Which St. Louis Airport is best to fly or closest to City?

Lambert-St. Louis Airport (STL) is theclosest to central St. Louis locatedjust 44.4 miles (23.3 km) and using the Metro St. Louis MLR line will get you to the city in 31 minutes. MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV)is located 22.5 miles (36.3 km) away and the fastest public transport link Metro St. Louis 21X connects to MLR train which takes 55 minutes to central St. Louis.

Compare airport distances and transfer times to the center of St. Louis by public transport below.

Distance to Central St. Louis:

Lambert-St. Louis Airport: 6 miles / 9.7 km
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport:20 miles / 32.1 km

Lambert-St. Louis Airport to Central St. Louis Journey Times:

By Train (MLR): 31 minutes
By Bus (Greyhound USA 1342 & 1364): 30 minutes
By Taxi: 18 minutes

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport to Central St. Louis Journey Times:

By Bus (Metro 21X + MLR): 55 minutes
By Taxi: 30 minutes

Lambert-St. Louis airport is the best airport to fly into when flying into St. Louis, whether you are travelling for business or for vacation. The airport is close to the city centre making transfer journey times shorter to central St. Louis and is served by top airlines like American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, WOW air and many other airlines to different destinations. The airport is served by Metro trains and buses to the city centre taking 30-31 minutes to the city centre where all the attractions are located. The airport is the primary airport so it handles more passengers compared to BLV meaning more queues, flight delays and crowd at the airport with enough facilities to get you engaged during delays.

BLV (MidAmerica St. Louis airport) is the farthest airport to central St. Louis, it is a smaller airport with fewer delays and less queues. Allegiant Air is the only airline serving the airport with mostly domestic flights within the United States and its fast Metro bus and train connection takes 55 minutes to the city centre making it slightly longer than STL and very inconvenient for people travelling with a lot of luggage and/or young children. This airport is most suitable for backpackers and travellers flying into St. Louis within the country, but business travellers who are not on limited time can use this airport.

If you want to fly into St. Louis and see the top attractions within the city with short transfer journey times from the airport, then Lambert-St. Louis is a better option. The airport is close to the city centre and all its attractions, taking just 31 minutes using the Metro MLR or alternatively by taxi which takes just 18 minutes to central St. Louis. Although it is closer to the city centre, it is a much bigger airport than BLV with 2 terminals so expect longer queues and some flight delays. Most business travellers will likely use this airport because of its close proximity to the city centre.

Lambert-St. Louis airport is close to the Gateway Arch a 630-foot monument clad in stainless steel located 24.9 km away from the airport and the MLR line will get you there in 50 minutes for $3 or $40-$50 by taxi and $24-$35 by Uber in 20 minutes. Other attractions to see in St. Louis include Gateway Arch Museum, Missouri Botanical Garden, City Museum, Saint Louis Zoo, Forest Park, Cahokia Mounds, Saint Louis Art Museum, Busch Stadium, Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, Anheuser-Busch St. Louis Brewery, Old Courthouse, Missouri History Museum, Soulard, Chain of Rocks Bridge, Tower Grove Park, Saint Louis Science Center, The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum, Citygarden Sculpture Park, Budweiser Brewery Experience, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Laumeier Sculpture Park, MUSEUM OF WESTWARD EXPANSION, The Butterfly House, Gateway Arch - Odyssey & Tucker Theaters, The Old Cathedral The Basilica Of Saint Louis, King Of France, National Blues Museum, Graffiti Wall, and many more.

From Lambert-St. Louis Airport by:

Train (MLR): $3 - http://www.metrostlouis.org/ Train runs every 15 minutes daily.

Bus (Greyhound USA 1342 & 1364): $8-$17 - https://www.greyhound.com/ Bus runs every 30 minutes daily.

Taxi: $40 - $50 - tel: +1 314-531-8766Available 24/7.

Uber: $24-$35- https://www.uber.com/en/gb/ Available on demand.

Lyft: $30-$35- https://www.lyft.com/fare-estimateAvailable on demand.
But Private taxes are cheaper than Airport taxis, here to Book at

From MidAmerica St. Louis Airport by:

Bus (Metro 21X + MLR): $5 - http://www.metrostlouis.org/ Bus runs every 15 minutes from daily.

Taxi: $60-$80 - Available 24/7 at the airport.

Uber: $35-$45 - https://www.uber.com/en/gb/ Available on demand.

Lyft: $30-$35 - https://www.lyft.com/fare-estimateAvailable on demand.
But Private taxes are cheaper than Airport taxis, here to Book at

Hotel prices can vary greatly depending on how far in advance you book, the demand for rooms, and which hotel you book but the prices below will give you a rough idea and you can do further research and hotel booking at https://www.tripindicator.com/hotel.html

Lambert-St. Louis Airport Hotels: From $140 per night
MidAmerica St. LouisAirport Hotels: From $54 per night

All of the airports mentioned offer competitive prices and a range of cars to suit your needs. Prices are based on the type of car, driver age, length of hire, and demand but you can get a rough idea for each airport below.

Lambert-St. Louis Airport Car Rental:
Budget Cars (Ford KA, Fiat Panda etc) Prices starting at $81.53 per day
Compact Cars (Ford Focus, VW Golf, etc) Prices starting at $86.26 per day
Luxury Cars (Cadillac Cts, Audi A8, etc): Prices starting at $231.54 per day.

Compare prices here - https://www.tripindicator.com/car-hire/st-louis-airport.html

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Car Rental:
Budget Cars (Ford KA, Fiat Panda etc) Prices starting at $81.53 per day
Compact Cars (Ford Focus, VW Golf, etc) Prices starting at $86.26per day
Luxury Cars (Cadillac Cts, Audi A8, etc): Prices starting at $231.54 per day.

Compare prices here - https://www.tripindicator.com/car-hire/st-louis-airport.html

Lambert-St. Louis Airport (STL) is St Louis's primary airport serving the city, and major airlines operate from this airport with domestic and international flights to many destinations.

Lambert-St. Louis Airport has 2 terminal buildings (Terminal 1 & Terminal 2). T1 has 2 concourses A & C for domestic flights and T2 concourse E for international flights. The terminals are linked by a free airport shuttle bus for inter-terminal transfers.

Lambert-St. Louis Airport is closer to the city centre at 23.3 km and is connected to St. Louis city centre by buses, train, shuttles, taxis and more.

At STL, Marriott St. Louis Airport (3.5-star),Drury Inn & Suites St. Louis Airport (3-star), and Hampton Inn St Louis-Airport (2.5-Star).
At BLV, Best Western Plus MidAmerica Hotel (2.5-Star),Super 8 by Wyndham O'Fallon (2-star), and Holiday Inn Express & Suites - O'Fallon /Shiloh (2.5-Star).

Some of the things to do near St. Lousi airports include visiting the Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis Blues-Scottrade Center, Busch Stadium and Anheuser Busch Brewery, St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Science Center, Missouri History Museum and the Contemporary Art Museum, University of Missouri, St. Charles Historic District, St. Louis Muny, Forest Park, Gateway Arch, Missouri Botanical Garden, Westport Plaza, Crystal Springs Quarry Golf Club, Tapawingo National Golf Club, Missouri Bluffs, Harrah's St. Louis - Riverport Casino, Ameristar Casino , Westfield Shopping Town West County, St. Louis Mills Mall, St. Louis Galleria, Plaza Frontenac, Westfield Northwest, Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course, Saint Louis Art Museum, Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park, James S. McDonnell Prologue Room, Lewis and Clark Boat House and Nature Center, St. Louis Galleria and many more.