Portland Airport (PDX) is easy to navigate and sets a new standard for American airport design. The main terminal recently opened its Phase 1 renewal - it’s built primarily with timber and boasts greenery and trees throughout, wide open spaces, sweeping views of the ramp, and 15-20 new local shops and dining outlets in the main terminal alone, with many more across the concourses. They’ve even revived the famous PDX carpet, a much-loved local icon. Here’s everything you need to know.
Getting to and from PDX
PDX is fantastic for getting to and from overall, especially by US standards. It’s reasonably close to the city – PDX advises allowing 30-45 minutes depending on traffic. It’s also well-connected by the Trimet Red Line light rail, which is great especially if there’s any traffic or if you’re on a budget.
By rideshare or taxi
If you’re like me you’ll probably be calling an Uber or Lyft upon collecting your bags. At PDX you won’t be heading straight outside - instead you’ll need to follow airport and app signage to the Transportation Plaza inside Level 1 of the Short-Term Parking Garage. Count on 5-10 minutes to get over there.
Note that if you’ve booked a black car or anything outside of ride-hailing apps, check with your specific provider for their pickup location. That does add some convenience, but it’ll also probably be more expensive.
By public transport
The Trimet light rail can be found an easy walk from baggage claim, just follow signs. The MAX Red Line station is on the lower level near carousel 2. It’s a quick ride into town. Note that it’s good to keep an eye on your surroundings while on public transport here. However, I would say it’s perfectly safe to ride, especially outside of odd hours.
By rental car
The PDX rental car center is also easily reached on foot from the terminal – accessible via the South Tunnel adjacent to carousels 3-4, with no shuttle needed. There you’ll find all the usual suspects and a straightforward process to get a car and be on your way. Especially if you have time to explore the nature surrounding Portland, this can be a great option. Even in a lot of the city, as long as you’re not right downtown, it’s pretty convenient to have a car to get around.
Terminal layout & finding your way around
PDX is very easy to navigate because it’s really just one main terminal with a handful of concourses radiating out in different directions. There are four concourses to be exact: B, C, D and E.
From the main terminal you just check which concourse you’re departing from (the letter in your gate number will tell you) and then you go through security on one side or the other. You needn’t worry where you end up because it’s all pretty convenient and each concourse has some good shops and places to eat.
If you want to get to the other side of concourses, there are pathways to do it.
Food & retail
Thanks to all their recent improvements and investments, I think PDX might now be the best airport in the US for finding good quality shopping and dining, at reasonable prices from local brands and eateries. If you’re just passing through the airport you can still get a reasonably good taste of what Portland and the Pacific Northwest has to offer, and that’s a very nice thing.
You’ll find multiple local breweries that are also offering food (like Deschutes Brewery in Concourse D and Hopworks Brewery in Concourse E), clothing shops from big-name Pendleton to smaller local start-ups like Hello From Portland and Paper Epiphanies, and lots of really great souvenirs from local shops ranging from Big Foot shirts to artsy knick knacks. It’s all a perfect little microcosm of Portland.
Other handy services
You can tell they’ve put thought into making PDX a user-friendly place. You’ve got practical touches like conveniently placed indoor pet relief areas past security. You also have whimsical additions such as live music programming in the main terminal where you’ll often find someone playing a tune.
What to expect at PDX
The main terminal area is where everyone enters, checks in and goes through security before fanning out to the concourses where the gates are located. The bulk of this area is complete with Phase 1 recently opened, though part of PDX remains a construction site as Phase 2 of its renovation continues.
The check-in desks are set up in a refreshing and modern way. Because of their design and layout, the feeling is more comparable to walking around an Apple Store than a traditional airport terminal. Good signage will lead you to your airline counters if you need to drop a bag – and if not it’s mere steps to one of two security checkpoints (B/C and D/E) which have ample space. I haven’t seen them crowded.
The helpful and friendly customer service employees stationed around the concourse (look for PDX workers wearing blue jackets) also add to the feeling of ease and comfort, ready to answer any questions or help you find your way. I even witnessed one simply wishing people a great day and a welcome to Portland. Between that and the timber construction filled with natural light, the vibes at PDX are just right.
An airport restaurant worth visiting for
Try to arrive at PDX with a little time (or just come here for fun) because the Loyal Legion Beer Hall takes pride of place on the mezzanine above the main terminal. It’s a great place to sit, have a bite and gaze out at the amazing view of the concourse below or the planes on the other side. It has 96 beers on tap from Oregon and Washington breweries, but even if that’s not your thing it’s still worth checking out because of the commanding views, good service and delicious food.
Lounges
PDX has four lounges and they’re all airline-specific offerings: an Alaska Lounge Express, an Alaska mainline lounge, a Delta Sky Club and a United Club. None are going to knock your socks off and the United Club is especially unspectacular but they do the job of giving you a quiet space with some free snacks and drinks.
Tip: the Alaska Lounge Express in concourse B is operating while an all-new, larger Alaska Lounge is in the works. The Alaska lounge over in C (across from Gate C5) is bigger and mostly better, for now. Except that C can get pretty full and if it does, it could be worth going to see how the crowds are at the B lounge. They also have some special snack boxes over there that you won’t find at the other lounge.
Wi-Fi
Unsurprisingly PDX offers good quality, free Wi-Fi that doesn’t require you to jump through any hoops. Simply find the “flypdx” network (connect to the open “flypdx” SSID), agree to the conditions, and you’re in.
Art at the airport
It’s not new for airports to place art installations around the terminals, but PDX has quite an extensive selection and most of it is inspired by and produced in the local area. If you have some time, I recommend going around trying to spot them all. The PDX Art Program lists exhibitions and its permanent collection online.
What to do on a layover
If you have a longer layover between flights, it could be well worth a hop into town. The trick is choosing the right part of town so your quick visit can be worthwhile - there are many guides to the best neighborhoods in Portland online, but suffice to say you have a lot to choose from.
One section that I like to head to is along Hawthorne Blvd, mostly the stretch of it to the west of Cesar Chavez Blvd. The wider area is very walkable and nice to explore. Head up to nearby Laurelhurst Park for some greenery.
Alternatively if you want to spend your layover seeing proper nature, you have many options. If you have several hours to kill you can make it to the gorgeous Oregon coast in about 90 minutes under normal conditions, or Mt. Hood is commonly about the same in the other direction. For something requiring less time on the road though, head to Washington Park or Forest Park which are found on the west side of the city and are totally stunning as well.
Airport hotels
PDX has the usual range of airport hotels, mostly the big chains, and none are particularly amazing. None of them are directly within the airport either, unfortunately. However, all else being equal, I’d recommend the Hyatt Place for a quick stop. As a bonus it’s right next to a Trimet station (adjacent to the MAX Red Line Cascades Station), so if you want to head into town, it’s an easy option!
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
