Harry Reid International Airport

Harry Reid International (the airport many still call by its old McCarran name) sits about 8 km south of downtown Las Vegas and, more usefully, right next to the south end of the Strip. That proximity is its defining feature: your hotel is often only a short ride away.

The terminals

There are two terminals. Terminal 1 handles most domestic flying — including Southwest’s large operation — across concourses A, B, C, and D. Terminal 3 handles international arrivals and departures plus some domestic flights, and shares the D gates with Terminal 1. The D concourse is reached by an automated tram, so within the airport you may ride a short people mover to your gate. The two terminals themselves are not walkable from each other; a shuttle connects them landside.

Getting to the Strip and downtown

Here is the thing that surprises visitors: there is no rail or metro link from the airport to the Strip. Your options are taxi, rideshare, hotel shuttle, or bus. Rideshare and taxi pickups are handled from designated areas rather than the terminal curb, and at peak arrival times the taxi line can be long — though the ride itself is short. Because the Strip resorts are so close, fares are modest by big-city standards.

Worth knowing

Two Las Vegas quirks: first, the terminals have slot machines, so the “airport experience” starts before you leave. Second, the airport is genuinely busy with leisure travelers who don’t fly often, which slows security — arrive with margin, especially on Sunday and Monday departure peaks when the weekend crowd flies home. Summer heat is extreme, so if you are waiting for a rideshare, the covered pickup areas are worth finding.