Meter starts around $3 and climbs about $2.50 per mile
Local taxi is the basic fallback when your ride from Waco Regional Airport (ACT) falls through. Cars line up outside the Main Terminal arrivals curb during daytime bank hours, especially around American Airlines flights to DFW. After 9 pm, you may need to call a company directly; Waco’s not a 24/7 taxi town.
There’s no desk inside ACT, so you walk straight out of baggage claim and look to the right side of the curb for marked cabs. The ride into downtown Waco runs about 15 minutes for 7–8 miles, traffic-light dependent. To Baylor University, expect roughly 20 minutes if you hit the I‑35 construction zones at the wrong time.
Most local operators still run on the traditional meter: around a $3 base fare plus roughly $2.50 per mile, with a minimum fare often in the $8–$10 range. A typical Main Terminal to downtown run lands in the $20–$30 window before tip. Unlike big-city airports, you usually don’t see flat-rate signs posted at ACT, so ask about the meter and any airport surcharge before you get in.
Taxi supply tracks the flight schedule at Waco Regional, which only handles a handful of commercial departures and arrivals per day. If you land on the last American flight from DFW, build in a backup: have a local company number saved or a rideshare app ready. Calls within Waco typically bring a cab in 15–20 minutes; from outlying towns like Woodway or Hewitt, pickup can take 25–30 minutes or more.
Most drivers accept credit cards, but a few smaller outfits in Waco still run cash-first. For a $25 meter total from ACT to downtown, a $5 tip in cash keeps things simple and avoids card minimum debates. If you care about paying by card, ask at the curb and look for the windshield sticker or the in-car terminal before the car pulls off.
Practical tip: if your incoming flight looks delayed past 10 pm, call a Waco taxi company when you leave DFW or your origin; giving them 30–40 minutes’ notice often makes the difference between a curbside pickup and waiting alone at the Main Terminal after closing time.