PICKUP OVERVIEW
Where to pick up at PDX.
Picking someone up at PDX? Find the Cell Phone Lot, upper-roadway pickup option, Transportation Plaza for rideshare and taxis, and curb-loading rules.
CURRENT PDX 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 PDX.
A friend or family member is driving
Private-car pickup
- Traveler
- Wait at the curb with all luggage before calling the driver.
- Driver
- Use the Cell Phone Waiting Lot until the traveler is ready, then choose the upper or lower roadway for an active pickup.
The lower roadway is congested
Upper-roadway pickup
- Traveler
- Confirm that the driver will meet you on the upper roadway before you leave the terminal.
- Driver
- Use the upper roadway as the airport’s suggested evening alternative when the lower roadway is congested.
Uber, Lyft, or Wingz
Ride-app pickup
- Traveler
- Follow airport signs and the app to the Level 1 Transportation Plaza in the Short-Term garage.
- Driver
- Meet inside the Transportation Plaza rather than on the main terminal roadway.
A taxi is the better fit
Taxi pickup
- Traveler
- Follow signs to the Level 1 Transportation Plaza and find the taxi pillar.
- Driver
- Taxi pickup takes place in the Transportation Plaza, separate from the main roadway.
PICKUP AND WAITING LOCATIONS
Where to wait or park
Open the place you need before entering the terminal area.
WAIT BEFORE PRIVATE PICKUP
PDX Cell Phone Waiting Lot
Use the airport’s Cell Phone Waiting Lot rather than circle the terminal roadways.
Open PDX Cell Phone Waiting Lot in Google Maps ↗RIDESHARE AND TAXIS
PDX Transportation Plaza
Level 1 of the Short-Term Parking garage.
Open PDX Transportation Plaza in Google Maps ↗MEET INSIDE OR PARK
PDX Terminal Parking Garage
Directly across from the terminal for longer pickup waits.
Open PDX Terminal Parking Garage in Google Maps ↗PDX-SPECIFIC DETAILS
Important details
PDX separates commercial pickup from the terminal roadway
Confirm the ride type before walking outside: private pickup uses the terminal roadway; rideshares and taxis use the Transportation Plaza.
The upper roadway can make an evening private pickup calmer
The upper roadway is an evening alternative, not a waiting area. Both roadways require the traveler and luggage to be ready for active loading.
Sources
Airport guidance can change. Follow current signs and staff instructions. Review dates apply to the source facts listed in our guide data.
- PDX travel tips ↗Source facts reviewed August 24, 2026
- PDX app-based rideshares ↗Source facts reviewed August 24, 2026
- PDX taxis ↗Source facts reviewed August 24, 2026
- PDX ground transportation FAQs ↗Source facts reviewed August 24, 2026
- Official PDX airport website ↗