How to get to COTA for the USA Grand Prix in Austin

There’s a reason the USA Grand Prix is one of the best attended races on the F1 calendar. Not only is there always plenty of excitement on the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) track, the city of Austin itself is an incredible, vibrant city with a range of amazing sites, restaurants and bars, all united under the banner of the city’s unofficial slogan ‘Keep Austin Weird’.

If you’re planning a visit, this guide will provide you all the information you need to know about how to get to Austin for the USA Grand Prix.

Where is Circuit of the Americas?

The Circuit of The Americas is located 15 miles southeast of downtown Austin, Texas, and is best accessed by car, taxi or shuttle bus as public transport links are very limited.

Flights to Austin for the USA Grand Prix

Austin has one airport, Austin-Bergstrom (airport code AUS) which is predominantly for domestic flights. Two larger international hubs, Houston (IAH) and Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), offer more choice.

Flights from the UK

The only current direct flight to Austin Bergstrom is with British Airways from London Heathrow. These fly daily and are reasonably priced, with a duration of approximately 10.5 hours. For more options, consider flying into Dallas Fort Worth or Houston. All direct flights are still from Heathrow but there are different airlines and a wider range of flight times to choose from.

Flights from within USA

There are plenty of domestic flights to the city on Grand Prix weekend, with airlines Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, United and Alaska Airlines all offering direct connections. As always, it’s recommended to book flights early before prices rocket and choices become more limited.

Flights from Europe

Apart from London, the only other European city that flies direct to Austin is Frankfurt with Lufthansa. Travelling to either Dallas Fort Worth or Houston instead will allow you more options, including flying direct from Paris and Amsterdam.

How to get to downtown Austin from the Airport

It normally takes about 35 minutes to reach downtown Austin from the airport, however it may take longer during racing weekend.

By shuttle

An airport shuttle service provided by Cap Metro runs every 15 minutes, taking passengers to several pick-up/drop-off points in Austin. It costs $1.75 and you’ll need to have exact change to buy a pass on the bus or use the CapMetro app (available for Apple and Android). View routes and schedules here. Follow the Cap Metro signs beyond the baggage claim on the ground floor that leads to the blue neon guitar-shaped bus stop.

By car

If you are a renting a car, there are plenty of options at the airport, including Avis, Enterprise and Hertz. Driving direct to COTA is actually easier than getting to the circuit from downtown Austin itself, but you can still expect traffic to by incredibly busy, especially during race weekend.

By Taxi/Lyft/Uber

A taxi, Uber or Lyft from the airport to downtown should cost around $30-50, depending on the time of day and your exact destination. Rideshare and taxi pick-up for passengers flying into Austin is located under the Consolidated Rental Car Facility, just north or behind the Red Garage.

Useful taxi numbers:

ATX Co-Op Taxi 512-333-5555

Central City Taxi 512-400-4044

Z-Trip 512-452-9999

PLEASE NOTE: If you plan on heading straight to COTA from the airport, please note there is no luggage storage at the track and large baggage (over 12X12X20 inches in volume) won’t be allowed past security.

How far is Circuit of the Americas from downtown Austin?

COTA is located 15 miles southeast of the city of downtown Austin which makes it easily accessible for those staying in the city itself.

Driving from Austin to COTA

Whilst driving is the best option for getting to COTA, it’s by no means plain-sailing. Austin traffic is notoriously bad and it unsurprisingly gets worse during race weekend – allow up to two hours to get there!

Parking at COTA

There are ten car parks that surround COTA and are just a short walk to the six entry gates. It is highly recommended you buy a parking pass in advance as, quite simply, you won’t get parked without one! Passes can be purchased via the official COTA site.

Travelling from downtown Austin to COTA by shuttle

Shuttles will be running continuously throughout race weekend from two pick-up/drop-off locations: Downtown at Waterloo Park and Travis County Expo Center.

Downtown Shuttle (Waterloo Park) – weekend passes cost $129 and one-day passes cost $45. The pickup and drop off point is Red River Street, adjacent to Waterloo Park/Moody Amphitheater. These shuttles drop off at the track just outside the Grand Plaza gates on COTA Boulevard.

Northeast Shuttle (Travis County Expo Center) – weekend passes cost $89 and one-day passes cost $29. The pickup and drop off point is the Travis County Expo Center.

Travelling from downtown Austin to COTA by Ridesharing/Uber/Lyft

Please be aware that during racing weekend, COTA Blvd will be restricted to permitted vehicles and buses only. If you’re planning on ridesharing or using a private transfer, these services will operate out of the McAngus parking lot.

Book tickets for the 2025 American Grand Prix

Planning to attend the 2025 USA F1 Grand Prix? Tickets are on sale but selling fast!

Options include general admission, grandstands, hospitality and Paddock Club. Kygo, Garth Brooks and Turnpike Troubadors have also been confirmed as the music acts for this year’s event.

US F1 Grand Prix tickets now on sale for 2025

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