Detroit Airport to Windsor, Ontario: Private Car Across the Border

Windsor, Ontario faces Detroit across the river, and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) is the large airport many Windsor travellers use. The two are about 40 km (25 mi) apart as the car drives, with the Detroit River and a border inspection between them. This page covers the car service from Detroit Airport into Windsor and the way back, with the three crossings, their tolls, the documents and the real-world alternatives.

Check your fixed fare

What is the best way to get from Detroit Airport to Windsor, Ontario?

The problem with improvising is the border. Not every airport taxi or rideshare driver will carry a fare into Canada, and a public bus across the river means at least one change. A booked car removes that uncertainty. The driver, vehicle and fare are fixed before you leave, and the chauffeur knows the approaches on both sides.

Car service from Detroit Airport to Windsor: every option compared

Detroit Metro lists taxis and luxury sedans, rideshare, shuttle services, public transportation and prearranged transportation on its official site. Read the page for the pickup zones before you land. The key practical point is the terminal: the airport has two, the McNamara Terminal (Aeromexico, Air France, Delta and WestJet) and the Evans Terminal (including Air Canada, American, United, Southwest, JetBlue and Lufthansa, among others). Tell the booker the airline and flight number so the chauffeur is at the right door.

When a taxi, rideshare or shuttle is the better choice

If you are a solo traveller with a single bag and a flexible hotel check-in, a pre-booked shared shuttle may suit you, and an airport taxi can work when the driver agrees to cross at the curb. If you are headed only to the Detroit side, nothing on this page applies to you.

A private car is the better choice when:

1. You arrive on an evening or night flight. Cross-border options thin out after dark.
2. Three or more travel together. One vehicle replaces several seats.
3. You carry equipment. Trade-show kits, sample cases, musical instruments or hockey bags are easier in an SUV or Sprinter.
4. You have a meeting on arrival. The car goes straight to the office, and you step out ready to work.
5. Children are with you. Seats for babies, toddlers and older children are provided when requested at booking.
6. The border worries you. One booking, one driver, and a plan for the documents.

Book this transfer

The three crossings: Ambassador Bridge, tunnel and Gordie Howe

There are three ways across the Detroit River by car, and you do not need to choose between them in advance. Your chauffeur picks on the day.

• Detroit–Windsor Tunnel. Runs 24 hours a day and lands in downtown Windsor. The tunnel's rate page lists $9.00 USD for autos, vans, taxis and limousines going from Detroit to Windsor, and the Windsor side takes cards, not cash. The rate table says tolls must be paid in the currency of the departure country and may change.
• Ambassador Bridge. Also open 24 hours a day and feeds Windsor's west side. The toll is set by the bridge operator.
• Gordie Howe International Bridge. The newest crossing opened to traffic on 27 July 2026. It connects I-75 on the Michigan side with Highway 401 in Ontario, runs 24 hours, and has express lanes for NEXUS members. The standard passenger-vehicle toll is 8 CAD (5.75 USD), and larger passenger vehicles pay 12 CAD (8.75 USD), according to reports on the opening.

Our fixed fare is all-in, so you are not handed a toll bill at the booth. You can read the details at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel toll page. The CBSA border wait times page shows live waits for all three. On the morning we checked it, all three showed no delay, but that changes by the hour, and big events in Detroit and Windsor can change it fast.

The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority publishes news and toll information for the new crossing.

Documents for entering Canada by road

• Foreign nationals arriving by land. Canada.ca says you do not need an eTA to enter by car, bus, train or boat, but a valid passport is required, plus a visa if your nationality needs one.
• US citizens and permanent residents. They need neither a visa nor an eTA. The government recommends carrying a valid passport.
• Children. Carry passports for all, and any custody letters that apply.
• Declarations. Declare food, alcohol, cash over the reporting limit and gifts, as you would at any land crossing.

Read the current rules on Canada.ca's entry requirements before you travel. Our chauffeur cannot fix a missing document at the booth.

Windsor to Detroit Airport: the return trip

Going the other way adds an inspection by US officers when you cross, then the drive to the terminal.

• Plan border time first. Count back from your flight: the drive from downtown Windsor, the crossing, then the airport approach and check-in.
• Choose the right terminal. Tell the booker your airline so the chauffeur drops at McNamara or Evans.
• Keep documents handy. Take your passport out of the suitcase before the car leaves the hotel.
• Early flights. Book the night before and give the flight number. For a morning departure, we set the pickup back with margin for the crossing.

Windsor and Detroit share the Eastern time zone, so there is no clock change to confuse the plan.

Where in Windsor you might be going

Windsor is a compact city along the river, and the common drops are:

• Downtown and the riverfront. Hotels, offices and the entertainment district along Riverside Drive, including Caesars Windsor on Riverside Drive East.
• The University of Windsor and Wyandotte Street. Students, staff and visiting academics.
• Business parks and plants on the east and south sides. Manufacturing and logistics companies host visiting executives from around the world.
• Wedding and event venues. Our chauffeurs also handle limousine-style arrivals for weddings and other occasions. See the executive car service and corporate events pages.
• Beyond Windsor. Leamington, Kingsville, Amherstburg and Chatham-Kent are all reachable on the same booking.

Tell the booker the property name or street address and any gate or loading-dock instructions, so the final approach is planned.

What happens when you land at DTW

1. Tracking. Flight tracking is on for every airport pickup.
2. Waiting. International arrivals get a free hour of waiting; domestic arrivals get 30 minutes.
3. Meeting. A name-board meet and greet inside arrivals is available on request, with an alias name for privacy.
4. The vehicle. The chauffeur loads the bags and heads to the crossing.
5. The border. The car goes through the passenger lane with your documents ready.
6. Drop-off. At the front door of your Windsor address.

See airport meet and greet for the arrivals handover, and the taxi, rideshare and private transfer guide for a side-by-side view.

Vehicles for Detroit to Windsor

Detroit pickups are cross-border runs. The ride is booked, confirmed, supported and invoiced by the Onroutz.ca desk in Toronto, with one confirmation, one invoice and one 24/7 contact, and is delivered by a vetted, licensed and commercially insured transfer partner. Partner vehicles are no more than 4 model years old. All classes are "or similar", and the model is confirmed at booking.

• Executive Sedan: up to 3 passengers, 2 large and 2 cabin bags.
• First Class Sedan: up to 3 passengers.
• Luxury SUV: up to 6 passengers, 5 to 6 large bags.
• Executive Sprinter: up to 12 passengers and 12 bags.
• Mini-coach and coach, 20 to 56 seats, on request.

See the fleet page for details.

Connecting this transfer to a wider itinerary

Windsor is the western end of Highway 401. Travellers often combine the Detroit leg with a longer Ontario trip.

• Toronto and the GTA are the main reason many Windsor visitors fly into Detroit. Our Toronto hub lists the Toronto side.
• London, Ontario is the usual stopping point on the Highway 401 between the two cities. See Pearson to London, Ontario.
• Niagara. Our Buffalo Airport to Niagara Falls page covers the other main border crossing in southern Ontario.
• Longer US routes. The USA hub lists American airports and cities, and the Canada hub lists Canadian ones. The full list of routes is in the transfers hub.

How booking and the fixed fare work

The booker asks for the pickup, drop-off, date, time and party size. It then shows the fixed all-in fare for your exact pickup, drop-off and vehicle before you pay. We do not publish a price table because the fare depends on the Windsor address, the vehicle class, the date and the time.

Reserve your car

Cancellation: more than 72 hours' notice has no charge; 72 hours or less is 10%; 48 hours or less is 50%; 24 hours or less or no-show is 100%, counted from the scheduled pickup. Event bookings can carry their own deadline, always printed on the confirmation. See the FAQ.