Getting around Houston

Three rail lines down the spine of the city, and a bus network you will need.

METRO (Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County) · official site

Network map

Tap any station for departure times

METRORail Red Line
METRORail Green Line
METRORail Purple Line
Airport station

Northline Transit Center

Next departures

Loading arrivals…

Northern terminus. Big bus interchange for the north side.

Jump to a station

METRORail Red Line

METRORail Green Line

METRORail Purple Line

From the airport, on your first night

IAH

George Bush Intercontinental

1Follow signs to Terminal C baggage claim, then to the ground transportation area.
2Board METRO bus route 102 Bush IAH Express towards Downtown.
3Ride to the Downtown Transit Center.
4Change to the METRORail Red Line for the Museum District, Rice or the Texas Medical Center.

Journey time: About 70–90 minutes to downtown
Cost: $1.25 with a free transfer to rail

Read this first: Route 102 does not run late at night and is infrequent at weekends. If you land after about 8pm — and most international flights do — take a rideshare from the marked pickup zone instead. IAH to central Houston is roughly $40–60 and takes 35 minutes.

HOU

William P. Hobby

1Exit baggage claim and follow signs for METRO bus.
2Board route 40 Telephone / Heights towards Downtown.
3Ride to the Downtown Transit Center, then change to rail if you need it.

Journey time: About 45–60 minutes to downtown
Cost: $1.25 with a free transfer

Read this first: Hobby is closer in than IAH, but the same late-night warning applies.

Fares and how to pay

Single ride: $1.25
Day pass: $3.00 (day pass, auto-capped)
Monthly: $50.00

Student discount

Students pay $0.60 per ride with a METRO Student ID card. Many universities (including UH and Rice) issue a METRO Q card that is fully subsidised — ask your international student office before you buy anything.

How to pay

Download the METRO Q Ticketing app and pay by card — easiest on day one, no card office visit needed.
Or buy a METRO Q Fare Card at a ticket machine, transit centre or participating grocery store.
Exact cash is accepted on buses, but drivers give no change. Avoid this if you can.
Rail has no gates — you must tap your card at the platform validator before boarding, and fare inspectors do check.

Transfers

One fare covers three hours of unlimited transfers in any direction, including rail-to-bus and back. Tap every time you board.

Buses worth knowing

Rail gets the attention, but most students live on the bus network.

82 WestheimerEvery 10–15 min
Downtown ↔ Westchase along Westheimer. The busiest bus in the city.
1 Hospital / TidwellEvery 15–20 min
Northeast Houston to the Texas Medical Center.
56 Airline / MontroseEvery 12–20 min
Montrose and the Heights, north–south through downtown.
54 ScottEvery 15–20 min
Serves the University of Houston and Third Ward.
9 Gulfton / HolmanEvery 15 min
Gulfton, Greenway and Midtown.
402 Bellaire QuicklineEvery 15 min peak
Limited-stop express along Bellaire Blvd to Chinatown.
137 Northshore ExpressPeak hours only
Park & Ride express into downtown.

Apps to install on day one

METRO Q Ticketing
Buy and show your fare. Works without a US bank account if your home card is accepted.
METRO T.R.I.P.
METRO's own trip planner with real-time bus positions.
Google Maps
Honestly the best trip planner in Houston, and it has live departures.
Transit
Clean live departure board for the stop nearest you.

What your advisor would tell you

Houston is very spread out and the rail only covers a narrow north–south spine. Check your commute on a map before you sign any lease — a place that looks close can be 50 minutes away by bus.
The Red Line runs straight through the Texas Medical Center, Rice, the Museum District and downtown, so living near it is worth paying a little more for.
Buses use a frequent-network map: the routes marked frequent run every 15 minutes or better all day, and are the only ones worth planning a life around.
Summer heat is a genuine transport factor. A 15-minute walk to a stop is unpleasant from June to September — factor shade and covered stops into where you live.
Most students eventually buy a car here. Do not rush into it: get your bank account, credit history and state ID sorted first, or you will pay far more for insurance and finance.

A map only gets you so far on your first night

Reading about the Houston system at 2am after a 20-hour flight, with two suitcases and no US phone number, is a different thing entirely. Plan it with your advisor before you fly, and message them if anything goes wrong on the way.

Get an advisor