Huntington Tri-State Airport (HTS) sits about 12 miles west of Huntington, a 15 to 20 minute drive, so the trip into town is short — the real question is which way to make it. You have five practical choices: a pre-booked private transfer or shuttle, Uber or Lyft, a taxi from the curb, the Tri-State Transit Authority (TTA) bus, or a rental car. Each has a place, and the cheapest on paper is not always the easiest once luggage, late flights and a small-airport ride supply come into play. Here is how they compare in 2026, with honest notes on when each one wins.
What are your options from HTS?
HTS is a single-terminal airport, so every option leaves from the same short curb and baggage claim. In brief: a private transfer is door-to-door at a fixed price; Uber and Lyft work through their apps; a taxi waits at the curb; the TTA bus is the budget route but built for city commuting, not the airport run; and the major rental companies have counters right in baggage claim if you need a car for the whole trip. The right pick depends on your group size, your luggage, the time of day, and whether you want the fare settled before you land.
Cost and time compared
For the roughly 12-mile, 15 to 20 minute run from HTS to central Huntington in 2026, the options stack up like this:
| Option | Typical cost (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Private transfer / shuttle | Flat ~$30 to Huntington, quoted before you book | Door-to-door, flight tracking, room for luggage and groups, no surge |
| Uber / Lyft | ~$40, higher with surge | App only; FIFO pickup queue; driver supply thin late at night and at peaks |
| Taxi (Yellow Cab) | Metered; ask the driver, as rates are not posted online | Curbside, no booking needed |
| TTA bus | $1.00 base + 25¢ per zone | City service Mon–Sat to ~11:15 pm; limited airport coverage, transfers, no dedicated luggage space, no Sunday |
| Rental car | ~$45–70 per day | Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz counters in baggage claim; best if you need a car for the whole trip |
The headline: a flat-rate transfer to Huntington runs about $30 and is fixed before you book, while an Uber tends to sit around $40 and climbs with surge, and a metered taxi lands somewhere in between with no price agreed up front. The bus is by far the cheapest at a dollar or two, but it is a city commuter system rather than an airport service, so it trades all your time and convenience for the saving. Our HTS to Huntington route shows the exact flat fare, and the HTS ground transportation guide lays the choices out side by side.
When does each option make sense?
Match the ride to the trip rather than chasing the lowest number. A private transfer is the easy default for families, groups, anyone with real luggage, a late or connecting arrival, or a fixed pickup time you do not want to gamble on: the fare is known, the driver tracks your flight, and there is no app or queue. Uber or Lyft can be the quick pick for one or two travellers with carry-on when a car is showing nearby and the price looks normal. A curbside taxi suits a no-reservation arrival when you would rather not open an app. The TTA bus only makes sense if budget beats everything and you are travelling light during daytime hours on a weekday. A rental car earns its keep when you need your own wheels across the whole visit, not just the airport run; GetRentacar covers airport-area rentals if that is your plan.
For a sense of scale beyond Huntington itself, our flat fares run to the wider region too, and places like Ironton and the other tri-state towns each have a set price on our areas served page, so you can weigh a fixed transfer against a metered or surging app for your exact destination.
Why rideshare and the bus can let you down at a small airport
This is where HTS differs from a big hub. Uber and Lyft both operate here, but driver supply at a small regional airport is thin, so a late-evening flight or an off-peak arrival can mean a real wait for a car to accept the trip, and surge pricing erases the cost advantage exactly when demand spikes. The pickup also runs on a first-in-first-out queue, so the nearest car is not always the one you get.
The TTA bus, meanwhile, is a Huntington and Ironton city system that runs Monday to Saturday and stops in the late evening, with no Sunday service and limited coverage out to the airport itself: fine for a local commute, awkward for an arriving traveller with bags and a tight connection. The common mistake is assuming either will simply be there when you land; on an evening or weekend arrival, that assumption is how people end up stuck at the curb. A pre-booked transfer removes the gamble: the driver is already assigned to your flight, and a delay shifts the pickup rather than stranding you.
Booking the option that fits
If predictability matters, settle the ride before you fly. Our flat-rate airport shuttle and private transfer service covers Huntington and the tri-state region with prices quoted up front and a calculator for your exact address, and you can also compare and book a Tri-State transfer through GetTransfer.com. For travellers who want their own vehicle for the trip, GetRentacar handles airport-area rentals. The official terminal details, including the loading zone at the main entrance, are on the HTS traveler guide.
Whichever way you go, the drive itself is short, so the decision is really about money versus certainty. Travelling light, in daylight, on a budget? An app or even the bus can work. Arriving late, with bags, as a group, or on a schedule you cannot miss? A fixed, flight-tracked transfer is the calmer call, and at around $30 into Huntington it is rarely the expensive one anyway.