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Getting around Houston

Rail System 

METRORail offers convenient accessible service within the heart of the city between downtown Houston and Reliant Park, including the Museum District and Texas Medical Center.  Click here for route and fare information.

METRORail development continues with the ongoing construction of three additional rail lines. Click here for details on the expansion, maps of the new lines and construction updates.

What is there to do in Houston along the METRORail? Click here to find out.

Bus System 

METRO offers several types of bus service in Houston.

• Local service runs mostly on city streets, stopping at every other corner along its route.  One-way fare is $1.25.
• Park & Ride service is for long-distance commuting. METRO’s 28 Park & Ride lots provide bus service to key destinations in the service area. One-way fare ranges from $2 to $4.50, depending on distance. 

Click here for additional route and fare information.

METRO Statistics

• Bus Fleet - 1,211
• Service area - 1,285 square miles 
• Miles of light rail - 7.5 
• Planned additional miles of light rail - 30
• Local one-way fare - $1.25

Taxis 

Houston has more than 2,400 taxis in its fleet. There are also 1,700 limos and towncars.

$6 Cab Fare Anywhere Downtown
The City of Houston has authorized a flat taxi fare of $6 for all trips in the downtown area. This $6 fare will apply anywhere within the Central Business District, bounded by Interstate 45, Interstate 10 and U.S. 59. The fare, in addition to increased downtown taxi stands, provides an easy alternative to driving to lunch, business meetings and activities throughout the downtown area. No surcharges will apply to the fare, which can accommodate multiple riders under the $6 total rate.

Taxi stands are designated areas where cabs can "stand" and wait for a fare. Additionally, there are at least 30 "hailing cab" icons on various downtown streets, which mark that particular site as a three-minute zone where taxis can briefly stop to pick up and drop off passengers.

Approximate cab fares from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)

• Downtown   $45   
• Reliant Park Area   $54
• Texas Medical Center $50
• Uptown/Galleria  $45
• Greenway Plaza  $50

Approximate cab fares from William P. Hobby Airport

• Downtown   $22
• Reliant Park Area  $27
• Texas Medical Center $27
• Uptown/Galleria  $45
• Greenway Plaza  $32

*Above rates include up to four people per cab.

Would you rather have the taxi come to you?  Here are the numbers you need:

• Fiesta Cab Co. ................ (713) 225-2666
• Liberty Cab Co. ............... (713) 695-6700
• Lone Star Cab Co. ......... (713) 444-4444
• Yellow Cab Houston ...... (713) 428-5810

Note: For the fastest pick up, use the Yellow Cab's Hail A Cab app. 

Jitney Service

The Wave--a hybrid between a taxi, limo and public bus--is a jitney service that shuttles folks around Houston's primary nightlife areas, including Midtown, Montrose, Downtown, Uptown, Rice Village and the Washington Avenue corridor. There are a number of ways to catch the wave: along its route, call to see when and where the Wave will be arriving or pick it up at a designated free parking lot (southwest corner of Houston and Memorial Pkwy. and at Pizzitola's on Shepherd). Frequent riders can get a monthly membership. The Wave also offers private rentals with a concierge service.

Greenlink Buses

Free transportation in Downtown Houston
Seven buses operate in Downtown Houston Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., about 7-10 minutes apart. The route spans 2.5 miles with 18 stops and connects Metro transit stops, the convention corridor, hotels, restaurants, shopping and entertainment.  

Greenlink buses stop at popular downtown destinations including GreenStreet, George R. Brown Convention Center, Discovery Green, Main Street Square, City Hall and the Central Library and connects to Metro Park & Ride services and to the Main Street MetroRail line. 

The buses run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), making them a cleaner transportation alternative. Features of the buses include a streamlined, modern design, low-floor access, perimeter seating, high-quality air conditioning, 28-seat capacity, a front-mounted bike rack and are ADA compliant.

Click here for a route map 

B-Cycle Program

Low-Cost Bike Share

The city's B-Cycle program kicked into high gear in 2013 with a total of 21 racks stretching from Downtown to the Museum District.

The bike-share program allows member users to check-out cruiser-style bikes free of charge for up to an hour and just $2 for each additional ½ hour. The obvious goal is to give Houstonians a vehicular alternative for relatively short jaunts. There is a membership fee on the front end, ranging from just $5 for a 24-hour pass or $65 for an annual membership.

Users can sign up for a membership online or at any of the stations. Click here for a map of stations across the area or to sign up.

B-Cycle is ideally suited for those looking for an inexpensive way to tour around the city's core, along Buffalo Bayou or through the tree-lined streets of Montrose.

Rental Cars 

Houston has a fleet of 30,000 rental cars with every major rental car company represented. Click here to search and book rental car agencies.

Houston Highway System 

Houston is well-served by a system of radial and ring highways that provide excellent access to markets outside the region.

In the Houston Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA), 575.4 miles of freeways and expressways (55 percent of the planned system) are in operation.

Houston is the crossroads for Interstates 10 and 45.  Other major highways serving Houston are Loop 610, U.S. 59, U.S. 290, U.S. 90, Texas 288, Texas 225, Hardy Toll Road, Sam Houston Tollway and the Grand Parkway (Texas 99).

Houston also lies along the route of the proposed I-69 NAFTA superhighway that will link Canada, the U.S. industrial mid-west, Texas and Mexico.

Freeway Names: More than a Number 

Every freeway in the city has at least two names, some as many as seven, so it's quite likely that visitors will be baffled by this phenomenon.  Here's a list to help you decode the nicknames:

 

• Beltway 8: Sam Houston Tollway
• Interstate 10 West: Katy Freeway, West Freeway
• Interstate 10 East: East Freeway
• Interstate 45 North: North Freeway
• Interstate 45 South: Gulf Freeway
• Interstate 45 through Downtown: Pierce Elevated
• Interstate 610: The Loop, often preceded by North, South, East or West
• U.S. 59 North: Eastex Freeway
• U.S. 59 South: Southwest Freeway, Sen. Lloyd Bentson Highway, Future Interstate Corridor, NAFTA Superhighway, I-69
• U.S. 75: See Interstate 45
• U.S. 90 East: Beaumont Highway
• U.S. 90 West: See Interstate 10
• U.S. 290: Northwest Freeway, Hempstead Highway
• Texas 6: Highway 6, Addicks Howell Road, Alvin Sugar Land Road, Addicks Satsuma Road, Hempstead Road
• Texas 3: Galveston Road
• Texas 225: La Porte Freeway
• Texas 249: Tomball Parkway
• Texas 288: South Freeway, Nolan Ryan Expressway

 Source: Greater Houston Partnership