
METRO curb2curb
For transfers to Park & Ride bus service using a METRO Q®
Fare Card, you'll only pay the fare difference for up to three hours in any direction.
A METRO Day Pass allows you to ride local service as often as
you like during the day for a maximum of $3 (regular fare) or $1.50 (discounted fare).
NOTE: If you use a METRO Day Pass on Park & Ride service, the cost to ride doesn't get applied to the maximum daily card deduction. Because of that, we don’t recommend using a METRO Day Pass on Park & Ride service.
This is a contactless fare payment option. Download the METRO Q Ticketing app to your smartphone and sign up for an account on the app. That will allow you to purchase regular fare mobile tickets to board METRO transit services. Discounted fare mobile tickets
aren’t available for purchase.
How To Pay
Once you purchase and activate a mobile ticket, it will display animated colors and motion on your phone. If you're boarding a bus or curb2curb shuttle, show it to the operator. If you're boarding METRORail or METRORapid, show it to the METRO Fare Inspector or METRO Police Officer upon request – either on the platform prior to boarding or on the vehicle during your ride.
After you activate your mobile ticket, it's valid for three hours.
Transfers
After you activate a Local Single Ride or Local Day Passmobile ticket, you’ll receive free transfers between any of these METRO services in any direction:
You’re welcome to pay with a rail ticket which can be purchased from a ticket vending machine using cash, credit card or debit card. Ticket vending machines are located on all METRORail platforms.
The ticket is only valid on METRORail for up to three hours in any direction.
How To Pay
Upon request, show it to a METRO Fare Inspector or METRO Police Officer – either on the rail platform prior to boarding or on the train during your ride.
Transfers
When paying with a METRORail ticket, transfers to other METRO services aren’t included.
A contactless fare payment option – this is a popular choice for agencies, hotels and convention groups looking to provide a disposable fare card to clients, customers or guests. The card comes preloaded with amounts ranging from $1.25 to $20. These cards can't be reloaded.
How To Pay
Tap your METRO Money card on the fare validator or hold your card near the validator until the light registers green.
Validators are located:
Inside a bus or curb2curb shuttle as you board
On METRORail or METRORapid platforms near where you board
If you prefer to go contactless, you can wave your card close to the validator as well.
Transfers
After the fare amount is deducted from your card, you’ll receive free transfers between any of these METRO services for up to three hours in any direction:
Local bus
METRORail
METRORapid
METRO curb2curb
Common Questions
Fares
You can obtain a METRO Q® Fare Card, METRO Day Pass or METRO Money Card at any of the following:
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:
Local bus
METRORail
METRORapid
METRO curb2curb
Only regular fare mobile tickets are available for purchase.
Trip Planning
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:
Frequency of service on weekdays and weekends
Stop-by-stop schedule
Link to view PDF schedule which you can then download and/or print
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.
METRORapid:
Frequency of service, a stop-by-stop schedule, a PDF schedule and a linear route map for the METRORapid Silver line is found on the METRORapid page.
On the METRO website, there’s a route map on:
Each individual bus route page
METRORail page
METRORapid page
Each individual METRO curb2curb route page
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:
Downtown Transit Center - 1900 Main St.
Fannin South Transit Center - 1604 West Bellfort St.
Main Street Square - 1001 Travis St.
Northwest Transit Center - 7373 Old Katy Road
Trip planning tools are available on:
Various pages of the website, including in the Rider Tools section below
RideMETRO app for your smartphone (“Plan Your Trip” section)
ONE to Ride app for your smartphone
Google or Apple maps
Prior to Arrival
METRO local buses make stops at the following locations
Along city streets, at intersections where you see a METRO bus stop sign and/or bus shelter
At select Park & Ride lots around the region
At more than 20 transit centers around the region
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:
Burnett (Red Line)
Downtown (Red Line)
Fannin South (Red Line)
Magnolia Park (Green Line)
Northline (Red Line)
Palm Center (Purple Line)
Texas Medical Center (Red Line)
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:
Northline TC
Fannin South
Green Line trains would say one of the following:
Magnolia Park
Theater District
Purple Line trains would say one of the following:
Palm Center TC
Theater District
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:
METRO website home page (“Track Bus or Train” tab)
ONE to Ride app for your smartphone
Google or Apple maps
Digital signs installed at select METRO bus stop locations and transit centers
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.
Travel Tips
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.
Vending machine tickets (METRORail and METRORapid only)
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:
Plan your route ahead of time
Download the RideMETRO app to view your route, track your bus or train, see schedules and more
Be aware of the last bus and train times and allow yourself enough time to get to your station/stop
Rider Tools
Below are some tools to make your METRO riding experience easier and more convenient so you can drive less and do more.
Plan and manage your trip on METRO Local bus, Park & Ride bus, METRORail or METRORapid using an interactive map.
Useful information for new riders about the Houston METRORail system.
METRORail
The image below shows where all three lines intersect in downtown.
The three light rail lines intersect near the following platforms:
Central Station Main (on Main Street along the Red Line) Central Station Rusk (on Rusk Street along the eastbound Green and Purple Lines) Central Station Capitol (on Capitol Street along the
westbound Green and Purple Lines)
The Green and Purple lines share the same stations between Theater District and EaDo / Stadium, before splitting off in different directions.
METRORail Green Line Map
METRORail Green Line Route Map
Map of METRORail Purple Line
METRORail Purple Line Route Map
Map of METRORail Red Line
METRORail Red Line Route Map
102 Bush / IAH Express Bus Route Map
102 Bush / IAH Express Route Map
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