Getting In, Getting Around Rochester

Rochester International Airport is located 8 miles south of the city, just off US Highway 63. Second only to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the Rochester International Airport serves hundreds of thousands of visitors to Rochester annually. Use RST as your airport code when ordering tickets online. Air travel into Rochester International Airport is easy with daily full-sized jet service from Northwest Airlines and American Eagles Airlines through the connecting cities of Minneapolis, Chicago, and Detroit. With as many as 15 incoming flights into Rochester daily, those choosing air as their means of transportation will find many choices available to them. Northwest Airlines offers up to 10 incoming flights and 10 departure flights per day in and out of the Rochester International Airport connecting through the Minneapolis/St. Paul and Detroit International Airport. American Eagle Airlines offers up to 5 incoming flights and 4 departure flights per day in and out of the Rochester International Airport connecting through the Chicago O'Hare Airport.

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is located approximately 90 minutes drive northwest of Rochester. A major airport, it has flights from most major cities around the world. Dominated by Northwest Airlines. Two companies, Rochester Express and Rochester Direct, offer shuttle service between MSP and Rochester.

Rochester is easily accessible by highway. East-West Highway Routes: Interstate 90, US Hwy 14, State Hwy 30, State Hwy 42, State Hwy 296. North-South Highway Routes: Interstate 35, US Hwy 52, US Hwy 63. Rochester is centrally located in the midwest with sixteen major metropolitan areas less than 550 miles away.

The nearest Amtrak depot is located one hour (45 miles) east of Rochester in Winona, MN. Daily bus service to and from the Amtrak depot is available at the Union Bus Depot.

Jefferson Lines buses stop at the Sinclair gas station located at 205 6th St SW. If part of your trip involves travel on Greyhound, you can purchase your ticket on Greyhound's website, which will cover travel on both carriers.

Rochester is divided into four quadrants: NE, NW, SE, SW. The East-West dividing line is Highway 63 or Broadway. The North-South dividing line is Center Street. Streets and avenues are numbered from these dividing lines.

Park FREE in city ramps on weekdays after 5:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. and on weekends from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. Many downtown businesses will validate your parking in the ramps while you are shopping. Ask for your validation stamp. All public ramps in Rochester have clearly marked designated handicapped parking spaces available. Metered street parking is available free of charge at any metered parking space when a handicap parking tag is clearly displayed. There are seven city operated parking lots throughout downtown Rochester. Depending on the lot, rates range from $.40/hour with a 90 minute limit, $1.25/day or $2.00/event. Several lots are controlled by large yellow or red pay boxes. Select an empty parking stall, park your car, observe the stall number, place your parking fee in the corresponding slot in the pay box. Please pay in advance at these boxes.

Rochester City Lines is the provider of public bus transportation. Bus stops are easily identified by the red and yellow signs located at all bus stops. These signs are located where it is safe for the bus to stop. If there is no stop nearby, halt the bus at a street corner by waving to the driver. Each bus route is clearly indicated on the destination sign visible through the front on the dashboard of the bus. The destination sign specifies the route and the direction the bus will travel. Bus schedules run Monday-Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Evening routes run 7:15 p.m. to 9:55 p.m. Saturday bus service runs 8:15 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. No bus service on Sunday or major holidays.

Rochester's downtown skyway and underground walkways give you accessibility to more than 1,700 hotel rooms, Mayo Civic Center, over 3,900 parking spaces, shopping and entertainment... all without going outside.