DTW Airport McNamara Terminal: What Every Traveler Should Know Before Arriving

Some of the most avoidable missed connections at DTW have nothing to do with the flight. They happen in the terminal.

McNamara Terminal is nearly a mile long. It splits across three concourses and sits on the opposite side of the airport from every other airline.

Most travelers expect navigating the terminal to be straightforward. What often catches first-time visitors off guard is knowing where to go after landing, from baggage claim to ground transportation and other terminal services.

Who Uses McNamara, and Who Doesn’t

McNamara Terminal handles Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico, Air France, and WestJet.

Most other airlines operate from Evans Terminal, on the opposite end of the airport. That includes American, Southwest, United, Spirit, Lufthansa, and JetBlue.

This matters more than most people realize. You cannot walk between McNamara and Evans terminals. The two terminals have no airside connection.

Getting between them means exiting security, catching a free shuttle that departs every 10 to 15 minutes, and re-clearing TSA on the other side. Even with a prompt shuttle, the full transfer takes 30 to 45 minutes once you factor in the walk, wait, ride, and a second security screening.

A 90-minute gap is risky on a split-ticket itinerary involving both terminals. You may need to collect baggage, wait for the shuttle, check in again, and clear TSA. Build in at least 2.5 hours.

The Layout and Where People Go Wrong

McNamara has three concourses: A, B, and C.

The distance between the first and last gate is longer than it looks on a gate board.

Concourse A is the main artery. Most dining, retail, and Delta Sky Club locations sit in the Central Link area at the midpoint. Gates run from A2 through A78.

Concourses B and C are satellite concourses at the south end of Concourse A. They’re only reachable through an underground pedestrian tunnel. That tunnel is the 700-foot LED light corridor DTW is known for, with synchronized music and a color-shifting ceiling.

First-timers sometimes assume B and C are accessible from the main terminal level. They’re not.

Regional flights tend to cluster in Concourses B and C. Passengers arriving late from a connection sometimes run the full length of Concourse A, through the tunnel, and still make it. But only with the ExpressTram.

The ExpressTram: When to Use It

Walking the full concourse can take more than 20 minutes, while the tram reduces the trip to a few minutes once you are aboard.

It operates on an elevated track with three stops:

• South Station: gates A1 to A28
• Terminal Station: gates A29 to A55, baggage claim, and the tunnel entrance to B and C
• North Station: gates A56 to A78

Regular DTW travelers board without thinking about it. First-timers start walking and realize at gate A50 that their gate is A12.

The tram stations are easy to miss when you’re focused on gate numbers. If you’re tight on a connection, factor in 5 to 10 minutes total, not just the three-minute ride.

If your gate changes while you’re already halfway down Concourse A, it’s often quicker to backtrack to the nearest tram station than continue walking.

Restaurants at McNamara Terminal

McNamara has a stronger dining lineup than most U.S. airport terminals. Most options are post-security in the Central Link area at the midpoint of Concourse A.

The local options are worth seeking out. Andiamo near Gate A30 is a Metro Detroit Italian institution. Cat Cora’s Taproom near Gate A22 leans toward craft beer and organic ingredients. Born in Detroit Kitchen + Bar near Gate B8 covers local comfort food alongside Great Lakes Coffee. Buddy’s Pizza is known for Detroit-style square slices.

For a sit-down meal before security, Reflections inside the Westin hotel lobby connects directly to the terminal and doesn’t require going through screening.

Security: When It’s Fine and When It Isn’t

McNamara has checkpoint access from the Level 3 ticketing lobby and the Level 2 parking-garage bridge.

Midday on a weekday, McNamara security moves faster than most people expect. That changes depending on when you fly:

• Monday mornings, 5 to 8 a.m.: Delta departure banks stack up. Expect noticeably longer waits than midday.
• Late afternoons, 4 to 7 p.m.: same pattern, same result.
• Holiday Fridays and the Sunday after Thanksgiving: the worst days of the year. Lines back up significantly.

During busy morning departure banks, the TSA PreCheck lane often moves noticeably faster than the standard screening lanes.

Arrive two hours before domestic flights, three hours before international.

Getting Out: Ground Transport Realities

After leaving your gate, most arriving passengers head to baggage claim before continuing to ground transportation. Carousels are assigned by flight, while oversized baggage is collected behind Carousel 3.

International arrivals must clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection before reaching baggage claim, which can add significant time after landing. That’s worth knowing if you’re meeting someone, or if you’re continuing across the border to Windsor.

Once you’ve collected your luggage, you’ll need ground transportation to leave the airport. DTW has no rail connection to downtown Detroit, and the QLINE doesn’t serve the airport. Downtown is about 20 to 22 miles away, with the drive typically taking 25 to 35 minutes, although winter weather can extend that considerably.

Corporate travelers with scheduled meetings often choose a pre-arranged pickup because it removes the uncertainty of locating a vehicle after landing.

If you’re using a rideshare, pickups take place on Level 4 of the McNamara Parking Garage, not at the terminal curb. Knowing where to go before landing can save time.

Detroit Air Xpress provides daily service between DTW and downtown with luggage storage, while SMART FAST Route 261 also serves McNamara and downtown Detroit. Check the current timetable before relying on either option for an early or late flight.