Whether you are dropping someone off or picking them up, it's important to plan ahead. Offered here are a few tips for making your trip to MSP a smooth one.

  • Know which airline your traveler will be leaving or arriving on. This is the most important piece of information you'll need to have. There are two terminals at MSP Airport - Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 - with different airlines flying out of each. Check the Airlines section of the site to be sure you know which terminal your traveler will use.
  • Strict federal security directives prohibit parked or unattended vehicles on the roadways in front of the terminals, even for a short time. You may pull to the curb in front of a terminal only long enough to drop off or pick up a waiting traveler. When picking up, the traveler must be waiting outside the terminal before you pull curbside; parking your vehicle at the curb while you wait for arriving travelers to emerge from the terminal is not allowed. Unattended vehicles may be ticketed and towed.
  • When picking someone up from the airport, find out if your traveler has checked any bags. It sometimes takes a little while for bags to make it from the airplane to the baggage carousel. Curbside parking in front of the terminals is prohibited, so make sure your traveler has retrieved his or her bags and is waiting outside the terminal before pulling curbside.
  • Be sure to exchange cell phone numbers. This way, your traveler can call you when they land so that you can time your arrival and avoid having to circle the roadway.
  • Be sure you have your traveler's flight number and check its status before heading to the airport.

Terminal 1 Overflow Pick-up & Drop-off

Overflow pick-up and drop-off is an additional curbside area on the upper-level Departures loop at Terminal 1, with quick access to doors 5-8 on the left side of the roadway. It’s open to everyone, free and available 24/7. To get there, move to the left lane of the upper Departures loop and follow Overflow signage. At the top of the approach to Departures, take the first hard left to the curbside opposite the terminal. Passengers can go up one level by elevator, escalator or stairs to the mezzanine, then cross the short skyway into the terminal. Please note: for optimal accessibility, the most direct entry and staffed assistance is via doors 2-3 in the far right main Departures lane. Video descriptive transcript available below


 

Terminal 2 Express Drop-off / Pick-up

In addition to the terminal curb, visitors at Terminal 2 can take advantage of the Express Lane when picking up or dropping off travelers. Conveniently located next to the skyway on Level 2 of the Purple Ramp, the Express Drop-off / Pick-up area provides a free, climate-controlled alternative to the main roadway. Vehicles entering the Express Drop-off / Pick-up area will have the option to enter the Hourly Parking area should you need to wait or leave your vehicle.


 

Park and Wait

If you are coming from a distance, plan to park at the airport and wait inside. Avoid the hassle of circling airport roadways, waiting for travelers to emerge from the terminal. Parking in the airport's covered, short-term ramps is a low-cost option. And you can walk from parking to the terminal without ever going outside.

Alternatively, motorists are encouraged to take advantage of MSP's complimentary cell phone waiting lots. The waiting areas are located on Post Road, approximately halfway between the terminals. Have your traveler call you when they've picked up their luggage and are exiting the terminal.

East and West Cell Phone Waiting Lots

 

Overflow Pick-Up & Drop-Off Video Descriptive Transcript:

This 29-second video shows the route to the Terminal 1 Overflow Pick-up & Drop-off area, then the walk from there into the terminal. White text on screen gives each instruction.

Directions in brief

  1. Follow the signs for Departures and Overflow Pick-up & Drop-off.
  2. Stay left.
  3. Take the first left toward the terminal.
  4. Pick up or drop off at Doors 5, 6, 7, or 8 along the covered curb.
  5. Go up to Departures.
  6. Walk through the skyway to Terminal 1.
  7. Go down to Departures or Arrivals.

Step-by-step description

Step 1: Follow the signs for Departures and Overflow Pick-up & Drop-off

The video begins from the driver’s seat of a car on a sunny day. Four blue overhead signs span the road. From left to right, they read “Arrivals, Valet Parking” with an arrow pointing up and left, “Arrivals” with an arrow pointing down, “Departures, Overflow Pick-up & Drop-off” with an arrow pointing down, and “Departures” with an arrow pointing up and right. On-screen text reads: “Terminal 1 Overflow Pick-up & Drop-off.”

Step 2: Stay left

The car passes under two more blue signs. One reads “Departures” and “Departures, Overflow Pick-up & Drop-off,” with a yellow label that says “Next Left.” The other reads “Departures” with a left arrow and a yellow label that says “Delays Ahead.” On-screen text reads: “Stay left for Overflow Pick-up & Drop-off.”

Step 3: Take the first left toward the terminal

The car approaches the glass-fronted terminal building. A blue sign with a left arrow reads “Overflow Pick-up & Drop-off.” On-screen text reads: “Take first left for Overflow Pick-up & Drop-off.”

Step 4: Pick up or drop off at Doors 5, 6, 7, or 8

The car travels along the curb beneath a covered glass canopy. Numbered signs on the columns mark Departures Door 5, then Door 6. Round blue signs read “Departures, Overflow Pick-up & Drop-off.” A yellow pedestrian crossing sign is posted ahead. On-screen text reads: “To pick-up and drop-off use Doors 5, 6, 7, 8.”

Step 5: Go up to Departures

The view moves indoors to an escalator that rises to the next level. An overhead sign shows an up arrow with the words “Departures” and “Arrivals.” On-screen text reads: “Go up to Departures.”

Step 6: Walk through the skyway to Terminal 1

The view moves through glass doors into a long, bright, empty corridor with a glass and steel ceiling. Signs overhead read “Departures” and “Arrivals,” and a sign at the far end points right. On-screen text reads: “Access to Terminal 1 via Skyway.”

Step 7: Go down to Departures or Arrivals

The final view looks down from a balcony onto a wide concourse with check-in counters and a few travelers. A tall, curving, purple-lit sculpture stands next to the railing. On-screen text reads: “Go down to Departures or Arrivals.”