LAX pick-up points: taxis, ride apps and drivers
At LAX you cannot step out of baggage claim into a taxi or an Uber. Every taxi and ride-app car collects from LAX-it, a lot beside Terminal 1, and the kerbs outside the terminals are kept for shuttles, private cars and buses. Once you know the colours of the signs, it is simple. This is where each kind of ride picks up, checked against the airport's own notices for October 2026.
The 30-second version
For a taxi, Uber or Lyft, follow the green LAX-it signs: walk to the lot east of Terminal 1, or take the free green LAX-it shuttle from the inner kerb outside baggage claim on the Lower/Arrivals Level of any terminal. Pink posts marked LAX Shuttles are for the free Metro shuttle and blue stops for the FlyAway bus to Union Station or Van Nuys. Anyone collecting you by car should wait at one of the two free cell phone lots until you call from the kerb.
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Every terminal, Lower/Arrivals Level
- Uber and ride apps
LAX-it lot, east of Terminal 1; free green LAX-it shuttle from the inner kerb outside baggage claim
Uber, Lyft and Opoli do not stop at the terminals. The app sends your driver to the lot, so there is no point ordering before you are on your way there. The shuttle runs 24 hours a day.
- Taxi
LAX-it lot, east of Terminal 1, at the taxi rank inside the lot
Same route as the ride apps: walk or take the green shuttle. City-licensed taxis queue in the lot; the fare to Downtown is a flat $51.15 plus the $4 airport surcharge, and drivers take cards at no extra charge.
- Metro
Pink posts marked LAX Shuttles, Lower/Arrivals Level
The free shuttle runs from each terminal to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, bus bays 1 and 2, for the K and C Lines and local buses. A Metro ride is $1.75 with free transfers for two hours, tapping a contactless bank card.
- Coach
Blue FlyAway stops, Lower/Arrivals Level
Nonstop FlyAway buses to Union Station in Downtown and to Van Nuys in the Valley, $12.75 one way. Tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard as you board or pay in the FlyAway app; there is no cash on any route.
- Car hire
Rental car shuttle stops, Lower/Arrivals Level, to the LAX Rental Car Center at 5251 W. 98th Street
All 12 on-airport brands, among them Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National and Sixt, share the Rental Car Center, and their shuttles collect from the terminals. Off-airport brands run their own shuttles.
- Hotel shuttle
Hotel and private parking shuttle stops at the red signs on the Upper/Departures Level
Courtesy shuttles for airport hotels and private car parks use their own marked stops. Check with your hotel which stop it uses and how often it runs before you land.
- Friends collecting you
Cell phone waiting lots at 6217 W. 96th Street and 5800 W. Century Boulevard
Free waiting lots for anyone collecting you by car. LAX's own guide is that you reach the kerb about 15 minutes after landing with no checked bags, 30 with checked bags and 45 after an international flight, so tell your driver to leave the lot when you call.
- Pre-booked driver
As arranged with your driver
A pre-booked driver tracks your flight and meets you, so you skip LAX-it altogether. Keep your phone on after landing so the driver can confirm where to meet.
Terminal 1
- Uber and ride apps
LAX-it lot, next to Terminal 1
The easiest terminal for LAX-it: walk out of baggage claim and follow the green signs east to the lot, a short walk with bags. In the week of 11 to 17 October 2026 the Terminal 1 green and pink shuttle stops were closed for kerb works; use the stops between Terminals 1 and 2, and inner-lane pick-up at Columns 1A to 1D moved to Column 1J.
Terminal 2 (works until 30 October 2026)
- Uber and ride apps
Green LAX-it stop between Terminals 1 and 2, or at Terminal 3
The Terminal 2 green, pink and blue stops are closed for kerb improvements, with the airport listing the work to end on 30 October. Walk to the stops between Terminals 1 and 2 or to Terminal 3 for LAX-it, the Metro shuttle and FlyAway.
Terminal 6 (works until 25 October 2026)
- Uber and ride apps
Green, pink and blue stops at Terminal 7
The Terminal 6 green, pink and blue stops are closed for kerb improvements until about 25 October. Walk to Terminal 7 next door for the LAX-it shuttle, the Metro shuttle and FlyAway.
Tom Bradley International (Terminal B)
- Uber and ride apps
Green LAX-it stop on the inner kerb, Lower/Arrivals Level
International arrivals have the longest wait for the kerb, about 45 minutes by LAX's reckoning, and then the LAX-it shuttle. With a long-haul flight behind you, children or a lot of luggage, a pre-booked driver who meets you inside is worth the money here.
Being picked up by a friend: where to wait and what it costs
In one of the two free cell phone lots, at 6217 W. 96th Street and 5800 W. Century Boulevard, until you call from the kerb. Private cars can collect on the Lower/Arrivals Level, but the loop road is the slowest part of LAX, so circling it while you wait for bags costs your driver far more time than waiting in a lot.
If they would rather meet you inside, the parking structures in the Central Terminal Area give 10 minutes free, then $9 for the first hour and $7 for each further 30 minutes, to $60 a day.
- Cell phone lots
- Free; 6217 W. 96th Street and 5800 W. Century Boulevard
- Terminal parking
- 10 minutes free, then $9 the first hour
- Landing to kerb
- About 15 minutes, 30 with checked bags, 45 international
Meeting a pre-booked driver
This is the one way at LAX that avoids the LAX-it lot. Your driver watches the flight, so a delay costs nothing, waits while you clear passport control and collect bags, and brings the car to the kerb. The price is fixed when you book, which matters on a metered ride to Santa Monica, Beverly Hills or Malibu where the traffic sets the fare. Book it on our transfers page.
Late at night
LAX-it and its shuttle run around the clock, and so do the taxis in the lot. The last FlyAway buses leave the terminals late in the evening, so check the timetable before relying on one after a late landing. The Metro is not the answer after midnight with luggage: it starts with a shuttle and usually involves a change.
Kerb works this autumn
LAX is being rebuilt as you use it, and the shuttle stops move with the work. In mid-October 2026 the green LAX-it and pink Metro stops at Terminal 1 were closed, Terminal 2's green, pink and blue stops were closed until 30 October, and Terminal 6's until about 25 October. Signs point to the nearest open stop, and staff in green vests at each terminal can help with the way to LAX-it. The airport also warns of detours and longer shuttle times through the autumn.
Accessible pick-up
Ask your airline for wheelchair assistance when you book, and again at check-in; the airline's staff take you to the kerb. The simplest step-free pick-up is a car that comes to the terminal kerb: a pre-booked driver, or a friend collecting from the Lower/Arrivals Level. LAX-it involves either a walk or a shuttle transfer.
Questions people ask
Good questions about Los Angeles LAX
Where do Ubers pick up at LAX?
At the LAX-it lot east of Terminal 1, not outside the terminals. Walk there from Terminal 1, or take the free green LAX-it shuttle from the inner kerb on the Lower/Arrivals Level of any terminal, then order the car from the lot.
Where is the taxi rank at LAX?
Inside the LAX-it lot beside Terminal 1. Taxis no longer collect at the terminals. To Downtown the fare is a flat $51.15 plus the $4 airport surcharge.
Is the LAX-it shuttle free?
Yes. It is free, runs 24 hours a day and stops at the green LAX-it signs on the inner kerb outside baggage claim at each terminal.
Where can I wait to pick someone up at LAX?
In the free cell phone lots at 6217 W. 96th Street or 5800 W. Century Boulevard. The terminal parking structures give 10 minutes free, then $9 for the first hour.
Where does the FlyAway bus leave from at LAX?
From the blue FlyAway stops on the Lower/Arrivals Level of each terminal, nonstop to Union Station or Van Nuys for $12.75, card or app only.
How long after landing will I reach the kerb at LAX?
LAX's own guide is about 15 minutes without checked bags, 30 with checked bags and 45 after an international flight.
Can Uber pick up at Terminal B (Tom Bradley)?
No. As at every terminal, ride apps collect only at LAX-it; take the green shuttle from the inner kerb on the Lower/Arrivals Level.
Image credits: Benoît Prieur (CC0)