You know the saying, “Everything is bigger in Texas?” Well, this includes the DFW Airport!
Our family calls DFW airport home. My husband works just south of the Dallas-Fort Worth airport and it is a hub for American Airlines. So, we always fly into and out of DFW.
The DFW airport is huge! It has its own zip code! If you look at a map of the DFW area, the airport is a giant landmark. Navigating the roads, the tolls, the parking, the terminals and security can be tricky and a bit overwhelming. I’m here to help you know what to expect. 
In this Guide, I will cover:
- Getting to DFW
- Tolls
- Parking and leaving a car
- Layovers at DFW
- Dropping off at DFW
- Picking up at DFW
- Kids at DFW
Getting to DFW airport
You can enter the DFW airport from the North or from the South. There is only one main road with pull-offs for all 5 terminals, starting with terminal A in the north and terminal E in the south. Check your terminal before heading to the airport and determine if the North or South Entrance would be faster.
Tolls
To get into the airport you have to pay a $3 toll. If you come on a hotel or parking shuttle, the toll is included in the ride. You cannot use Zipcash for the toll, you must pay when you exit. You can use a credit card. If you have a Texas toll tag, the money can be deducted from your account, but there is no discount.
Parking at DFW Airport
On-Site parking
Parking right at the terminal is so quick and easy. You get to park right by ticketing, security and your gate. However, you’ll pay $22/day to park at the airport.
Remote Parking
This parking lot is right outside the toll area. It’s about $9/day. The shuttle bus is at the front of the lot, so you’ll have to drag your luggage to the bus. The bus only leaves every 30 minutes and has to go to each terminal to pick up and drop off. With 5 terminals and 2 sections of each terminal, this can be a very time-consuming process. Plus, when you come home, you may have to wait up to 30 minutes for your bus to come.
TIP: You can take the remote parking shuttle bus and meet your ride outside of the toll area to save a few bucks.
Off-site parking
We always use “The Parking Spot’ to leave our car while we travel. There is a lot on the South and 2 on the North. When you return, make sure you get on the correct shuttle that takes you to the spot where your car is parked.
The parking spot is $9 for uncovered parking at $12 for covered parking. You get a slight discount if you register as an airline employee making it about $7/day. Plus, you can rack up rewards and get free days.
Be sure to make a reservation during extremely busy seasons such as spring break, summer, and Christmas. It can fill up.
The benefit of The Parking Spot is the shuttle comes right to your car to load your luggage. It will take you to the exact terminal you need. They are very accommodating and helpful if you are running late.
When you land you can call them to let them know where you are. Or just look at the easy-to-use parking spot app to see where the shuttles are. They run really frequently, so it usually a short wait and they will take you right back to your car.
Getting all the stuff for a family of 6 on the shuttle, through ticketing and security is a pain. But the great news about the DFW airport is you get dropped off right near your gate. There isn’t a lot of in-airport walking to do once you are dropped off. Also, there are at least 2 security checkpoints for every terminal. This means that security lines are typically short. Once you are through security, your gate is never far away.
Security at DFW Airport
The best part of DFW airport is that there are multiple security checkpoints. This means that typically there isn’t much of a wait. If there is, you may consider walking to the next checkpoint to see if it is faster. The App will supposedly tell you how long the waits are.
If you have TSA pre-check, be aware that only 1 security in each terminal will allow you a TSA precheck line. Make sure you go to the correct checkpoint, or you will be subject to wait in the ‘common folk’ line. But you will be allowed to keep shoes on and laptops in if you show your TSA pre-check ticket.
Even though there are many security checkpoints, once inside security, you can access the entire airport. So if you have a gate change or went to the wrong terminal, its no problem, you can just walk or ride the Skylink to the correct gate.
Once our shuttle was super slow, stopping at every stop. So, we just got off at the first stop, rushed through security and rode the fast Skylink to our gate.
Layovers at DFW Airport
If you have a layover at DFW you need to know the terminal you are arriving in and the terminal you are flying out of. Typically, agents with a clipboard that says ‘Connecting information’ will be outside the flight to help you.
Once you know what terminal you are going to, you can easily jump on the Skylink to get to another terminal. The Skylink is a train behind security that comes every few minutes. It is easy to load with your baggage and quickly travels to each terminal.
There are usually 2 stops in each terminal (ex. Gates c1-20 and c21-30). Knowing exactly which gate your flight is at will help you walk the least possible.
You can also walk from B to D and from A to C. It is a long walk and some escalators, but it’s doable. I still recommend the Skylink because it would be faster.
There is a shuttle outside security on the road called “terminal link” I’m not sure why you would need to ride this, maybe if your bags ended up somewhere else? You can ride the terminal link to get from A to B, C, D or E.
Dropping off at DFW Airport
When you are dropping someone off, know that there are 5 terminals, divided into 2 sections
From the North to the South
- A1-20 A21-29
- B1-20 B21-329
- C1-20 C21-29
- D (international gates)
- E 1-20 E 1-29(Any Airline besides American)
You will drive on the main road going through the center of the airport and then take a circular road off getting to the terminals. Know exactly which terminal and gate number to drop off at the correct location.
After you exit the main drive, the road will split: one lane going up (Labeled ‘Arrivals”) and one going down (Labeled “Departures”) Despite what the sign tells you, DO NOT GO DOWN! Ticketing, security, and baggage check, as well as baggage claim, is on the upper level. The only reason for the lower level is for shuttles, buses and other vehicles to stay out of the way. So if you are being dropped off by a shuttle, or bus, you will unload on the lower level and have to immediately take the stairs or elevator upstairs to do everything.
If you are lucky enough to be dropped off at the airport, have your ride drop you off on the upper level. As you drive through the airport, there will be a section right outside of baggage claim and the next section will be right outside of a security checkpoint. On departure, make sure you are dropped off near the large blue marker that says “security checkpoint”. Ticketing and security will be very close. If you enter and you see a baggage claim, follow the signs to the security checkpoint.
Tip: Several security checkpoints close at 9 pm. Be sure to go to an open checkpoint if you are going through security after 9 pm.
Picking up at DFW Airport
Ask the person you are picking up what terminal (A, B, C, D or E) and gate number they will be arriving. Drive straight to that area. The signs on the main road will direct you to the terminal and then the gates.
When you pull into the upper lever for “Arrivals” the gate numbers will start at the biggest and as you drive will get smaller and smaller.
If you miss the terminal and gate, don’t worry, it is all a big circle. You can just pull through and come back to try again.
You aren’t allowed to sit or wait on the curb, but there is a parking lot, just off the curb you could pull into if you need to wait. You don’t have to pay for parking, but be aware that if you are inside of the Airport for over 30 mins, your toll rates will rise. It is $3 for the first 30 mins and then it raises a dollar every 1/2 hour. You can wait at the rental car return center, the remote parking area or I even see some cars pull off the road right outside the toll terminal (although, I don’t think this is legal procedure).
One thing I love about picking up at DFW is you can pick up just steps from the baggage claim. This means if you happen to check 9 boxes coming home from Christmas at Grandma’s, you can easily get them loaded in the car without having to walk far carrying heavy items.
Kids at DFW Airport
There is only one children’s play area in terminal D. Terminal D also has a cool metal sculpture you can walk through and also the kids can climb inside of it. Terminal D is all decked out to impress international arrivals so it is a beautiful sight for those who are used to the normal airport.
There are many kid-friendly restaurant options. The candy stores are my kids favorite. Every gate had windows to see the planes outside, so we usually find a quiet corner to watch the activity outside.
As we go through security, I usually send my kids to sit on the chairs or benches at the end of the belts. Then they are out of the way of other passengers and myself as we re-pack and unload the security lanes. I love that once we are through security, it is a short walk to our gate.
If you are bored, take a ride around the Skylink. The kids love sitting right in the front like they are driving the train.
What do you like at DFW airport? Anything you would add to this guide? Please let me know in the comments!
If you are staying overnight in DFW, the perfect airport hotel with a shuttle and parking options is the Westin Airport Hotel.
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4 Comments
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yes! They will send a bill in the mail based on your license plate. it is $3 per visit through the toll plazas
Here is the scenario where terminal link is needed. Family groups flying to DFW from multiple cities, on different airlines, arriving at different times and needing to meet up for one scheduled pickup to their final destination. Since there are absolutely no services outside of security, where luggage claim lives, we will use terminal link to go to the Grand Hyatt in Terminal D and all meet up there to await our ground transportation.
Oh! Good to know! Sounds like a good plan!