My buddy (and fellow baseball traveler) Tom and I were recently exchanging messages about trips we’re planning, and the skyrocketing price of rental cars came up. Our discussion about how renting a car these days can nearly cost as much as a night in hotel or even a short flight made me acutely aware of how this method of transportation can quickly eat into your travel budget like never before. Forbes.com calls this the “car rental apocalypse,” explaining how the early months of the pandemic forced car rental companies to sell off significant percentages of their fleets, resulting in vehicle shortages. And shortages, as we all know, lead to an increase in price.
In pricing out hypothetical summer trips, I’ve noticed a lot of rentals in the $100/day range; before the pandemic, similar vehicles would maybe go for $35/day. It might be time to eliminate rental cars.
This has led me to research how long it takes to get from the airport to the ballpark in each major league city using public transit — light rail, subway and bus. Of course, you can take a taxi or an Uber anywhere you’d like, but these methods of travel can quickly add up to the price of a rental car if you aren’t careful. Conversely, getting around on public transit will typically only cost you a few bucks, leaving you with more money to spend on your trip in other ways.
Here’s a look at the distance and approximate travel time between airports and ballparks. It’s worth noting that the exact travel times can vary based on the time of day, but these numbers should give you an idea of roughly how much time your journey will take.
American League
American League East
Baltimore Orioles | Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Nearest airport: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (10 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 39 minutes
Boston Red Sox | Fenway Park
Nearest airport: Boston Logan International Airport (6 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 40 minutes
New York Yankees | Yankee Stadium
Nearest airports: LaGuardia Airport (8 miles), John F. Kennedy International Airport (19 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 47 minutes (LaGuardia), 1 hour 13 minutes (JFK)
Tampa Bay Rays | Tropicana Field
Nearest airports: St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport (12 miles), Tampa International Airport (20 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 1 hour 46 minutes (St. Pete/Clearwater), 2 hours 27 minutes (Tampa)
Toronto Blue Jays | Rogers Centre/Sahlen Field
Nearest airports, Rogers Centre: Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (1 mile), Toronto Pearson International Airport (18 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 12 minutes (Billy Bishop), 35 minutes (Pearson)
Nearest airport, Sahlen Field: Buffalo Niagara International Airport (10 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 47 minutes
American League Central
Chicago White Sox | Guaranteed Rate Field
Nearest airports: Chicago Midway International Airport (10 miles), O’Hare International Airport (18 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 31 minutes (Midway), 1 hour (O’Hare)
Cleveland Indians | Progressive Field
Nearest airport: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (13 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 44 minutes
Detroit Tigers | Comerica Park
Nearest airport: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (20 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 57 minutes
Kansas City Royals | Kauffman Stadium
Nearest airport: Kansas City International Airport (28 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 1 hours 17 minutes
Minnesota Twins | Target Field
Nearest airport: Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (14 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 28 minutes
American League West
Houston Astros | Minute Maid Park
Nearest airport: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (20 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 1 hour 11 minutes
Los Angeles Angels | Angel Stadium
Nearest airport: John Wayne Airport (12 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 1 hour 10 minutes
Oakland Athletics | Oakland Coliseum
Nearest airport: Oakland International Airport (4 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 12 minutes
Seattle Mariners | T-Mobile Park
Nearest airport: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (12 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 47 minutes
Texas Rangers | Globe Life Field
Nearest airport: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (13 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 1 hour
National League
National League East
Atlanta Braves | Truist Park
Nearest airport: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (23 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 1 hour 12 minutes
Miami Marlins | LoanDepot Park
Nearest airport: Miami International Airport (10 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 41 minutes
New York Mets | Citi Field
Nearest airports: LaGuardia Airport (3 miles), John F. Kennedy International Airport (9 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 26 minutes (LaGuardia), 53 minutes (JFK)
Philadelphia Phillies | Citizens Bank Park
Nearest airport: Philadelphia International Airport (5 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 56 minutes
Washington Nationals | Nationals Park
Nearest airport: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (4 miles), Washington Dulles International Airport (33 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 33 minutes (Reagan), 1 hour 7 minutes (Dulles)
National League Central
Chicago Cubs | Wrigley Field
Nearest airport: O’Hare International Airport (14 miles), Midway International Airport (20 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 47 minutes (O’Hare), 41 minutes (Midway)
Cincinnati Reds | Great American Ball Park
Nearest airport: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (13 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 47 minutes
Milwaukee Brewers | American Family Field
Nearest airport: Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (10 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 1 hour
Pittsburgh Pirates | PNC Park
Nearest airport: Pittsburgh International Airport (18 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 49 minutes
St. Louis Cardinals | Busch Stadium
Nearest airport: St. Louis Lambert International Airport (15 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 34 minutes
National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks | Chase Field
Nearest airport: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (4 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 35 minutes
Colorado Rockies | Coors Field
Nearest airport: Denver International Airport (24 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 48 minutes
Los Angeles Dodgers | Dodger Stadium
Nearest airport: Hollywood Burbank Airport (14 miles), Los Angeles International Airport (19 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 1 hour 2 minutes (Hollywood Burbank), 1 hour 2 minutes (Los Angeles)
San Diego Padres | Petco Park
Nearest airport: San Diego International Airport (4 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 34 minutes
San Francisco Giants | Oracle Park
Nearest airport: San Francisco International Airport (13 miles)
Approximate travel time on public transit: 50 minutes