MSP to Mayo Clinic: A Transportation Guide for Patients and Families
TL;DR: NS Limo provides car service between MSP Airport and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The route is 80 miles with flat-rate pricing and real-time flight tracking for airport pickups.
Every year, roughly 1.3 million patients visit Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus. A huge number of them fly into MSP, which is 79 miles north - about an hour and twenty minutes by car. If you're one of those patients, figuring out ground transportation is one more thing on a list that already includes medical appointments, insurance, lodging, and everything else that comes with traveling for healthcare.
Here's a straightforward breakdown of every option for getting from MSP to Mayo Clinic, with real prices and honest tradeoffs.
The Shuttle: Cheapest Option
Two shuttle services run the MSP-Rochester corridor daily:
Rochester Shuttle Service (888-998-9098)
- $49 one way for adults
- $42 for Mayo Clinic/Olmsted Medical Center employees
- $47 for seniors (65+)
- $41 for children (12 and under)
- $74 same-day round trip
- Runs 7 days a week with multiple departures
Groome Transportation (507-280-9270)
- Similar pricing and schedule
- Daily round trips between MSP and Rochester
- Drops off at several Rochester hotels and downtown locations
What to expect: You land at MSP, grab your bags, head to the transportation atrium one level below baggage claim, and board a shared van or bus. The ride is roughly 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on stops. You'll be dropped off at your Rochester hotel or a designated stop near Mayo campus.
The good: It's cheap and reliable. The shuttle services have been running this route for years and they know it cold.
The not-so-good: It's a shared ride on a fixed schedule. If your flight lands at 3:15 PM and the next shuttle leaves at 3:00 PM, you're waiting for the one after that. If you're exhausted from travel or not feeling well, sharing a van with strangers for two hours isn't ideal. And the shuttle drops you at specific stops - not your hotel door.
Renting a Car
Car rentals are available at MSP's rental car center, connected to both terminals by tram.
Typical cost: $50-90/day depending on vehicle and season. A 3-day visit runs $150-270 plus gas.
When it makes sense: You're staying multiple days, you're feeling well enough to drive, and you want flexibility to get around Rochester on your own schedule. Rochester has suburban sprawl and depending on your hotel, having a car is genuinely useful.
When it doesn't: You're a patient coming in for a procedure. You might not be cleared to drive afterward. You're on medication that affects alertness. You're visiting from out of state and don't want to navigate unfamiliar winter roads. Many Mayo patients fall into one or more of these categories.
Good to know: Nearly all Rochester hotels near Mayo campus offer free shuttle service to and from the clinic. So even if you rent a car to get from MSP to Rochester, you may not need it once you're there.
Uber and Lyft
Uber X from MSP to Mayo Clinic: Roughly $80-120 one way.
Uber Black: $130-180 one way.
The ride takes about 80-90 minutes. It's door-to-door, which is a real advantage over the shuttle - you get picked up at MSP arrivals and dropped off at your exact hotel or the Mayo campus entrance.
The catch: Availability. You're requesting a driver to leave Minneapolis and drive 80 miles to Rochester. That's a long trip away from where fares are plentiful. At peak times or during weather events, you might wait a while for a driver to accept. At odd hours (late night, early morning), you might not find one at all.
Return trips from Rochester are worse. Uber and Lyft driver pools in Rochester are thin. Requesting a ride from your Rochester hotel to MSP at 5 AM for an early flight is a gamble.
Private Car Service
A dedicated car service for the MSP-Rochester corridor varies by vehicle - contact us for a quote.
What you get that the other options don't:
A confirmed driver. Booked in advance, confirmed the night before. No hoping the app finds someone. No waiting at the shuttle stop. They're at MSP arrivals when your flight lands, or at your Rochester hotel when you're ready to leave.
Flight tracking. If your flight is delayed 45 minutes, your driver knows. They adjust. You don't need to call anyone or rebook.
Door to door, your door. Not a shuttle stop. Not the hotel lobby two blocks from where you're actually staying. Your specific pickup and drop-off.
Privacy and space. After a full day of medical appointments, the ride back to MSP in a private vehicle with your family - quiet, comfortable, on your schedule - is worth something. Especially if the news you received was heavy.
Flexibility. Your appointment ran long. Your doctor added a follow-up scan. You need an extra hour. A car service adjusts. A shuttle doesn't.
For Patients: What to Think About
Medical travel is different from business travel or vacation. A few things specific to Mayo Clinic trips:
You may not know how you'll feel after your appointment. Some Mayo visits are consultations - you're in and out. Others involve procedures, sedation, contrast dye, biopsies. You might be fine. You might be wiped. Having transportation that doesn't require you to drive or navigate a shuttle schedule gives you one less variable.
Family members need transportation too. If a spouse or family member is with you, they may need to get around Rochester while you're in appointments. Consider whether a rental car (for them) plus a car service (for you on arrival/departure) makes more sense than one solution for everyone.
Multi-day stays are common. Mayo often schedules tests and appointments across multiple days. Many patients stay 3-5 days. The MSP-Rochester ground transportation cost is a one-time expense on each end - it doesn't compound daily like parking.
Insurance and HSA. Medical transportation may be tax-deductible or HSA-eligible if it's related to medical care. Consult your tax advisor, but save your receipts either way.
Where to Stay in Rochester
Most patients stay within a few blocks of Mayo campus in downtown Rochester:
- Kahler Grand Hotel - connected to Mayo via subway. The most convenient option for patients.
- Hilton Rochester Mayo Clinic Area - across the street from the Gonda Building.
- Marriott Rochester Mayo Clinic Area - walking distance to campus.
Nearly all Rochester hotels near the campus offer free shuttle service to Mayo. Many also offer patient discounts. Check with the hotel directly and mention you're a Mayo patient when booking.
Mayo also maintains a list of housing options including charitable lodging for patients with financial need.
Quick Comparison
| Option | One Way from MSP | Door to Door? | Available at 5 AM? | Works Post-Procedure? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shuttle | $49-59 | No (designated stops) | Check schedule | Shared ride |
| Rental Car | $50-90/day | You drive | You drive | Only if cleared |
| Uber X | $80-120 | Yes | Maybe | Yes |
| Car Service | Contact for quote | Yes | Yes (confirmed) | Yes |
The Bottom Line
For a routine Mayo consultation where you're feeling fine and on a budget, the shuttle works. It's $49 and it gets you there.
For anything involving procedures, early/late flights, uncertain timelines, or days where your energy is going toward your health and not logistics - a private car service removes a problem from your plate. The price difference between a shuttle and a car service is real, but so is the difference between worrying about your ride and not thinking about it at all.
NS Limo provides private car service between MSP and Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Flat-rate pricing, flight tracking, and pickup from any Rochester location. Book online or call (320) 223-8146.