Fort Lauderdale Airport to Miami: Private Car Service to Brickell, South Beach and PortMiami

Flights into Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport are often easier to find, and sometimes easier to afford, than flights into Miami International. The catch is that the final 48 km (30 mi) south to Miami is a separate journey on one of Florida's busiest corridors. This page maps the whole of the Fort Lauderdale airport to Miami run: the road times by hour, the published taxi estimates, the rail options and when a booked car beats all of them.

Onroutz.ca takes the booking in Toronto and supports it from there. The ride is driven by a vetted, licensed and commercially insured Florida partner, in a vehicle no more than four model years old. One confirmation and one invoice cover the trip, and the desk stays reachable around the clock.

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How do I get from Fort Lauderdale airport to Miami?

No option beats the others on every count. A taxi needs no planning, rail avoids I-95 but adds transfers, and a car with a fixed fare gives certainty. Match the mode to your group, your luggage and the hour you land.

Fort Lauderdale airport to Miami: modes compared

Taxi figures are the airport's own estimates, written as of 2026 and subject to fuel surcharges. Rail fares are on the operators' fare calculators.

Distance and drive time, by hour

From FLL, the approximate road distances are:

• Downtown Miami and Brickell: about 48 km (30 mi).
• Miami International Airport (MIA): about 45 km (28 mi).
• Wynwood and the Design District: about 40 km (25 mi).
• South Beach and Miami Beach: about 55 km (34 mi).
• PortMiami: about 50 km (31 mi).

Time depends on the hour more than the destination.

• Before 6 am and after 8 pm: 35–50 minutes.
• Mid-morning and early afternoon: 45–70 minutes.
• Weekday rush, about 6:30 am to 9:30 am and 3:30 pm to 7 pm: 75–120 minutes on I-95.
• Friday afternoons, holiday weekends and rainy evenings: the top of the range, sometimes more.

The main route is I-95 south. Express lanes on I-95 can save time at peak when traffic is heavy, and some drivers use the Florida Turnpike or US 1 as alternatives. The driver chooses based on live conditions, and tolls are part of a fixed fare.

The airport taxi, in numbers

FLL publishes taxi estimates for common destinations, and notes that taxi fares in Broward County are regulated by law. The relevant lines are about $72 to Miami International Airport, $80 to South Beach and $86 to PortMiami as of 2026, subject to fuel surcharges. Tolls and tip are extra.

Taxis wait on the lower-level arrivals curb at each terminal: the west end of Terminal 1, the east end of Terminal 2, the north end of Terminal 3 and the west end of Terminal 4. That predictability is the taxi's advantage. The disadvantage is vehicle size: a family of four with two large cases may need two cars or a van, and a taxi cannot be reserved with the same certainty as a car booked ahead.

Tri-Rail and Brightline: what they offer

Tri-Rail has a Fort Lauderdale Airport Station in Dania Beach, linked by free shuttle buses from the terminals (stops GTA-1 at the west end of Terminal 1, GTA-2 between Terminals 2 and 3, and GTA-3 at the west end of Terminal 4). Trains run south toward Miami Airport station. To reach MiamiCentral in downtown Miami, riders transfer to a connecting train at the Metrorail Transfer Station, unless they catch one of the X301 or X302 express trains. Fares come from the Tri-Rail calculator.

Brightline is a separate intercity service. The airport lists a Brightline shuttle that runs daily from 7 am to 8 pm from pickup stops GTA-1, GTA-2 and GTA-3 to its South Florida stations, with a flat per-person rate. Brightline's stations are in downtown Fort Lauderdale and downtown Miami; check Brightline's site for current fares and timetables.

Rail suits solo travellers who are going to downtown Miami, are staying near a Metrorail or MiamiCentral stop and are travelling light. It rarely suits families with several suitcases, or anyone who lands after the shuttle's evening cut-off.

When the private car is the right call

• Three or more travellers. The price of rail fares multiplies; a car does not.
• Luggage. Two full suitcases and a stroller turn a train connection into a workout.
• Late arrivals. The Brightline connector stops at 8 pm. A booked car does not.
• Business schedules. A fixed pickup time and a driver tracking your flight reduce the risk of missing a meeting.
• A drop at the door. Miami Beach and Brickell hotels have a front entrance; a car pulls up to it.
• Children. Child seats come in infant, toddler and booster sizes and can be added to the booking.

Pick the class by group size. An Executive Sedan takes up to 3 passengers with 2 large and 2 cabin bags, a First Class Sedan takes up to 3, a Luxury SUV takes up to 6 with 5–6 large bags, and an Executive Sprinter takes up to 12 with 12 bags. Vehicles are confirmed at booking ("or similar"). See the fleet page.

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Where in Miami are you going?

The area you choose changes the best route and the time.

• Brickell and downtown: I-95 south, then the downtown exits. The quickest destination to reach at off-peak.
• Miami Beach and South Beach: I-95 to the Julia Tuttle or MacArthur Causeway. Beach traffic can add 15–30 minutes on weekends.
• Wynwood and the Design District: earlier exits off I-95, often the shortest run.
• Coral Gables and Coconut Grove: continue south of downtown; allow extra after Brickell.
• PortMiami: see the Miami airport to cruise port page for ship-day timing, since the same logic applies from Fort Lauderdale.
• Key Biscayne and the south: the longest runs, over 60 km (37 mi).

For hotels on the sand, the Miami Beach hotel transfers page gives local detail. For travellers who prefer to fly into Miami itself, see Miami International airport transfers.

FLL or MIA: which airport should you choose?

If your destination is downtown Miami or Miami Beach, Miami International is closer, at about 14 km (9 mi) from the downtown core. FLL wins when flights are cheaper or more convenient, or when your trip spans Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Weigh the saving on the ticket against the 48 km (30 mi) road leg, and remember that FLL warns of heavier bag-check cut-offs during peak cruise travel: airlines may only check bags up to two hours before a flight.

Canadian travellers should know that flights from Toronto Pearson and Billy Bishop arrive in the US as domestic passengers, because CBP preclearance clears you before departure. That makes the connection from landing to car fast.

Busy weeks that change the numbers

South Florida's winter high season, roughly December to April, is when I-95 is at its heaviest and when Canadian visitors arrive in the largest numbers. Event weeks push it further: Art Basel in Miami Beach in December, spring race and tennis weekends, and Sunday afternoons after a big match at Hard Rock Stadium all load the same corridors. When your trip falls on one of these, move the pickup earlier, choose the road the driver recommends and treat the upper end of the time range as the norm. Big events may also carry a different cancellation deadline, printed on your confirmation.

The reverse trip: Miami to Fort Lauderdale airport

Leaving Miami for FLL has the same traffic pattern in reverse: southbound mornings are slow into Miami, and northbound evenings are slow out of it.

1. Work back from the check-in cut-off, then add the drive and a rush-hour margin.
2. Pick the terminal from your airline, since the car can then drop you at the right door.
3. Prefer early starts on Fridays and Sundays, when beach and weekend traffic stacks up.
4. Tell the desk about early departures, so the pickup time is set against your airline's check-in rules.

How booking works

1. Enter your flight number, date and the Miami address in the booker.
2. Choose the vehicle class.
3. See the fixed all-in fare for your exact route, then pay.
4. Receive one confirmation and one invoice.

More than 72 hours' notice cancels at no charge. At 72 hours or less 10% applies, at 48 hours or less 50%, and at 24 hours or less or a no-show 100%, counted from the scheduled pickup. Events week may carry a different deadline, printed on the confirmation. Waiting is free for 60 minutes after an international landing and 30 after a domestic one, with flight tracking on every airport pickup.

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Official sources: FLL's ground transportation page lists taxi estimates, the Tri-Rail shuttle stops and pickup zones, Tri-Rail hosts its fare calculator and timetable, and CBP explains preclearance. For the cruise side, see FLL to Port Everglades, and for nearby resort areas, the Florida pages on the USA hub. Browse all point-to-point transfers and airport transfers.