Getting Around in Rochester

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.

Airport Shuttles - Shuttle van service is available for all flights into the Rochester International Airport. A shuttle meets all incoming flights. Check in at the transportation desk at the airport. Reservations are required for your departing flight pickup.

Rochester Airport Shuttle: 507-282-2222
Luxury Sedan: 507-529-4222

Shuttle services are available 7 days a week between Rochester and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Shuttle vans pick up and deliver passengers in the Ground Transport area of the Minneapolis Airport. Shuttles serve most Rochester hotels. Advance reservations are recommended to guarantee seating. Approximate one way travel time is 90 minutes.

GO Rochester Direct: 800-280-9270
www.gorochesterdirect.com

Free Parking and Parking Validation - Park FREE in city ramps on weekdays after 5:00 p.m. until 2:30 a.m. and on weekends from 6:00 a.m. until 2:30 a.m.

Many downtown businesses will validate your parking in the ramps while you are shopping. Ask for your validation stamp.

Handicapped Parking - All public ramps in Rochester have clearly marked designated handicapped parking spaces available. Vehicles with State issued Disability plates or permits may park at City meters for up to 4 hours with the exception of 30 minute meters.

Parking Lots and Parking Ramps - There are eight city operated parking lots throughout downtown Rochester. Depending on the lot, rates range from $.40/hour with a 90 minute limit, $1.75/day or $2.00/event. Several lots are controlled by large yellow 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. Enforced seven days a week.

There are five public parking ramps listed below. Rates are $1.00/hour or a maximum of $12.00/24 hours.

Parking Meters - Meters are enforced 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday except major holidays: New Year's, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Meters are not enforced after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays or on Saturdays or Sundays. Meters are colored coded to designate time: yellow-30 minutes; gray-90 minutes, 2 hours; blue-3 hours; green-10 hours. On-street parking is prohibited on most streets in the downtown from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Public Transportation - The City of Rochester is served by public regular route bus transportation. Bus information is available by calling Rochester City Lines at (507) 288-4353 or on the web at www.rochesterbus.com. Bus service is provided weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. There is no service on Sundays or Holidays. A cash fare for adults is $2.00 with discounts offered for multiple ride passes, youth, seniors and persons with disabilities. All buses are wheelchair accessible as well as equipped with bicycle racks. Special door to door service (ZIPS Dial-a-Ride) is also available for persons not able to use regular route buses. Information about ZIPS is available on the Citys public transit website www.rochesterbus.com or by calling (507) 328-2439.

Skyways & Pedestrian Subways - 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. The downtown skyways are open to the public during the following hours:

Mon.-Thursday: 6:00 a.m.-12:00 Midnight
Fridays: 6:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Saturdays: 8:30 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Sundays & Legal Holidays: 8:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.

Specialized Transportation - Hotels in Rochester providing shuttle services for their guests also have transportation services for visitors with wheelchairs and mobility challenges. To areas in the city other than those provided by your hotel shuttles, Rochester has specialized transportation providers. Call to schedule.

Taxi Service - If taxi service is needed, the taxi company will provide at-the-door pickup. City ordinances set a minimum charge of $3.75 for each taxi load. Charges begin with a $3.75 meter flip and accrue at $2.25 per mile thereafter. Taxi fare between downtown and the Rochester International Airport is approximately $25.00. Advance reservations suggested for hotel to airport transports.

Rochester City Lines is the provider of public bus transportation, 507-288-4353. 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 windshield 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. Bus fare is $2.00 per single ride cash ticket, $1.00 for youth 6-18 years. One free transfer per trip issued to fare-paying riders at time of boarding. This transfer must be completed using the first available bus to complete your one-way trip.

Rochester's downtown skyway and underground walkways, or subways, give you accessibility to more than 1,700 hotel rooms, Mayo Civic Center, over 3,900 parking spaces, shopping, dining and entertainment... all without going outside. The downtown skyways are open to the public during the following hours:

Mon.-Thurs. 6:00 a.m.-12:00 Midnight
Fridays 6:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Saturdays 8:30 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Sunday & Legal Holidays 8:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.

Copyright Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau