BNA is 8 miles from downtown Nashville. That is the driving distance from the terminal to the center of Broadway. Under normal conditions, the drive takes 12 to 15 minutes. That number matters less than understanding when normal conditions do not apply.
When It Actually Takes Longer
The route between BNA and downtown runs mostly via I-40 westbound. That corridor is fine early in the morning and on weekends. On weekday afternoons from roughly 4pm to 6:30pm, the merge onto I-40 from the airport and the subsequent westbound crawl through the Briley interchange can push the same 8-mile trip past 35 to 40 minutes. If you are flying out on a Thursday afternoon and want to make a 5pm departure, you need to account for that.
Murfreesboro Pike is the surface road alternative. It runs directly from the airport toward downtown but passes through a long stretch of commercial development and stoplights. It is not faster during rush hour, but it is a reliable backup if I-40 is unusually backed up due to an incident.
Options for Getting There
Rideshare: Uber and Lyft are the primary options for most visitors. Pickup for both is on Level 1 of the ground transportation area, with Lyft at Zone A and Uber at Zones B and C. Fares from BNA to downtown run $20 to $40 depending on the time of day and surge pricing. Budget trips in the low $20s during off-peak hours. Budget $35 to $40 during peak demand or late-night surge. There is no set flat rate for rideshare.
Taxi: The taxi stand is also on Level 1 in the ground transportation center. The flat-rate taxi fare from BNA to downtown is $30, plus $2 for each additional passenger beyond the first. Taxis do not surge, so on a busy holiday weekend they can actually be cheaper than Uber or Lyft.
WeGo Bus Route 18: The WeGo public transit system runs Route 18 between BNA and downtown Nashville. The fare is $2 and the trip takes approximately 30 to 35 minutes. This is a legitimate option for solo travelers with manageable luggage who are not in a hurry. The bus drops at Fifth and Broadway, which is central. It runs every 30 minutes and operates daily. For a group of two with checked bags in a hurry, it stops making sense economically or practically.
Rental car: Rental car pickup is on Level 1 of the main terminal. The drive itself is straightforward: take Terminal Drive to I-40 West, exit toward downtown. The merge onto I-40 from the airport can back up when multiple flights arrive at the same time, which is the most common source of delay leaving BNA by car.
Shuttle services: Several private shuttle companies offer shared or private service between BNA and downtown hotels. Shared van shuttles start around $18 per person. These work best when you have a confirmed hotel pickup and are not on a tight schedule, since shared shuttles wait for multiple passengers before departing.
There Is No Train
Rail service between BNA and downtown is frequently discussed and has never materialized. The WeGo Star commuter train operates in the Nashville metro area but does not serve the airport. There is no light rail, no subway, and no fixed rail connection of any kind. Anyone who tells you to take the train to the airport is wrong. The bus is the only public transit option.
Distance to Other Key Areas
If you are not staying downtown, the distances shift. The Gulch is about 9 miles from BNA and 15 to 20 minutes by car. Midtown, near Vanderbilt, is about 12 miles and 20 to 25 minutes. East Nashville is closer in some ways, roughly 5 to 6 miles if you cut north of downtown, but the routing is less intuitive. Germantown is about 10 miles. These are all manageable regardless of which neighborhood you are staying in.
The Cell Phone Lot
If you are picking someone up, use the cell phone lot at 1415 Murfreesboro Pike rather than circling the terminal. It is free. The terminal loop runs one-way and backs up when flights arrive in clusters, which they do, because BNA runs roughly 300 arrivals per day.
Sources
- Rome2rio, Nashville Airport to Downtown Nashville route data
- GlobalAirportParking.com BNA Airport Guide
- Upgraded Points, Nashville International Airport terminal guide
- Prime Time Shuttle, BNA to Downtown Nashville service page
- BNA Airport map and transportation info, way.com
- WeGo Transit Route 18 schedule information