Getting around Durham: roads, transit, airport, parking

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Exit names are from NCDOT’s highway exit data; transit facts are from GoDurham and GoTriangle; parking rules are from the City of Durham’s ParkDurham office. For road work this week, see road construction and closures.

Who to call

• GoDurham and GoTriangle buses: 919-485-RIDE (7433); trip planner
• Live bus arrivals: GoDurham real-time map
• Downtown parking (ParkDurham): 919-560-4157, 105 W. Morgan St., Suite 104
• Potholes on city streets: Durham One Call, 919-560-1200
• State roads and traffic: dial 511 or DriveNC.gov

Interstates and exits

Interstate 85 crosses north Durham and Interstate 40 runs along the city’s southern edge past Research Triangle Park. NC 147, the Durham Freeway, ties the two together through downtown, and US 15-501 links I-85 with Chapel Hill. Exit names below are NCDOT’s, from its highway exits data.

I-85 through Durham

I-40 south of the city

The Durham Freeway (NC 147) has exits from 5 (I-40) through 8 (Ellis Road), 10 (Briggs Avenue), 11 (NC 55, Alston Avenue), 12 (Fayetteville Street and N.C. Central University; Mangum and Roxboro streets), 13 (Chapel Hill Street), 14 (Swift Avenue, Duke East Campus), 15 (Elba Street, Hillandale Road and Fulton Street) and 16 (I-85 and US 15-501). On US 15-501, exits 105 to 108 serve South Square and Chapel Hill Boulevard, Cornwallis Road, NC 751 to Duke’s West Campus and Morreene Road.

Buses

GoDurham runs the city buses, and they are fare-free: the 2026-27 city budget, as GoDurham posted it, keeps them fare-free through June 2027. The downtown hub is Durham Station. Routes, from GoDurham’s maps and schedules page, include:

• Route 1: Guess Road, Horton Road, Riverside High
• Route 2: East Main Street, Angier Avenue, Brier Creek
• Route 4: North Roxboro, Duke Regional, Milton Road
• Route 5: Fayetteville Street, NCCU, Southpoint
• Route 10: Chapel Hill Road, South Square
• Route 11: West Main, Duke and the VA, Hillsborough Road

Holidays run on Sunday-level service, and there is no service on Christmas Day, according to GoDurham’s hours page. Riders with disabilities can book GoDurham ACCESS paratransit at godurhamaccess.org.

GoTriangle runs the regional buses from Durham. From the same schedule list: Route 400 and 405 to Duke and the VA, downtown Chapel Hill and UNC; Route 700 to NCCU, Durham Tech and the Regional Transit Center in RTP; Route 800 from Streets at Southpoint to UNC; and the DRX Durham-Raleigh Express. Plan any trip with the GoDurham trip planner. GoTriangle’s site is gotriangle.org.

Airport

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) sits between the two cities, off I-40 and I-540. From downtown Durham, take NC 147 south to I-40 East and Exit 284A, Airport Boulevard; from north Durham, I-85 Exit 178 is signed for US 70 East and the airport. On I-540, Exit 2 is Aviation Parkway to RDU. By bus, GoTriangle’s RDU route and Route 100 connect the Regional Transit Center with the airport. Parking, maps and the free cell lot are on rdu.com.

Downtown parking

ParkDurham, the city’s parking office, runs downtown garages, surface lots and meters. From its permits and rates page:

• City garages are the Corcoran Street, Church Street, Durham Centre, Chapel Hill Street and Morgan-Rigsbee garages, plus several surface lots.
• Hourly rates apply 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. Garages, lots and metered street spaces are free from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weeknights and from 7 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Monday, unless a special event rate is in effect.
• A flat event rate applies at all downtown garages when a downtown venue has an event.
• The first hour is free at the Morgan-Rigsbee and Church Street garages on weekdays, the city says.

On the street, park only as long as the posted limit allows; drivers with a disability permit are exempt from time limits but pay for the time used, according to the ParkDurham FAQ. Pay meters by phone with the Passport Parking app. Six neighborhoods near downtown have residential permit zones. Appeal or pay a ticket through the city’s AIMS portal or in person at 105 W. Morgan St., Suite 104.

Biking and walking

The paved American Tobacco Trail starts at Morehead and Blackwell streets downtown and runs south toward Jordan Lake, and the 1.8-mile Durham Rail Trail links North Durham with downtown. The city’s Bike and Hike Map shows bike lanes and greenways. See parks and trails.

What this means for you

• Riding the bus costs nothing on GoDurham through June 2027.
• Downtown at night or on the weekend, city parking is free outside event times.
• Check road construction and closures before a long drive.

Related: moving to Durham and who to call at City Hall.

Frequently asked questions

Is the GoDurham bus free?

Yes. GoDurham buses are fare-free, and the city budget adopted for 2026-27 keeps them fare-free through June 2027.

How do I get from Durham to RDU airport by bus?

Take GoTriangle from downtown Durham to the Regional Transit Center, then GoTriangle’s RDU route or Route 100 to the airport. Plan the trip with GoDurham’s trip planner or call 919-485-RIDE (7433).

Is parking free in downtown Durham?

City garages, lots and meters are free from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weekdays and from 7 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Monday, except during special events. The first hour is free on weekdays at the Morgan-Rigsbee and Church Street garages.

What exit is downtown Durham off I-85?

NCDOT signs I-85 Exit 177 for US 15 Business, US 501 Business, NC 55, Avondale Drive and Roxboro Street to downtown. From I-40, Exit 279B takes NC 147, the Durham Freeway, north to downtown.