Detroit Metropolitan (DTW): The Complete Layover Guide

How Detroit Metropolitan is laid out

Two terminals, two different airports in practice. McNamara is the long red one Delta built for itself in 2002. Evans, renamed from the North Terminal in 2022, holds American, United, Southwest, Spirit, Lufthansa, Air Canada, and the rest. They share runways and nothing else you can walk to.

McNamara is dominated by Concourse A, a single straight pier about a mile end to end with 60 plus gates and the famous red ExpressTram running overhead. The tram stops at three stations, South near gate A1, Center by the duty free core, North near the A60s and A70s, and covers the full length in about 3 minutes. Concourses B and C sit across the taxiway, reached by an underground walkway with a color shifting light tunnel that is genuinely one of the better airport corridors in America. Everything inside McNamara stays airside, so a gate change from A to C is a 10 to 15 minute walk, not a crisis.

Evans is smaller and simpler, a single building with gates D1 to D32 on one level. There is no tram because nothing is far enough away to need one. It is also where the international carriers other than SkyTeam live, which matters for lounge access, more on that below.

Transfers and timing

Stay within one terminal and DTW is forgiving. Delta to Delta inside McNamara works on 45 minutes if your inbound is on time, because the tram and the airside layout do the work for you. Arriving from abroad is slower: the United States has no sterile transit, so every international arrival clears immigration and customs, then drops checked bags and goes back through security. Plan 90 minutes minimum for that, more during the afternoon arrival bank, and verify your entry requirements before travel since even a pure connection needs a visa or ESTA for most non US passport holders.

The terminal switch is the trap. There is no airside path between McNamara and Evans. You walk out past security, find the ground transportation area, and ride a free shuttle that loops roughly every 10 minutes between the two terminals with a stop at the Westin. The ride itself is 10 to 15 minutes. The real cost is the security line on the far side, which you cannot predict. I treat a cross terminal connection here as a 2 hour job and have never regretted the buffer.

Getting into Detroit

The airport sits in Romulus, about 20 miles southwest of downtown. The honest budget option is the FAST Michigan 261, a limited stop SMART bus that serves both terminals, Evans at the ground transportation center and McNamara on the departures curb near door 1. The fare is 2 dollars for a 4 hour regional pass and the run to downtown takes about an hour. Departure frequency varies through the day and is to be confirmed, so check the SMART schedule before building a tight plan around it. The Detroit Air Xpress coach also links the airport with downtown, fare and timetable to be confirmed. A rideshare runs 25 to 35 minutes outside rush hour. Once downtown, the QLine streetcar covers Woodward Avenue past the stadiums and the museums, current fare to be confirmed. With 6 hours or more you can eat a coney, walk the riverfront, and make it back with room to spare.

Sleeping, showers, and the overnight reality

DTW stays open all night and nobody hassles a ticketed passenger dozing at a gate. McNamara has real padded bench seating if you hunt for it, with the far end of Concourse B near gate B18 and the quiet ends of Concourse A the usual recommendations, away from the overnight floor polishers. Evans is harder, with more armrests and fewer corners. The paid ladder goes Minute Suites near gate A66 in McNamara, private daybed rooms charged by the hour, then the Westin, which is attached to the front of McNamara so you never step outside. The hotel has historically run its own security checkpoint back into the terminal for guests, current hours to be confirmed. Shower options outside the Westin and the Sky Clubs are thin. Our DTW sleeping guide maps the quiet rows in both buildings.

How I would play it

Flying Delta with Sky Club access, walk to whichever club is nearest and relax, the airport has five, with the big ones at the A18 and A68 tram stations and another near the junction of B and C. Connecting Delta to Delta with 3 hours, ride the tram to the far end of A once just to see the place, then take the light tunnel to C for the calmer food court. Stuck in Evans with Priority Pass, check the Lufthansa lounge hours before you count on it, since it opens around the evening European bank. Overnight with no budget, McNamara beats Evans for benches, full stop. And if your booking shows a McNamara to Evans connection under 90 minutes, fix it now, at booking, not at the shuttle stop.

DTW layover questions, answered

Can I sleep overnight at DTW?

Yes. The airport stays open 24 hours and ticketed passengers are left alone. McNamara has stretches of padded seating, with the area near gate B18 and the quieter ends of Concourse A the usual picks. Paid options are Minute Suites near gate A66, charged by the hour, and the Westin attached to McNamara if you want a real bed.

How do I get between the McNamara and Evans terminals at DTW?

By a free landside shuttle only. There is no airside connection, so you exit security, ride the shuttle from the ground transportation area, then clear security again at the other terminal. Shuttles run roughly every 10 minutes and the ride takes 10 to 15 minutes, with a stop at the Westin. Budget 45 to 60 minutes door to door including the new security line.

Is wifi free at DTW?

Yes. Connect to the DTW Free WiFi network, which is free and unlimited in both terminals. It is fine for mail and streaming on a normal day, and you do not need a US phone number to get online.

Which lounge can I use with Priority Pass at DTW?

Priority Pass lists the Lufthansa Business Lounge in the Evans Terminal, with opening hours tied to the evening European departures, exact hours to be confirmed. Minute Suites in McNamara near gate A66 has also appeared on Priority Pass, current terms to be confirmed. The five Delta Sky Clubs do not take Priority Pass.

How long do connections take at DTW?

Inside McNamara everything stays airside and the ExpressTram covers the mile long Concourse A in about 3 minutes, so 45 minutes is workable for a domestic Delta connection. Arriving from abroad you clear US immigration and customs first, so plan 90 minutes or more. A connection that switches terminals needs 2 hours or more because of the landside shuttle and a second security screening.

Can I leave DTW and see downtown Detroit during a layover?

With about 6 hours or more, yes. The FAST Michigan 261 bus runs from both terminals to downtown for 2 dollars and takes roughly an hour, with departure frequency to be confirmed, so check the SMART schedule before you commit. A rideshare does it in 25 to 35 minutes outside rush hour. International visitors entering the US clear immigration anyway, verify entry requirements before travel.