East of the city, the Nashville International Airport, located just eight miles from the central business district, is approximately a 12-minute ride away. Passengers landing in Nashville may choose from any number of commercial vehicles to take them to their destinations. There is an airport limousine service available along with metered taxicabs, Metro Transit Authority buses, shuttle service to downtown hotels, and car rental agencies with representatives in the lobby of the terminal building.
Six major highways intersect in the heart of Nashville: Interstate-65 N leads to the industrialized cities of Chicago, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh; I-40 takes travelers to the cities of Richmond, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, plus the Carolina ports; I-24 E extends to Atlanta and Florida; I-65 S reaches Birmingham, New Orleans, and the Gulf; I-40 W leads to Dallas, Oklahoma, and the West Coast; and I-24 W extends to St. Louis and Kansas City, the midwestern heartland.
The inner-city loop, I-265, encircles the downtown area to facilitate a smooth flow of interstate traffic, while an extensive outer loop, I-440, rings the city. The southern half of Interstate-840, a project that will circle the city at a 30-mile radius, is nearly complete at the end of 2004, while development of the northern half is on hold.
Within Nashville, visitors usually travel by cab, rental or private car, or public bus. The Metropolitan Transit Authority provides a large network of bus service both in the downtown area and outlying suburbs. Serving approximately 35,000 passengers daily, MTA buses cover 39 routes, including many neighborhood park-and-ride lots designed especially for commuters. Trolleys running around downtown and the Music Valley area are a fun way to see the city.