Route 35 bus links TPA to downtown Tampa for a few dollars
HART Route 35 is the local bus that connects Tampa International Airport’s Main Terminal to downtown Tampa and Netpark Transfer Center, running through neighborhoods along Hillsborough Avenue. The stop sits at the airport’s Rental Car Center, which you reach via the free SkyConnect train from the Main Terminal in about 5 minutes.
This is a standard city bus, not an airport express, operating under Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) on a regular local fare system. A one-way ride usually costs just a few dollars using cash or a HART fare card, significantly cheaper than a taxi or rideshare from TPA.
Route 35 serves both inbound and outbound trips between the airport area and Netpark Transfer Center, with downtown Tampa stops along the way. The bus shares space with other HART routes at Netpark, so you can transfer there to additional lines using the same basic local fare rules.
The airport end of Route 35 ties into the SkyConnect station at the Rental Car Center, which is connected to the Main Terminal by train on a short elevated guideway. From baggage claim in the Main Terminal to the bus stop at the Rental Car Center, plan on roughly 10–15 minutes to walk, wait for SkyConnect, and ride over.
HART publishes Route 35 timetables with specific departure and arrival times at Tampa International Airport and Netpark Transfer Center, usually listing service seven days a week with set early-morning and evening hours. For the exact schedule on your travel day, check HART’s official route information before leaving the Main Terminal.
Route 35 shares road space with regular city traffic along Hillsborough Avenue and other surface streets between the airport and downtown Tampa, so travel time can stretch during weekday rush hours around 7–9 a.m. and 4–6 p.m. Build at least a 20–30 minute buffer beyond the scheduled run if you’re heading to TPA for a departing flight.
One practical tip: after grabbing your bag at TPA’s Main Terminal, follow signs for the Rental Car Center and SkyConnect, ride the train all the way to the Rental Car Center station, and then look for the HART Route 35 bus stop outside before you load your luggage onto the bus.