City Cab

Late‑night or app‑free at ALO? City Cab is the backup

City Cab runs on an old‑school model at Waterloo Regional Airport (ALO): on‑demand, phone‑dispatched taxis instead of an app, with service flagged as potentially reduced during some hours. The airport lists City Cab as a primary taxi provider for Waterloo, which is what frequent flyers into smaller Midwest fields lean on when Uber and Lyft feel hit‑or‑miss.

You won’t find a set journey time or flat cost published for City Cab at ALO; trips are standard metered taxi rides paid per service, not per seat. Because nothing is pre‑quoted online, budget like you would for a normal in‑town taxi from a small regional airport and confirm the estimated fare with the dispatcher when you call. For longer rides out of Waterloo, ask for a ballpark total before they send the car.

City Cab is one of the few operators where the ALO website lists both a main landline and a separate cell number for dispatch. That second cell contact is the one to try first for last‑minute or off‑peak pickups, especially if your arrival slides past 22:00 or into early morning. Save both numbers in your phone before you fly so you’re not digging through the airport site on slow terminal Wi‑Fi.

The airport’s own COVID‑era note says taxi services “may have reduced hours and availability,” and that warning still sits on the ALO ground transportation page in 2024. Read that as a hint: even with City Cab, pre‑arrange rides for very early departures or anything landing after about 21:00. Call the day before for a 05:30 pickup or once you clear security for an evening return.

Regulars into Waterloo say they dial City Cab from the plane during taxi‑in, so a car starts rolling from town while they walk off a 50‑seat regional jet and wait the usual 5–10 minutes for bags. Others call as soon as the door opens at ALO, then head straight outside to the curb instead of lingering in the tiny baggage claim.

One tip: screenshot the ALO ground transportation page with the two City Cab numbers before you fly; if airport Wi‑Fi or cell data glitches on arrival, you still have a working contact to get into town.