Miami Airport to Downtown Miami and Brickell
Downtown is where rail beats the road. Metrorail's Orange Line reaches Government Center in 15 minutes and Brickell in 17, for $2.25, but only until the early evening on through trains.
- Where
- Downtown Miami and Brickell: Downtown and Brickell, about 12 road miles east
- By road
- 11.5 miles, about 23 minutes in light traffic. Road distance to MiamiCentral from our routing tool, in light traffic.
- Ways compared
- Metrorail Orange Line, Brightline shuttle to MiamiCentral, Tri-Rail, Taxi, Ride app
Every way to get to Downtown Miami and Brickell, compared
| Way | Time | Cost | First from MIA | Last from MIA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metrorail Orange Line | 15 min to Government Center; 17 min to Brickell | $2.25 | 5:04 a.m. weekdays; 5:11 a.m. weekends | 7:44 p.m. through trains on weekdays; 12:17 a.m. shuttle |
| Brightline shuttle to MiamiCentral | About 23 min by road (routing estimate) | $12 plus $3 fuel per guest | 6 a.m. weekdays; 8 a.m. weekends | 11 p.m. weekdays; midnight weekends |
| Tri-Rail | 11 min to Metrorail Transfer, then a connecting train | Round trip $3.50 to $9.25 by zone | 3:45 a.m. weekdays; 4:52 a.m. weekends | 9:50 p.m. weekdays; 8:52 p.m. weekends |
| Taxi | About 23 min in light traffic | About $44 on the meter to MiamiCentral, about $47 to Brickell | Any hour | Any hour |
| Ride app | About the same as a taxi | Set in the app at booking | Any hour | Any hour |
Metrorail Orange Line
Ride the free MIA Mover to the station, then board the Orange Line. Scheduled times from the station on weekday through trains are 6 minutes to Allapattah, 13 to Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre, 15 to Government Center, 17 to Brickell, 20 to Vizcaya and 23 to Coconut Grove. After 8:02 p.m. on weekdays and all day at weekends, trains from the airport run only to Earlington Heights (4 minutes), where you change to a Green or Orange Line train for the rest of the way.
Metrorail Orange Line at MIA: boarding point and full details
Brightline shuttle to MiamiCentral
The shuttle runs to Brightline's MiamiCentral Station at 600 NW 1st Avenue, in the middle of downtown, and leaves 10 minutes after each southbound train arrives. Metrorail, Tri-Rail and the Metromover connect at that station. Choose it when your hotel or destination is near MiamiCentral, or you are continuing north by train.
Brightline shuttle to MiamiCentral at MIA: boarding point and full details
Tri-Rail
Tri-Rail's timetable says passengers to or from MiamiCentral Station must transfer to a connecting Tri-Rail train at the Metrorail Transfer station, unless they ride the X301 or X302 express trains. From the Miami Airport station the ride to Metrorail Transfer is 11 minutes. Metrorail or the Brightline shuttle reach downtown without that change.
Taxi
Taxis load at the arrivals level curb outside baggage claim. The meter is the price: $2.95 for the first 1/6 mile, $0.85 for each 1/6 mile up to one mile, $0.55 for each 1/6 mile after that, $0.40 a minute while waiting, and a $2.00 airport charge. Tolls come on top, and an SUV or van adds 30 percent. Miami-Dade dropped flat fares, so every trip is metered.
Ride app
Pickups are on the first level (arrivals), at the middle median beyond the crosswalk, and on the second level (departures). The app shows the zone and door number. The airport publishes no ride-app fares, so the price to downtown is whatever the app quotes.
Good to know
- Metrorail's Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre station is the one the county names as the transfer to Brightline.
Questions about Downtown Miami and Brickell
Is there a shuttle from MIA to Downtown Miami and Brickell?
The shuttle or bus option is Brightline shuttle to MiamiCentral (About 23 min by road (routing estimate); $12 plus $3 fuel per guest).
Brightline shuttle to MiamiCentral at MIAHow long is the drive from MIA to Downtown Miami and Brickell?
11.5 miles, about 23 minutes in light traffic. Road distance to MiamiCentral from our routing tool, in light traffic.
Sources: Miami-Dade Transit, Miami International Airport, Miami-Dade Transit GTFS feed (service dates July 20 to Nov 22, 2026), Brightline, Tri-Rail timetable (tri-rail.com/scheduletable), read 2026-09-29, Miami-Dade County, OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM)