Stl Airport: Which City Does It Serve?

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (IATA: STL) is the primary international airport serving metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Located 14 miles (23 km) northwest of downtown St. Louis, the airport is commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert. It is one of six airports in the Greater St. Louis Area.

St. Louis Lambert International Airport's location

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (IATA code: STL) is located in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States. The airport's address is 10701 Lambert International Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63145.

The airport is named after Albert Bond Lambert, an Olympic silver medallist golfer in the 1904 Summer Games, president of the Lambert Pharmaceutical Corporation (makers of Listerine), and the first person to receive a pilot's license in St. Louis. In recognition of his efforts to promote aviation in St. Louis, the airfield was renamed "Lambert-St. Louis Flying Field" in 1923. Lambert purchased the field in February 1925 and developed it by adding hangars and a passenger terminal.

The airport has two terminals, located about half a mile from each other, with individual parking facilities. Terminal 1 is the larger of the two and operates domestic flights only. It has two levels, with arrivals on the lower level and departures on the upper level. The upper level is served by Departures Drive and provides access to airline ticketing counters and the MetroLink station via Exit 1. The lower level, served by Arrivals Drive, includes baggage claim, shops, cafes, and access to concourses via security checkpoints. Concourse A, accessible from the lower level, is at the northwest end of the terminal and offers flights from Air Canada, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. Concourse C, at the southeast end of Terminal 1, serves various domestic and international destinations.

St. Louis Lambert International Airport offers convenient ground transportation options, including the MetroLink light rail service, which connects travellers to downtown St. Louis and beyond. The airport served nearly 14.9 million passengers in 2023, with more than 250 daily departures to over 70 domestic and international destinations.

Transport to and from the airport

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (IATA: STL) is located 14–15 miles from downtown St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States. There are several transport options for getting to and from the airport.

One option is to take a bus. The bus from St. Louis Airport to St. Louis Bus Station takes around 30 minutes and costs between $1 and $50. Greyhound USA operates this service once daily.

Another option is to take the train. The Metro St. Louis train from Lambert Airport Terminal #1 to 8th & Pine station takes 34 minutes and costs $3. Trains depart every 30 minutes.

You can also take a taxi or town car from the airport to downtown St. Louis. This is the fastest option, taking around 19 minutes, but it is also the most expensive, costing between $35 and $50.

If you're driving to the airport, you can use the following address in your phone mapping app or GPS device: St. Louis, MO 63145. There are parking spaces available at the airport.

Finally, there are several airport shuttle services that operate between the airport and downtown St. Louis, such as GO BEST Express Airport Shuttle and BART Shuttle. These shuttles typically depart every 30 minutes and cost around $25 for adults, with discounted rates for children.

Airlines that use the airport

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (IATA: STL, ICAO: KSTL, FAA LID: STL) is located in Missouri, United States, and serves metropolitan St. Louis. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state of Missouri. The airport is commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert. It is named after Albert Bond Lambert, an Olympic medallist and prominent St. Louis aviator.

As of March 2025, 11 airlines were flying from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to 89 airports around the world. These airlines include:

• Air Canada
• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Delta
• Frontier Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Southern Airways Express
• Southwest
• Spirit
• Sun Country Airlines
• United

In the past, the airport has also been served by Robertson Air Lines, Marquette Airlines, Eastern Air Lines, and Transcontinental & Western Air (later renamed TWA). Southwest Airlines is the largest airline at the airport in terms of the number of departures. With around 762 scheduled take-offs every week, this is about three times as many as the second-biggest airline, American Airlines.

History of the airport

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (IATA: STL, ICAO: KSTL, FAA LID: STL) is the primary international airport serving metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It is located 14 miles (23 km) northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. The airport covers 3,793 acres (1,535 ha) of land and is commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert. It is named after Albert Bond Lambert, an Olympic medallist and prominent St. Louis aviator.

St. Louis Lambert International Airport rose to international prominence in the 20th century, thanks in part to its association with Charles Lindbergh, who worked as a pilot for Robertson Aircraft Corporation, flying airmail from the airfield. In February 1928, the City of St. Louis leased the airport for $1. Later that year, the airport was sold to the city for $2 million, making it one of the first municipally-owned airports in the United States. In 1925, the airport became the home of Naval Air Station St. Louis, a Naval Air Reserve facility that became active during World War II. In 1930, Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd officially named the airport "Lambert–St. Louis Municipal Airport". The first terminal building opened in 1933, and by 1939, the airport was served by several airlines, including Robertson Air Lines, Marquette Airlines, Eastern Air Lines, and Transcontinental & Western Air (later renamed TWA).

In 1956, Minoru Yamasaki's iconic arched terminal opened, setting a precedent for modern airline terminal design. In 1959, Lambert became one of the first airports in the US with jet airline service. The airport's growth continued, with the number of passengers departing Lambert increasing by almost 20% from 1993 to 1994. This growth continued, reaching an all-time peak of 30.6 million passengers in 2000. In 1997, a new 156-foot (48-meter) control tower opened at a cost of $15 million.

In the early 2000s, TWA's financial condition deteriorated, and it was purchased by American Airlines in April 2001. The last day of operations for TWA was December 1, 2001, and it was officially absorbed into American Airlines the following day. In 2003, St. Louis lost its transatlantic service when American dropped flights to London-Gatwick. In 2009, the Lambert Field Air National Guard Base formally shut down, ending an 86-year chapter of Lambert's history.

In 2016, officials considered renaming the airport to "St. Louis International Airport at Lambert Field" to emphasise "St. Louis" and freshen up its image. However, descendants of Albert Bond Lambert opposed the change, and the proposal was amended. In 2018, the airport's name was changed to "St. Louis Lambert International Airport". In 2020, the airport celebrated its 100th anniversary with various special activities, including the unveiling of a glass artwork honouring Major Lambert by artist Martin Donlin.

Passenger statistics

St. Louis Lambert International Airport, commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert, is the primary international airport serving metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state of Missouri. The airport is located 14 miles (23 km) northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton.

The airport's history of passenger statistics dates back to the 1980s, when, in 1985, TWA and Ozark accounted for 56.6% and 26.3% of boardings, respectively. In 1986, TWA expanded its services, offering nonstop flights to 84 cities, leading to a notable increase in passenger traffic. This growth continued, and by 1997, the airport accommodated 27.3 million passengers, reaching a record-breaking 30.6 million passengers in 2000.

In more recent years, St. Louis Lambert Airport has continued to experience fluctuations in passenger numbers. In 2022, the airport handled 6,692,586 passengers, reflecting a significant increase of 30.94% compared to 2021, which had 5,111,050 passengers. This upward trend persisted, as evidenced by the statistics for June 2023, when 688,205 passengers used the airport, marking an 8.51% increase compared to June 2022, which saw 634,218 passengers.

The airport's busiest year on record was in 2000, when it accommodated 30.6 million passengers. This peak was a result of TWA's increased operations through its hub at Lambert, which contributed to a surge in connecting passengers.

In 2024, St. Louis Lambert International Airport served nearly 16 million passengers, a decrease from its peak in 2000 but still a substantial number, offering nonstop service to over 80 domestic and international destinations.

Frequently asked questions