MSP · Layover Guide
Minneapolis
Stop in Minneapolis.
Best layover: 3–24h
LayoverScore™
Base city score. Your route score varies by savings and timing.
Exit realism
Comfortable window
Enough room in Minneapolis for a real stop. Keep the buffer at the end anyway.
Landside playbook
If time slips
- Drop the last stop. Go straight to the train, taxi rank, or ride pickup you already chose.
- Add 15 minutes to map ETAs for the return leg at rush hour.
- One ticket for the whole trip protects you when the inbound is late. Separate tickets do not.
Worth knowing
- Do not stack three stops. One solid block in the city beats a rushed loop.
- Do not treat one map time as gospel for immigration lines. Pad on your first pass through this hub.
Planning a stop in Minneapolis?
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Places to stay
Search hotelsLayoverScore™ breakdown
Score 72 · Discover 52 · Ease 6
Why Minneapolis scores 72
Getting there
Light Rail Blue Line $2.5 · Light Rail Blue Line $2.5
min to center
metro- 01Light Rail Blue Line (25 min to downtown, $2.50)
- 02Taxi/Rideshare (18-25 min, $25-35)
- 03Hotel shuttles (free to airport hotels)
- 01Walk the Stone Arch Bridge with views of St. Anthony Falls and the Minneapolis skyline
- 02Explore the free Minneapolis Institute of Art with 90,000+ works spanning 5,000 years
- 03Stroll the Chain of Lakes via the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway
- 04Visit the Mill City Museum in a restored flour mill on the riverfront
- 05Sample craft beers at Surly Brewing or Indeed Brewing in the Northeast arts district
Experiences in Minneapolis
Timed tours and tickets for Minneapolis are listed on our partner site.
Open listingsOpens in a new tab.
- Spoon and Stable~60 min11 min walk
- Bachelor Farmer~60 min10 min walk
- Walker Art Center~90 min15 min walk
- Minneapolis Sculpture Garden~90 min16 min walk
- First Avenue~75 min9 min walk
- Nicollet Mall~75 min5 min walk
Need a room for your layover? Browse hotels near the airport.
Where to stay →Drop your luggage. Don't drag it around the city.
Smarte Carte Lockers
Terminal 1 Baggage Claim
$8/day
2 min walk
Mall of America Lockers
Mall of America (via light rail)
$10/day
15 min walk
Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport
Adjacent to Terminal 1
$79/day
5 min walk
From the terminal to the good part.
Light Rail Blue Line
Downtown Minneapolis
Runs every 10-15 min, connects to Mall of America and downtown
25 min
$2.50
Light Rail Blue Line
Mall of America
Free transfer to Mall of America station
12 min
$2.50
Uber/Lyft
Pickup at Ground Transportation Center
20 min
$28.00
Taxi
Flat rate to downtown available
20 min
$35.00
Minneapolis CityPASS
Mill City Museum, Minnesota Zoo, Science Museum of Minnesota
Valid for 9 days, good for longer layovers
$59
per day
Getting there
Get an Uber from the airportAt the airport
- 01MSP is consistently ranked among America's best airports
- 02Surdyk's Flights wine bar in Terminal 1
- 03Mall of America accessible via free light rail (12 min)
- 04Numerous local restaurant outposts including Ike's Food & Cocktails
Read more about Minneapolis
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