DFW International Airport recommends arriving at least 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international flight. To know when to leave, add your drive: downtown Dallas is about 26 minutes from the terminals in light traffic, downtown Fort Worth about 32 minutes, Plano’s Legacy West about 27 minutes and McKinney about 43 minutes. Allow extra time at weekday rush hours, in bad weather and around holidays. For a 9 a.m. domestic flight from downtown Dallas, that means leaving by about 6:30 a.m.
Leave-by times from across the Metroplex.
The airport’s advice plus a light-traffic drive, rounded up to the next five minutes.
| Leaving from | Distance | Drive | Leave before a domestic flight | Leave before an international flight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grapevine – Historic Main Street | 6 mi | about 10 min | 2 hr 10 min | 3 hr 10 min |
| Southlake – Town Square | 9 mi | about 15 min | 2 hr 15 min | 3 hr 15 min |
| Irving – Las Colinas | 10 mi | about 15 min | 2 hr 15 min | 3 hr 15 min |
| Arlington – AT&T Stadium | 14 mi | about 25 min | 2 hr 25 min | 3 hr 25 min |
| Dallas Love Field (connecting) | 18 mi | about 30 min | 2 hr 30 min | 3 hr 30 min |
| Downtown Dallas | 20 mi | about 30 min | 2 hr 30 min | 3 hr 30 min |
| Plano – Legacy West | 21 mi | about 30 min | 2 hr 30 min | 3 hr 30 min |
| Frisco – The Star | 22 mi | about 30 min | 2 hr 30 min | 3 hr 30 min |
| Downtown Fort Worth | 24 mi | about 35 min | 2 hr 35 min | 3 hr 35 min |
| Richardson – CityLine | 26 mi | about 35 min | 2 hr 35 min | 3 hr 35 min |
| Denton – downtown Square | 27 mi | about 40 min | 2 hr 40 min | 3 hr 40 min |
| McKinney – downtown square | 36 mi | about 45 min | 2 hr 45 min | 3 hr 45 min |
What the airport recommends
DFW advises arriving at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights, and repeats that advice ahead of its busiest periods, including spring break, summer and the winter holidays. If you are checking a bag or flying internationally, your airline’s check-in and bag-drop cutoffs also come earlier than boarding.
When to allow more time
- Weekday rush hours on the highways into the airport.
- Holiday and spring-break weekends, when the airport publishes extra travel advisories.
- Bad weather, which slows every route into DFW.
- Roadway construction around the terminals. DFW posts detour advisories on its website, so check before you leave.
How we plan your pickup
Book with your flight time and terminal and we suggest a pickup time that allows for the drive and the airport’s advice, then confirm it with you. Arriving on an international flight instead? See meeting your driver at Terminal D.
Frequently asked questions
How early should I get to DFW Airport?
How long does it take to get to DFW from downtown Dallas?
When should I leave Fort Worth for a DFW flight?
Can I book a car for a very early flight?
Related pages
Book your DFW pickup.
Dispatch runs 24/7. Book online, or call (469) 617-1006.