Getting around Kansas City without a car
Kansas City's public transportation is run by RideKC. The two things most visitors use are the free KC Streetcar and $2 RideKC buses. Here's what you need to know before you ride.
Which way to go
| If you're going… | Best bet |
|---|---|
| Between the River Market, downtown, Crossroads, Union Station/Crown Center, Midtown, the Plaza or UMKC | KC Streetcar — free, about every 10 minutes, level boarding |
| A short hop downtown (for example, a downtown hotel to the Convention Center) | Walk or roll — often under 10 minutes |
| Along Troost or Prospect (including Hospital Hill) | Troost MAX or Prospect MAX — RideKC's most frequent buses |
| Elsewhere in Kansas City, MO or Kansas City, KS | A RideKC bus — check the schedule; many routes run less often, especially evenings and Sundays |
| To or from KCI Airport | RideKC 229 — about hourly, about 70 minutes to downtown, last bus around 10 PM |
| Stadiums on game day, late at night, or the suburbs | Taxi or rideshare is often more practical |
| Driving yourself | Plan a trip, then open Driving directions; with a disability placard, look for van-accessible spaces and check the venue’s accessibility page |
| You have a disability that makes buses hard to use | RideKC Freedom paratransit — see accessible travel |
To plan a specific trip, use our trip planner, RideKC's own trip planner, or the Transit app, which RideKC calls its official app (trip planning, real-time buses, alerts and fare payment).
Fares
- KC Streetcar: free. No ticket, no tap.
- RideKC buses: $2 per ride.
- Fare caps: you never pay more than $4 a day, $20 a week or $62.50 a month when you pay the same way each time (see below).
- Reduced fares (50% off): seniors 65+, youth 6–18, riders with disabilities and income-eligible riders; children under 6 ride free. Enrollment details are on RideKC fares & passes.
- Day Pass: $4.
How to pay on the bus
- Tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard or Discover credit, debit or prepaid card — or a phone wallet — on the reader as you board. Cards can't be inserted or swiped.
- No cash on board. If you need to pay cash, RideKC sells physical passes for cash at its in-person customer centers.
- Paying for someone else? RideKC's rule is “Say Before You Pay”: tell the driver how many people you're paying for before you tap.
- You can also pay in the Transit app.
Transfers & fare caps
There are no paper transfers to keep track of. If you tap the same card or phone every time, the system adds up your rides and stops charging once you reach the daily, weekly or monthly cap. Rides paid with a different card or phone don't count toward the same cap.
The streetcar is free, so switching between a bus and the streetcar never costs extra. Common places to change:
- Downtown: buses on 11th/12th Streets and Grand connect with the streetcar at Metro Center (12th & Main) and Power & Light (14th & Main).
- Union Station: buses on Grand and Pershing near Crown Center connect with the streetcar at Union Station.
- UMKC: bus 50 connects with the streetcar at the south end of the line.
- East Village Transit Center is a major downtown bus hub.
When service runs
- Streetcar: about every 10 minutes, from roughly 5:15 AM to between midnight and 1:30 AM depending on the day.
- Troost MAX and Prospect MAX: the most frequent buses; on weekdays they run from before 5 AM to after midnight.
- Many local buses run less often and end between about 6 and 7:30 PM on weekdays. A few routes (for example 21, 28 and 107) have no Sunday service.
- Airport bus 229: about hourly, roughly 6 AM–10 PM, every day.
Always check the route's schedule on RideKC's routes page, especially for evening or Sunday trips.
Service alerts & detours
Buses are often rerouted for construction, festivals, parades and big games. Before you go, check:
- RideKC service alerts and service bulletins (planned reroutes)
- KC Streetcar for streetcar arrivals and text alerts
- The Transit app for real-time bus locations
If you miss the last bus, a taxi or rideshare is the backup — especially from the airport after about 10 PM.
Accessibility
- RideKC says buses throughout the region have lifts or ramps.
- The streetcar has level boarding at every stop — use the middle doors.
- RideKC Freedom paratransit serves eligible riders, including visitors who are eligible at home (up to 21 days a year).
Read the full accessible travel guide for boarding tips, walking distances and what to do if something goes wrong.
Going to a downtown event or convention
- Kansas City Convention Center / Bartle Hall: from most downtown hotels it's a walk of under 10 minutes. From Crown Center or Union Station, take the free streetcar to Power & Light (14th & Main) and walk a few blocks west (about 20 minutes total).
- T-Mobile Center and the Power & Light District: streetcar to Power & Light. The streetcar runs late, which makes it the easiest way home after an event if you're staying along the line.
- Coming from the Plaza? The streetcar from the Plaza stop reaches downtown in about 30 minutes.
What this site covers
Our trip planner and guides are built from RideKC/KCATA schedule data for Kansas City, MO and nearby Kansas City, KS. RideKC also runs routes in Johnson County (such as Overland Park and Olathe) and other Kansas City, KS routes that aren't in our data yet — for those, use RideKC's routes and trip planner.
Plan a tripVisiting for a few days? Try one of our car-free day plans.
Official information: RideKC · Fares & passes · Rider guide · KC Streetcar
mobilityKC is an independent guide, not affiliated with RideKC or KCATA. Fares and payment details checked September 2026.