Skip navigationSkip to main content
{{:shownchildren}}
{{/}}
{{/}}{{/}}{{>nav_items_helper}}{{/}}{{>nav_items}}
Meetings
Weddings
Groups
{{:shownchildren}}
{{/}}
{{/}}{{/}}{{>nav_items_helper}}{{/}}{{>nav_items}}
Meetings
Weddings
Groups
{{:shownchildren}}
{{/}}
{{/}}{{/}}{{>nav_items_helper}}{{/}}{{>nav_items}}
Things To Do
Events
Restaurants
{{:shownchildren}}
{{/}}
Traveling to Grand Rapids is easy and convenient, whether by plane, train or automobile. Getting around Grand Rapids is just as pleasant, with multiple options for traversing well laid-out streets and quick travel times to every attraction in Kent County.
- Air Service
- Train Service
- Driving From In State
- Driving From Out of State
- Public Transit
- Parking
- Maps
Air Service
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is easy to get around.
Photo by Experience Grand Rapids
When you fly into Grand Rapids, you’ll land at Gerald R. Ford International Airport (airport code: GRR), one of the nation’s friendliest and most efficient airports.
Airports Council International, the trade association of the world’s airports, recognized GRR in multiple categories in its 2022 Airport Service Quality awards:
- Best Airport in North America serving 2-5 Million Passengers
- Easiest Airport Journey in North America
- Cleanest Airport in North America
- Airport with the Most Dedicated Staff in North America
GRR is served by seven national airlines offering more than 100 daily nonstop routes to 30+ destinations. It sits adjacent to two major expressways, and is just a 20-25 minute drive from the wide range of hotels and meeting facilities located in downtown Grand Rapids and across the city. You can rent a car at the airport or take a taxi, rideshare, bus, hotel/motel shuttle or limousine to your destination.
If you need assistance with directions, restaurant recommendations, things to do and just about anything else, head to the Visitor Information Desk in the airport front lobby or look for the Airport Ambassadors in light blue coats roaming the facility – they’re eager to help!
GRR is currently in the midst of a $500 million improvement program that has already delivered terminal upgrades, new retail concepts and other passenger amenities. A new executive lounge will be unveiled in 2024 and additional enhancements are planned through 2028.
Airlines that fly into Grand Rapids:
- Allegiant
- American Airlines
- Delta
- Frontier
- Southwest
- Sun Country
- United
Nonstop routes to/from Grand Rapids:
Atlanta
Austin (seasonal)
Baltimore - Washington
Boston
Charlotte
Chicago - Midway
Chicago - O'Hare
Dallas/Fort Worth
Denver
Destin-Fort Walton Beach
Detroit
Fort Lauderdale (seasonal)
Fort Myers (seasonal)
Houston
Las Vegas
Los Angeles (seasonal)
Miami (seasonal)
Minneapolis/St. Paul
Nashville
New York - LaGuardia
New York - Newark
Orlando International (seasonal)
Orlando - Sanford
Philadelphia
Phoenix - Sky Harbor (seasonal)
Phoenix/Mesa
Portland, OR (seasonal)
Punta Gorda (seasonal)
Sarasota/Bradenton
Savannah/Hilton Head (seasonal)
St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Tampa International (seasonal)
Washington, DC – Reagan
West Palm Beach – PBI
Train Service
Amtrakprovides daily rail service between Grand Rapids and Chicago’s Union Station, which connects to points all across the country. The Grand Rapids Amtrak station is located on the southern edge of downtown.
Driving From In State
Driving to Grand Rapids from any point in Michigan is easy and direct. The city is located at the intersections of I-96, I-196 and US-131, so drivers can access the city from the north, east, south and west. Once you reach the metro area, every sector of the region – from downtown GR to outlying suburbs – is within a 10-20 minute drive. At most, Grand Rapids is only a two and a half hour trip from Michigan’s major population areas:
- Lansing: 68 miles
- Ann Arbor: 132 miles
- Traverse City: 142 miles
- Detroit: 154 miles
To get to downtown:
From the north or south
- US 131 to exit 85B (Pearl Street)
From the east
- I-96 to I-196/Downtown (slight left) to exit 77C (Ottawa Ave.)
From the west
- 1-96 to US 131 south to exit 85B (Pearl Street)
Driving From Out of State
Driving to Grand Rapids from other states is easy and direct via interstate highways. The city is located at the intersections of I-96, I-196 and US-131, so drivers can access the city from the north, east, south and west. Once you reach the metro area, every sector of the region – from downtown GR to outlying suburbs – is within a 10-20 minute drive. Grand Rapids is within a day’s drive of half the U.S. populations and a few hours from the Midwest’s major population areas:
- Chicago: 175 miles
- Indianapolis: 290 miles
- Cleveland: 300 miles
- Milwaukee: 264 miles
- St. Louis: 442 miles
Public Transit
If you don’t arrive by car, or you’d prefer to keep your vehicle parked in one spot while you explore the city, there are plenty of other ways to get around town – including our award-winning Rapid bus system (which includes the free DASH downtown bus), Uber, Lyft and taxi services. Scroll down to see all your options.
Exploring Grand Rapids on the DASH
- 7 min
The Downtown Area Shuttle, or DASH, is a system of bright pink buses connecting key downtown Grand Rapids locations and parking lots. DASH provides visitors and residents a convenient way to travel to…
Parking
The vast majority of Grand Rapids/Kent County hotels, restaurants, shops and other attractions offer plenty of free parking. Downtown Grand Rapids is the exception – in cost, not abundance. With thousands of available public spaces on streets and in garages, downtown parking is convenient but generally fee-based. Each downtown hotel offers its own parking, and DeVos Place has 700 spaces for people attending its conventions, trade shows, concerts and stage shows. Several parking structures offer electric car charging.
Consult these maps to assist you in driving, parking, biking, hiking and locating specific attractions in and around Grand Rapids/Kent County.
- Beer City Ale Trail Map. PDF File(Printable) (7MB)
- DASH - FREE Downtown Shuttle
- Downtown Grand Rapids Map. PDF File(Printable)
- Downtown Electric Charging Stations. PDF File|Instructions for Electric Charging Stations. PDF File
- Downtown Parking Map. PDF File
- 28th Street Map. PDF File
- Kent County/Greater Grand Rapids Map. PDF FilePrint Version -Map (3MB). PDF File
- Kent County Trails & Parks
- Michigan's West Coast. PDF File
- Michigan's West Coast Beach Map
Public Transportation
Discover how to get to and how to get around Grand Rapids, MI. Amtrak, Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Greyhound, Metro Cab and the FREE DASH (Downtown Area Shuttle) information at the Official CVB - Experience Grand Rapids.
Roadwork Updates
Navigating around Grand Rapids, Michigan is easy, especially if you keep updated on road work around the city. Get details on road work and plan your route.
{{/}}{{/data}}
