The Charlotte-Douglas airport, CLT, is located on the opposite side of the city from UNC Charlotte as shown in the image to the right. The Concord-Padgett airport to the north is slightly closer to the university.
From either airport, UNC Charlotte can be reached by taxi, car, bus, or lightrail.
Car or Taxi
If you plan on driving, the fastest route from either airport to campus is Interstate 85, North from Charlotte-Douglas and South from Concord-Padgett. Car rentals usually cost between $50 and $70 per day.
Uber and Lyft rides from CLT tend to average $30 and take about 30 minutes while rides from Concord-Padgett average about $15 and take about 20 minutes.
If you do drive to campus, please park in the spaces marked “visitor parking” in either of the parking decks adjacent to the EPIC building. We have parking passes to give you upon request (which you use when leaving, not when arriving), so you do not have to pay the usual parking fee. The CRI parking deck is marked on the map in the following link: CRI Deck Visitor Parking.
Bus and Lightrail
If you are opting for public transportation, see the CATS airport connector site for information about routes and fare. CATS also sells passes online through the online pass sales store which contains several nice options if you plan on using the bus system during your full stay in Charlotte.
The Route 5 bus travels from the CLT airport to Uptown Charlotte where you can connect to the LYNX Lightrail’s Blue Line North. The Blue Line ends on the UNC Charlotte campus while the JW Clay Station is directly in front of the Marriott Hotel on campus.
