Airport hub guide
Cleveland Hopkins CLE: the complete layover guide
Three connected concourses, two lounges, one train downtown, and zero drama. Cleveland Hopkins is a modest airport that is genuinely easy to connect through. Here is how to use it well.
Layover verdict Good for short and medium connections because Concourses A, B and C share one airside corridor and you can walk gate to gate in 10 minutes or less. Weak for overnights because the security checkpoints close at night and push everyone landside.
Best lounge play The Club CLE in Concourse B takes Priority Pass and sells day passes, and because the whole airport is connected airside you can use it no matter which concourse you fly from.
The one thing to know CLE has no airside transit train because it does not need one. Clear any checkpoint and every gate in the airport is a flat walk away. A 45 minute connection that would terrify you at a big hub is routine here.
Last reviewed 24 May 2026
Quick facts
Cleveland Hopkins at a glance
| Concourses | 3 in use (A, B, C); Concourse D has been vacant since 2014 |
| Airside transit between concourses | Yes, all three concourses connect inside security; everything is walkable, no train or shuttle |
| Free wifi | Yes, free and unlimited on the CLE Guest network |
| Sleep friendliness | Poor. Checkpoints close overnight, so overnighters wait landside; no rest zones or sleep pods |
| Lounge count | 2 plus a USO: United Club in Concourse C, The Club CLE in Concourse B |
| Nearest hotel | Sheraton Cleveland Airport Hotel, the only hotel on airport grounds, linked to the terminal by a covered walkway |
Orientation
How Cleveland Hopkins is laid out
CLE is one terminal with three working concourses branching off a central core, and once you are through security you can reach every gate on foot without ever leaving the secure area.
The layout takes about a minute to learn. Ticketing and security sit on the upper level, baggage claim below, and the three concourses fan out from a central hub with the main food court. Three checkpoints feed the same airside zone: North for Concourse A, Central for Concourse B, and South for Concourse C. It does not matter which one you clear. Pick the shortest line and walk to your gate from there.
Walking times are honest and short. Concourse A to Concourse B takes about 5 minutes, Concourse A to Concourse C about 10. The corridors are climate controlled and flat. There is no train, no shuttle bus, and no second security screening between concourses, which puts CLE in a different universe from the megahubs. A connection of 45 minutes on a single ticket is comfortable here as long as your inbound lands on time. On separate tickets with checked bags, give yourself 2 hours, because you will need to exit, collect, and clear security again.
One thing to plan around in 2026: Cleveland has approved a terminal modernization program worth over a billion dollars, and early construction work is getting underway. Expect shifting walkways, parking changes, and the occasional rerouted corridor over the next several years. The airside basics described here still hold, but leave a small buffer for construction detours.
Getting downtown is one of the genuinely great features of this airport. The RTA Red Line train leaves from a station on the lower level of the terminal, costs $2.50 one way, and reaches Tower City in the heart of downtown Cleveland in roughly 25 minutes. Trains run about every 15 minutes at peak times and every 30 minutes off peak, from around 4 a.m. until after midnight. For a layover of 5 hours or more, a run to the West Side Market or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is realistic. A rideshare downtown takes 20 to 25 minutes outside rush hour and costs many times the train fare.
Wifi is free and unlimited on the CLE Guest network, no registration hoops, and it holds up fine for calls in most of the gate areas. Power outlets are decent near the newer seating but thin out at the older gates, so charge when you see the opportunity.
Concourse by concourse
What each concourse gives you
Concourse A
The north concourse and the quietest of the three since Spirit ended all Cleveland service in April 2026. Frontier flies its domestic and international schedule from here, with international arrivals processed near gate A5, and Avelo begins new service from CLE on 19 June 2026. Food and seating are the thinnest in the airport, so if you have time to spare, walk back toward the central food court rather than camping at an A gate.
Concourse B
The middle concourse, home to Delta and Southwest, and the most useful one for the independent traveler because The Club CLE lives here. It is the airport's only Priority Pass lounge and it also sells day passes at the door for around $50 when capacity allows, with showers off the menu but a respectable food spread and a bar pouring local FLOH Vodka. Posted hours run from about 4:30 a.m. into the evening, though closing times flex with the flight schedule, so check before you build a plan around a late visit. Since all concourses connect airside, a United passenger from Concourse C can walk over in under 10 minutes.
Concourse C
The south concourse and the busiest, with 23 gates handling United, American, JetBlue and Air Canada. United consolidated everything here after closing its Concourse D operation, and this is where you find the United Club, located between gates C14 and C16, open from early morning until 7:30 or 8 p.m. depending on the day. Access follows standard United Club rules: membership, qualifying premium cabin tickets, or Star Alliance status on international itineraries. C also has the best run of food options outside the central court.
Concourse D
Closed. The satellite D concourse has sat vacant since 2014, when United shut its gates there and moved to Concourse C. It has not reopened, and the current modernization plan deals with the main terminal rather than reviving it. If an old map shows you a gate D anything, ignore it.
Your layover, planned
The CLE guides
Cleveland Hopkins layover guide, hour by hour
What 3, 5 and 8 hours actually buy you at CLE, and when the Red Line trip downtown to the West Side Market is worth the gamble.
Every CLE lounge and how to get in
The full picture for both lounges plus the USO: access methods, hours, day pass pricing and which one fits your ticket.
Sleeping at Cleveland Hopkins
The honest overnight map: why the checkpoint closures matter, where the landside booths are, and when the Sheraton walkway is the smarter call.
Priority Pass at CLE
The Club CLE is the only Priority Pass option at the airport. What it offers, when it fills up, and how to reach it from any concourse.
CLE transit and connection guide
Minimum connection times, the three checkpoint strategy, and the RTA Red Line playbook for getting downtown and back without sweating.
Check lounge access for CLE
Two lounges operate at Cleveland Hopkins and one of them sells entry to any traveler regardless of airline or cabin. Compare current access options, prices and hours before you fly.
Check lounge accessSome links may earn us a commission at no cost to you.
FAQ
Cleveland Hopkins layover questions
Can I sleep overnight at Cleveland Hopkins?
The terminal stays open 24 hours, but the security checkpoints close overnight, so anyone staying through the night is restricted to the landside public areas. Seating there is limited; the booths near the food court entrance are the usual pick. For real sleep, the Sheraton on airport grounds connects to the terminal by a covered walkway.
Are the concourses at CLE connected airside?
Yes. Concourses A, B and C all connect inside security through the central core, so you can clear any checkpoint and walk to any gate without rescreening. The longest walk, Concourse A to Concourse C, takes about 10 minutes.
Is wifi free at Cleveland Hopkins?
Yes. CLE provides free unlimited wifi throughout the terminal on the CLE Guest network, with no time limits and no payment tier.
Does CLE have a Priority Pass lounge?
Yes, one. The Club CLE in Concourse B accepts Priority Pass and also sells day passes for around $50 when space allows. Because the concourses connect airside, you can use it whichever concourse your flight leaves from.
How do I get from CLE to downtown Cleveland?
Take the RTA Red Line train from the station on the lower level of the terminal. It costs $2.50 one way and reaches Tower City downtown in roughly 25 minutes, running from about 4 a.m. until after midnight.
Which concourse is United at Cleveland Hopkins?
United operates from Concourse C, the largest concourse with 23 gates, where it consolidated after closing Concourse D in 2014. The United Club sits between gates C14 and C16.
Nearby
Related airports
Pittsburgh International (PIT)
About 130 miles southeast, with a brand new terminal that opened in late 2025 and a similar midsize connection profile.
Columbus John Glenn (CMH)
Ohio's other major airport, about 140 miles south, a single terminal origin and destination field with very little connecting traffic.
Detroit Metropolitan (DTW)
The nearest true megahub, a Delta fortress about 170 miles northwest, and the airport many Cleveland itineraries connect through.
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