TriMet’s MAX Red Line offers a fast, affordable and hassle-free way to get to and from Portland International Airport

Spring break is right around the corner. It’s time to dust off your luggage, review your travel itinerary and plan your trip to Portland International Airport with TriMet.

This year, 820,000 people are expected to pass through PDX between Friday, March 21, and Sunday, April 6, according to the Port of Portland. With this being one of the busiest travel periods of the year, TriMet’s “train-to-plane,” using the MAX Red Line, will be the most convenient and affordable option for tens of thousands of travelers. 

With money a major consideration for all travelers, no one wants spring break to turn into spring broke.

Taking TriMet can save you anywhere from $50 to $150 on travel. On average, a one-way-trip on the train to PDX is at least $40 less than using a rideshare,* taxi or airport shuttle. And when it comes to parking for the duration of spring break, it costs about $90 more to use PDX’s economy parking lot than it does to take the MAX Red Line. And from there, the prices go up. economy parking at PDX starts at $15 per day, while long-term parking is $24 per day.

But with TriMet, you can beat the crowds and save a considerable amount of money. 

Riding MAX to PDX

This will be the first spring break since the MAX Red Line was extended 10 stations west to Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds in August 2024. The extension was the culmination of TriMet’s A Better Red MAX Extension and Reliability Project. It means more people than ever before now have the opportunity to take a one-seat ride to catch their flights, saving time and money in the process. The Red Line also serves the Rose Quarter Transit Center, a connection point for all MAX lines, and the Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center, a connection point for MAX Blue and Green lines. Many of the Red Line’s 36 stations are also within a few feet of dozens of bus stops, making transfers convenient.

To plan your trip in advance to see if you need to make any connections, go to trimet.org/planner. You can also track the location of your train or bus in real time at trimet.org. 

Ride and save

The average taxi or rideshare trip from PDX to Downtown costs between $30 and $45 (before tip). But on MAX, it’s only $2.80 for Adults  – or $1.40 for Youth or Honored Citizen fare. That’s roughly the cost of the surcharge you would pay for a rideshare. Plus, travelers can’t beat the location of the Portland International Airport MAX Station, which is only 150 feet from the baggage claim area.

MAX Red Line operates for nearly 20 hours everyday, including late at night and early in the morning. But if your flight arrives or departs during the hours when MAX Red Line trains aren’t running, TriMet provides bus service in place of MAX overnight. This gives you another option to get to and from Portland International Airport, but there may be times when this service isn’t running. To find out more at trimet.org/MAXbus. 

New Hop card machines

Hop cards are now available at TriMet’s MAX stations and transit centers as TriMet moves to phase out disposable paper tickets. Cards can either be bought, for a one-time $3 fee, and then loaded with fare, or an existing card can be loaded with fare at any of the machines. Everyone traveling will need their own card, so remember to purchase and load fare onto each card before tapping to ride.

Tap your credit card or phone

You can also pay by tapping your credit or debit card or your mobile wallet against the green Hop reader before boarding. Taps from a credit or debit card or mobile wallet are only good for Adult fare, and you will need to use one payment device per family member. Always remember to tap, as your Hop card, debit/credit card or mobile wallet will act as your proof of fare. 

Travel by train or bus

For travelers who prefer a train-to-train option, TriMet can also get you to Union Station to catch Amtrak. MAX Green, Orange and Yellow lines, as well as various TriMet bus lines, serve Amtrak’s Union Station. You can also connect with the Greyhound or FlixBus bus stops, located on Northwest Station Way, by bus and MAX Blue and Red lines.

Here to help

To plan your trip, go to trimet.org/planner. If you have questions, reach out to TriMet Customer Service by calling 503-238-7433 (RIDE) between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. daily. Real-time arrival information is available 24 hours a day. 

On-Street Customer Service staff and security will be stationed at the airport to help answer questions or assist riders. Look for On-Street Customer Service in green vests and Transit Security Officers in bright yellow and black uniforms.

MAX Red Line

Did you know the MAX Red Line was the first train-to-plane connection on the West Coast? It was built as part of a public-private partnership that spurred major development and economic growth, leading to the development of Cascade Station, home to popular retail destinations like Ikea. 

Since 2001, the MAX Red Line has seen hundreds of thousands of travelers off on memorable trips and welcomed just as many back to the comforts of home. Often, it’s the first thing visitors see when they exit the airport. It remains one of our most used MAX stations, with thousands of trips made every day. 

For MAX Red Line schedules and maps, or to sign up for Service Alerts for the MAX Red Line, visit trimet.org/schedules/maxredline.  

*The average cost of an 11-mile trip via rideshare between Downtown Portland and PDX is about $40