Downtown Detroit Central Business District
If you’re looking for a map to get you around downtown Detroit’s central business district, download our map and you’ll become a Detroit navigator in no time.
Booking Your Travel
We’re proud to announce that we’ve chosen SkyTeam as our Official Alliance Network for air travel. We would like to offer you seamless air travel via SkyTeam Global Meetings to our event. Our registered Global Meetings event offers you attractive airfares. By booking and buying your airline ticket via the dedicated link below, you will benefit from:
- Savings – take advantage of exclusive discounts up to 15% in both Business and Economy Class; no fee for your online bookings.
- Convenience – book the most convenient itinerary online with any of the 20 SkyTeam member airlines.
- Reward Miles – earn Miles on your frequent flyer program of a SkyTeam member airline and save on your future travels
- Valuable services – SkyTeam Elite Plus, First and Business Class customers will experience SkyPriority, the alliance network red-carpet treatment, and will get access to the exclusive
SkyTeam lounges. - SkyTeam network – travel to your event from virtually anywhere in the world with over 16,270
daily flights covering more than 1,050 destinations in 179 countries.
Local Transit
SMART Bus
If you’re heading to the northern suburbs of Macomb or Oakland, renting a car is an option. You can also hop on a SMART bus. SMART connects the city of Detroit to its suburbs — you can catch a ride at the Rosa Parks Transit Center in downtown Detroit. The standard ride fare is $2 ($1 for youth and 50 cents for seniors.)
SMART also offers new FAST routes. This high frequency bus service connects the city to the suburbs like Birmingham, Ferndale, Troy Dearborn, and the Detroit Metro Airport. The bus service operates every 15-30 minutes for a quick, convenient ride to downtown Detroit.
The Detroit People Mover
The Detroit People Mover, an elevated and automated light-rail system, can help you get around downtown quickly, easily and safely. The 2.9-mile looped system has 13 stations, with automatic stops at key downtown locations.
Hours of Operation
6:30 a.m.-midnight weekdays, with an extension to 2 a.m. on Friday. 9 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday. Noon-midnight Sunday.
Cost: one-way fare is just $0.75.
Paying Fare to Ride
With a People Mover Fast Pass, place the pass in your right hand (with the black stripe facing you) and walk up to the fare gate. Swipe the pass forward as if you’re pushing it through. Once the gate says “Thank You”, you are free to walk through. Passes can only be swiped through a station fare gate one time in a 15-minute interval. Once it has accepted your fare at that station, it will not register again at that location for the above period. You can, however, use the pass at any other station.
QLine
A 3.3-mile circulating streetcar running along Woodward Avenue between Congress Street and West Grand Boulevard in downtown Detroit. The streetcar route has 20 stations serving 12 locations.
7520 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 48202
Phone: 800-511-3931
Detroit Metro Airport DTW
Detroit Metro Airport has two main terminals, McNamara and North. Extra-wide moving walkways, shuttles between terminals, two indoor, 200-passenger trams that transport guests within the McNamara Terminal and an on-site luxury Westin hotel round out the airport’s many services.
Getting to Detroit from the Airport
Detroit’s bus service offers a fast route from both airport terminals to downtown Detroit along the Michigan Avenue route. For more information, check out the SMART website.
Taxi Rates
Rates vary depending on wait times, traffic and the number of people traveling.
From Detroit Metro Airport to:
COBO CENTER: $30*
FORD FIELD: $30*
SOUTHFIELD: $38*
DEARBORN: $22*
ALLEN PARK: $20*
*Prices collected from Uber.
Get driving directions
Crossing the Border into the U.S.
If you’re arriving from Canada, you will need to cross the Ambassador Bridge or go through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel to get into Detroit. Everyone, including U.S. citizens, that are traveling between the U.S. and Canada need to present a valid passport or other documents determined by the Department of Homeland Security. Other documentation includes a passport card or an enhanced license issued from Michigan, Washington State, Vermont or New York. For more information on documentation, visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.
There will be a small fee to cross through the tunnel or on the bridge going both ways. There is often traffic going over the border, and you may be pulled aside for extra questioning by border security, so be sure to leave early if you are crossing the border into Detroit just in case.
If you would like to take the tunnel to get into Detroit, you have the option to take the Tunnel Bus, operated by Transit Windsor. For $5, you can take the Tunnel Bus directly to Cobo Center. Visit the Transit Windsor website for more information.
Traffic Updates
Mi Drive is your resource for planning routes with up-to-date road construction information as well as traffic incidents and even road cameras. Get Mi Drive online and on your smartphone or mobile device.
Parking in Downtown Detroit
Here are a few resources that list publicly available parking lots, parking garages and additional information about on-street parking. Some listed provide online apps to help get you parked and on your way as quick as possible.
Bestparking – Downtown Detroit
Bestparking – Near Cobo Center
Average Driving Distances to Downtown Detroit (miles)
More Transit Options
Project Lighthouse
If you’re not sure where to turn or your rental vehicle is giving you trouble (aka you locked the keys in the car) while in downtown Detroit, keep an eye out for a light-blue Lighthouse logo. The Lighthouse indicates a 24/7 Project Lighthouse safe haven that’s ready to assist you. You can also call 313-471-6490. More than 30 businesses in The D currently sport the Lighthouse logo, including the GM Ren Cen, Ford Field, Greektown Casino-Hotel, Fox Theatre, Cobo Center and the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit hotel.
Learn more about Project Lighthouse and participating locations.
