PICKUP OVERVIEW
Where to pick up at DTW.
Picking someone up at DTW? Find the North and South Cell Phone Lots, McNamara and Evans terminal pickup levels, short-term parking, and terminal coordination.
CURRENT DTW CONDITIONS
Airport conditions
Airport-wide FAA delay status and the latest aviation weather observation. Use ArrivalCue’s homepage tracker for a flight-specific pickup plan.
CHOOSE YOUR PICKUP
Choose your pickup
Choose the situation that matches your pickup at DTW.
A friend or family member is driving
Curbside pickup
- Traveler
- Share your airline and terminal, then call when you are ready at Arrivals.
- Driver
- Confirm the terminal before approaching and use the Arrivals Level only when the traveler is ready.
The pickup timing is uncertain
Wait at the terminal-side lot
- Traveler
- Send the terminal before asking the driver to leave the waiting lot.
- Driver
- Choose the North or South Cell Phone Lot based on the terminal side rather than circling both terminals.
The driver is meeting the traveler inside
Short-term parking meetup
- Traveler
- Tell the driver which terminal to use before they park.
- Driver
- Use short-term parking for the appropriate terminal and meet inside instead of waiting curbside.
The arriving flight is international
Allow a customs buffer
- Traveler
- Share your terminal and confirm you have completed arrival processing before calling for pickup.
- Driver
- Use a Cell Phone Lot or short-term parking until the traveler confirms the terminal-side meeting point.
PICKUP AND WAITING LOCATIONS
Where to wait or park
Open the place you need before entering the terminal area.
WAIT FOR MCNAMARA
DTW North Cell Phone Lot
Use the north waiting lot after confirming the McNamara-side terminal plan.
Open DTW North Cell Phone Lot in Google Maps ↗WAIT FOR EVANS
DTW South Cell Phone Lot
Use the south waiting lot after confirming the Evans-side terminal plan.
Open DTW South Cell Phone Lot in Google Maps ↗MEET INSIDE
DTW terminal short-term parking
Use short-term parking at the traveler’s terminal for an indoor meeting.
Open DTW terminal short-term parking in Google Maps ↗DTW-SPECIFIC DETAILS
Important details
Terminal identity determines the waiting plan
DTW’s free waiting lots are at opposite ends of the airport. Check the airline directory before choosing one.
Curb and meet-inside pickups have different parking needs
Use Arrivals for an active curb pickup; use short-term parking when the plan is to meet inside.
Sources
Airport guidance can change. Follow current signs and staff instructions. Review dates apply to the source facts listed in our guide data.
- DTW pickup and drop-off ↗Source facts reviewed August 25, 2026
- DTW airport parking map ↗Source facts reviewed August 25, 2026
- Official DTW airport website ↗