Miami Airport Parking (MIA)

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Miami International Airport (MIA) is the primary long-haul airport for the South Florida region, with 40 million passengers traveling through it every year. Located perfectly for routes to South America and Europe, MIA has the highest percentage of international travelers in the country and handles more international cargo than any other airport.

Providing carriers like American Airlines with their main Latin American gateway, Miami International Airport is also a key city for American Eagle, Eastern Air Lines, UPS, FedEx, LATAM, Frontier and Avianca. In the past, it has acted as a hub for Pan Am, United, Braniff and Eastern Airlines.

As one of only eight American airports able to accommodate the Airbus A380, Miami Airport holds a strong position for continued growth. With routes already reaching across the Americas, Europe and much of Asia, it is also recognized as the primary travel connection between the USA and Latin America.

Location of Miami Airport

MIA Airport is located about eight miles (12.9 kilometers) west of Downtown Miami in Florida, directly serving local areas like Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Hialeah and West Palm Beach. Found close to where the I-95 East Coast road ends, the airport is reached via intersections with the Airport Expressway and Dolphin Expressway toll roads.

Since it is so close to the city center, various public transport options are available to reach the airport, with bus services including the Miami Beach Airport Flyer, which shuttles from Miami Beach, and the Metrobus network with direct routes from Downtown Miami, South Beach, South Miami, Doral, Hialeah, Coconut Grove and Opa-Locka.

Rail services include Metrorail and Metromover routes from Hialeah, Downtown Miami and South Miami, as well as a Tri-Rail service from West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Hialeah.

History of Miami Airport

Opened as Miami City Airport in 1920, the site grew rapidly as Pan-Am and the military developed neighboring plots of land, which all merged into a single facility after World War II. Early routes included non-stop flights to Chicago and Newark from 1946, although no route went beyond St Louis or New Orleans until the 1960s.

Operating for decades as a regional domestic airport, the addition of non-stop transatlantic flights to London in the 1970s led to a period of rapid growth. Air Florida flew a London route from a hub at MIA and a British Airways Concorde route ran from 1984 to 1991. The initial burst of transatlantic growth was further boosted as Eastern Airlines headquartered at the airport and American Airlines made it a hub, which meant that it quickly became one of the most important international gateways in the USA.

Continual investment through the 1990s and 2000s added terminals as passenger numbers passed 30 million, whilst rapid growth since the Great Recession has launched a new $651 million round of renovations to retain its status as a modern airport. Today, MIA remains important for links to Europe and Central America; somewhat unusually, it is one of the only airports in the USA to offer flights to Cuba, although they are primarily reserved for journalists and government officials.

Airport facilities

Miami Airport hotel and parking

An off-site parking option is provided by many of the hotels located close to the airport. Hotel and parking packages work by providing you with up to two weeks of free parking in the hotel lot, plus free shuttle bus transfers to your terminal, so long as you spend at least one night at the hotel.

This is a great option if you have a late arrival, early departure or just want to break up a long journey with a good rest. It can also work out quite affordable if you're going on a longer trip and are happy with a mid-range hotel.

Plenty of familiar hotel chains offer the packages, including Holiday Inn, Quality Inn, Ramada and Hyatt. All require bookings in advance, but cancelations are usually allowed if your plans change.

Top things to do in Miami Airport

Browse the array of shops

MIA is investing heavily in concessions and retail space to bring the widest possible choice to passengers and already has a fantastic selection, especially if you're looking for designer labels.

You'll get the most out of the shopping if you have time to visit all the terminals, but just a few of the designers spread around the airport include Emporio Armani, Mont Blanc, Coach, Penguin, Thomas Pink, Michael Kors, L'Occitane, Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss.

There's also the mini-mall Shoppes at Ocean Drive concession offering even more brands and labels. You can find plenty of stores selling travel essentials, basic apparel and duty free items across all the terminals, but the best shopping experience is generally found in Terminals D, H and J.

Indulge in the airport food

Like most major airports, Miami International has managed to attract some excellent restaurants serving food well above the traditional airport standard. If you have a little time to look beyond the obvious fast food chains and explore a few of the terminals, you can find genuinely delicious food that will take you by surprise.

Terminal D has some of the best choices, including the Beaudevin wine and cheese bar, Cafe Versailles' Cuban menu and Sushi Maki. You’ll also find a satellite eatery of the Florida-based restaurant, Lorena Garcia Cocina's Caribbean cuisine and, all the way from South Beach, the Icebox Cafe. Terminal E’s noteworthy Cuban restaurant, La Carreta, was highlighted by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the best airport restaurants in the world.

Tour the art exhibitions

Miami International Airport features a range of contemporary artworks alongside special exhibits of other work including paintings, drawings, sculpture and photography. One of the most visual installations is the rainbow-colored glass window wall by Christopher Janney, but exploration will reveal many more site-specific and large-scale pieces.

Gallery spaces at MIA display community projects, local artists, children's work and exhibitions with subjects as diverse as transportation advertising, studies of the body in motion and the art of illumination in ancient texts.

Relax in the spas and yoga room

If all you need is some quiet time to de-stress from the bustle of the airport, Miami International has two spas on-site that provide a variety of massage and beauty treatments.

XpresSpa in Terminal D offers massages from 15 to 90 minutes long, a huge range of manicures, pedicures and other beauty treatments, as well as showers for all customers.

There’s also the Jetsetter Spa in Terminal H, which offers a reduced range of similar beauty and massage treatments.

If you prefer some gentle activity to ease out any travel tension, there's also a small yoga room in Terminal H.

Wait in style in an airport lounge

Few airline travelers realize that the lounges set aside for first-class travelers and club members can often be accessed by paying a day membership. At most airports, this means access to a nice lounge area, some complimentary food and drink and other benefits like fast and free WiFi, which is just what you need if you have a long delay or layover.

Miami International has some stand-out lounges available that are worth considering. The American Express Centurion Lounge has food from a Michelin-starred chef, spa treatments, art displays and a soundproofed play area for children, whilst the American and Delta lounges include showers and personal travel assistance.

Top things to do near Miami Airport

Wynwood Arts District

Home to over 70 galleries and museums as well as extensive public street art, the Wynwood Arts District is conceived as both an arts neighborhood and a complete open-air street art installation.

At the center of it all is Wynwood Walls, a set of colorful and detailed murals by a range of artists. One of the most memorable ways to soak it in is the Wynwood Art Walk, which takes you around some of the best galleries and pieces of street art available.

About seven miles (11.3 kilometers) from Miami International Airport, Wynwood is a unique encouragement of the arts in a lively hub of the city that’s awash with great little cafés and places to hang out; be sure not to miss this one.

American Airlines Arena

Home to Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA), American Airlines Arena is a great place to catch a game, but also packs in a theater space and entertainment such as music concerts, special events and theatrical performances.

Located about seven miles (11.3 kilometers) from Miami International Airport, the arena experience here is second-to-none.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Once the home of a wealthy local businessman, Villa Vizcaya is now owned by the County and has been opened to the public as a museum. Featuring Renaissance gardens, native woodland, historic buildings and extensive furnishings, decorations and artworks, it is open year-round.

About 11 miles (17.7 kilometers) from the airport, the villa has a rich history to discover and a collection spread across 50 acres (20.2 hectares) of land and over 70 rooms of arts and furnishings. Some of the interior designs are admirably creative and there are many unique pieces of work to take in that date from the 15th to the 19th centuries.

Miami Beach

Miami's iconic strip of golden sand and blue sea is the primary reason why Miami has become known as the ultimate beach holiday destination. Only 13 miles (20.9 kilometers) from MIA, the beach stretches along the outside edge of the entire Biscayne Bay looking out onto the Atlantic.

Incorporating North Beach, Mid Beach, South Beach, Ocean Drive, the Art Deco District and the Bayfront Park and marketplace, this is a huge resort city in its own right that is alive with unique culture and atmosphere.

Whether you want to sit in the sun and listen to the waves or explore the amazing architecture and food, it's the original essential tourist location to visit in Miami.

Little Havana

Just four miles (6.4 kilometers) from Miami Airport, Little Havana is a neighborhood more than worthy of exploration.

Home to immigrants from across Cuba and Central and South America, Little Havana is best known for great festivals, food, music, independent stores and an astoundingly friendly street-life experience.

It’s an uplifting place to simply walk around and explore, given the fact that Little Havana quite literally brings a little piece of Cuba to the USA.

If you happen to be traveling in early spring, look out for the Calle Ocho Festival, which brings over a million people together in a Caribbean-carnival style celebration.

Zoo Miami

As the oldest and largest zoo in Florida and the only tropical zoo in the USA, Zoo Miami spreads over 3,000 animals across a 750-acre (303.5-hectare) park about 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) from Miami International Airport.

It supports conservation programs both locally and internationally, with animal exhibits at the zoo covering the ecology of the Florida Everglades, Asia, Africa, the Amazon and Australia.

There's so much to see that you could easily fill a few days here. It even offers cycle hire to get around the three miles (4.8 kilometers) of pathways.

Dolphin Mall

Nine miles (14.5 kilometers) from Miami Airport is the Dolphin Mall, offering 1.4 million square feet (130,000 square meters) of retail space and a 19-screen multiplex movie theater. Anchor stores include Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Old Navy, with many of them offering an outlet-style service.

With a diverse range of restaurants and coffee shops on offer, you won’t struggle to fill a few hours there. The mall has recently added thousands of new parking spaces, but there are also bus services available from MIA.

Pérez Art Museum Miami

A contemporary art museum eight miles (12.9 kilometers) from Miami Airport, the Pérez Art Museum Miami is housed in a stunning, award-winning, modern building amidst beautiful terraces in Museum Park.

Around 2,000 pieces of 20th-century art are held in the collection, as well as work from the cultures of the Atlantic Rim. It’s enjoying record attendance at its new home, so it’s investing in its collection and committing to regular special exhibitions. The art, the architecture and the overall ambience combine to make this a special place to visit during your time in Miami.

Which terminal?

Miami International Airport technically has three terminal buildings divided into six concourses, but those concourses are mostly referred to as individual terminals. The smaller spaces mean much less traveling within the airport to find the correct gate, but they also mean that some airlines have to be assigned to different terminals for departures and arrivals. See the table below to find out where you’ll need to go at MIA to find the right gate.

It’s a hub city for Avianca, LATAM Airlines and Frontier Airlines, whilst American Airlines and Eastern Air Lines are amongst the providers that use it as a hub for passengers.

The Volunteer Ambassadors at the airport can help you find your way and the Official Miami Airport Cell Phone App, which identifies 500 locations within the airport, is worth downloading.

How to get to Miami Airport

Useful tips

Make sure you plan your route for drop-offs and pick-ups

The road signs and layout on approach to Miami Airport are a constant source of frustration for drivers dropping off or picking up passengers, so it’s a good idea to look into it before you set off. Plan exactly where you need to be for your specific airline to ensure you don’t take a wrong turn and end up on the wrong side of the airport. You can use this map of MIA to help you.

It takes longer than you think to travel around MIA

Since Miami's terminal buildings are connected to one another, there is no rapid shuttle service that runs between them. Make use of the moving walkways, the Skytrain in the very long Terminal D and the train in Terminal E that takes you out to some of the farthest gates, but be aware that it will take you longer than you might expect in a large international airport.

It’s also possible to utilize the MIA Mover light rail system from the rental car center and bus and train station to get around, but even that is not a swift mode of transport.

Shortcut security to Terminal D

Terminal D is very large and has plenty of security checkpoints, but it's often extremely busy. Many people don't realize that Terminals D and E are connected post-security, so if the lines in Terminal D are long, it can sometimes be quicker going through security in Terminal E before walking back around to D.

It’s not the comfiest for sleepovers

People who have stayed overnight at MIA have said that the seating isn’t the most comfortable for sleeping on thanks to the fact that there are armrests everywhere. They’ve also stated that it gets cold and pretty noisy after the last flight of the day, so you might want to give extra consideration to a night in a nearby hotel instead of slumming it on the floor.

There are more overnight food options landside than airside

Whilst there is a 24-hour bagel shop to be found airside, there are plenty of around-the-clock concessions landside that will make sure you don’t go hungry or thirsty if you do decide to stay the night.

Miami Airport FAQs

Where is Miami Airport?

Miami Airport’s address is 2100 NW 42nd Ave, Miami, Florida, 33126. Located in an unincorporated area in Miami-Dade County, MIA is about eight miles (12.9 kilometers) north west of downtown Miami and is surrounded by the areas of Hialeah, Doral, Miami Springs and Virginia Gardens. It’s close to where the I-95 east-coast road ends at the southern tip of the state of Florida.

Does Miami Airport have free WiFi?

Miami International offers WiFi throughout the indoor public areas, but only a limited number of websites are accessible for free. A premium-rate service with half-hourly and daily rates is available for full Internet access. An alternative option is to make use of one of the airline lounges, most of which offer day memberships with a range of useful benefits, including free access to faster WiFi.

How far is Miami International Airport from South Beach?

The MIA terminal buildings are about 13 miles (20.9 kilometers) from South Beach. You can reach it via either the Dolphin Expressway toll road, which will bring you out at the southern end of Lummus Park, or by taking the Airport Expressway toll road to come out at Mid-Beach, which is just over a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the South Beach area. If you aren't driving yourself, the Miami Beach Airport Express runs a shuttle bus service between Miami International Airport and Miami Beach from Mid-Beach down to South Beach.

Can you smoke at Miami Airport?

There are no indoor smoking areas at Miami International, but several designated smoking areas can be found outside the terminals before security.

Can Uber pick up at Miami Airport?

Services like Uber and Lyft are welcome to pick up passengers at MIA. Call your driver when you're past baggage reclaim and customs and let them know which terminal to head for; they can collect you from the main pick-up areas used by the general public.

Does Miami Airport have lockers?

Whilst there are no general lockers, a baggage storage cloakroom that allows storage for up to 60 days can be found in Terminal E; you will need your identification with you to make use of the facilities.

Does Miami Airport have a hotel?

Yes, the on-site Miami International Airport Hotel offers convenient rooms for the night right inside Terminal E. A range of options are available alongside facilities like a restaurant, gym, conference room, multi-lingual staff and day membership of the Melreese Country Club, which is just a few minutes from the hotel. If you're traveling with animals, the hotel is also pet-friendly for a small extra fee per room.