LAX to USC on Public Transit

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Getting to USC from LAX Airport (Los Angeles)

It's easy to get to USC (University of Southern California) from the LAX airport on public transportation. This page describes how. You will need about $2.50, and it will take about 90 minutes.

Summary: Take the free LAX Shuttle Line G from the terminal to the Green Line station.  Take the "Norwalk" Green Line train east to the "Harbor Freeway" station. Downstairs, take Line 550 North to Exposition and Watt Way. Details below.

LAX Shuttle: Airport Terminal to Green Line Train Station

From any terminal in LAX, go to the downstairs level, and look for the signs for "LAX Shuttle" bus stop.  There are several different lines that come to these stops: Line A, Line B, Line C, Line D, and Line G.  You want to get on Line G.  This is a free shuttle.

Line G will complete the loop around LAX, then take you about a mile and a half (2 kilometers) to the Aviation Station of the Green Line.  The Line G busses will come every 15 or 20 minutes.

Once you arrive at the Train station, you need to buy downstairs, on the ground level.  On the ticket machines, press B, for the Train plus Bus Transfer fare.  Then, you will need to insert $1.65 (the machine takes coins, $1, and $5 bills, and gives change).  It will print a ticket for you.  Keep this ticket with you, then go upstairs.

Green Line: Aviation Station to Harbor Freeway Station

Once you are upstairs, wait for the East-bound train.  It will list "Norwalk" as its destination. Get on this train.  Get off at the 4th stop, named "Harbor Freeway". Here's a map of this section of the route:

For a complete schedule and map, see this link: (257K, Adobe PDF format):
http://www.mta.net/metro_transit/timetables/images/803.pdf

Line 550: Harbor Freeway Station to USC

Get off the train at the Harbor Freeway exit, and go downstairs. You will be at a bus stop in the middle of the 110 Freeway.  Look for the signs for the north-bound line 550 bus (going to "West Hollywood").  Take this bus north.  To board the bus, you will need to give the bus drive your train ticket, plus $0.75 in change.

This is an express bus that makes a few stops along the freeway, then exits the freeway near USC. After the bus exits the freeway, look for Watt Way. Get off there, and you are at USC.

Here's a map of this part of the Line 550 route:

For a complete schedule and map, see this link: (253K, Adobe PDF format):
http://www.mta.net/metro_transit/timetables/images/550.pdf

More Info

You can find bus and train schedules for all of Los Angeles County at the MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) web site, at www.mta.net.

For more information on the LAX airport, see the Los Angeles World Airports site, at www.lawa.org

Getting from USC to LAX

To get back to the airport, just do the reverse of what's described above.  To catch the Line 550 bus, you will need to stand on the South side of the intersection of Exposition and Watt Way, where there's a sign for line 550.

Alternate - Take Metro Rapid instead of the 550

As an alternative to waiting for the 550 bus at the Harbor Freeway exit of the Green Line, you can catch the Metro Rapid bus at Vermont.  It takes more time, but it comes more often.  This bus will take you to Exposition and Vermont, or Adams and Vermont.


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Created and maintained by Matthew Weathers. Last updated Nov 27, 2005.