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Getting around Tempe

One light-rail line straight through ASU, linking Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa.

Valley Metro · official site

Network map

Tap any station for departure times

Dunlap / 19th AveNorthern / 19th AveCamelback / 19th AveIndian School / CentralEncanto / CentralRoosevelt / CentralVan Buren / Central3rd St / Washington12th St / Jefferson24th St / Washington44th St / WashingtonPriest Dr / WashingtonCenter Pkwy / WashingtonMill Ave / 3rd StVeterans Way / CollegeUniversity Dr / Rural RdDorsey / ApacheMcClintock / ApacheSycamore / Main StGilbert Rd / Main St
  • Valley Metro Rail
  • Airport station

Dunlap / 19th Ave

Next departures

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Valley Metro Rail

From the airport, on your first night

PHX

Phoenix Sky Harbor International

  1. 1From baggage claim, follow signs to the PHX Sky Train — it is free and runs 24 hours.
  2. 2Ride the Sky Train to the 44th St / Washington station.
  3. 3Buy a Valley Metro ticket at the platform machine.
  4. 4Board Valley Metro Rail eastbound for Tempe and ASU, or westbound for downtown Phoenix.
Journey time
About 30 minutes to Tempe / ASU
Cost
Free Sky Train, then $2.00 on rail

Read this first: The Sky Train runs 24 hours but the light rail does not — it stops around 11pm most nights. Landing late, take a rideshare to Tempe, about $25–35.

Fares and how to pay

Single ride
$2.00
Day pass
$4.00
Monthly
$64.00

Student discount

ASU students get heavily discounted Valley Metro U-Pass through the university — buy it via your ASU account, not from Valley Metro. Tempe's FLASH and Orbit shuttles are free to everyone.

How to pay

  • Use the Valley Metro app to buy and activate a mobile ticket.
  • Or buy a paper ticket from the machine at every rail platform before boarding.
  • Rail is proof-of-payment: no gates, but inspectors do check and the fine is far more than the fare.
  • Cash works on buses with exact change only.

Transfers

Your ticket is valid for unlimited rides for the period you bought — a day pass covers rail and bus together.

Buses worth knowing

Rail gets the attention, but most students live on the bus network.

  • Tempe FLASHEvery 10–15 min

    Free ASU campus circulator around Tempe.

  • Tempe OrbitEvery 15 min

    Free neighbourhood shuttles across Tempe — Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Saturn routes.

  • Route 72 Scottsdale / RuralEvery 15–30 min

    North–south through Tempe and Scottsdale.

  • Route 48 48th StEvery 30 min

    Connects Tempe with south Phoenix.

  • Route 66 Mill AveEvery 30 min

    Mill Avenue corridor through Tempe.

Apps to install on day one

  • Valley Metro

    Tickets and trip planning.

  • Transit

    Live arrival countdowns.

  • Google Maps

    Good coverage of Valley Metro.

What your advisor would tell you

  • The whole light-rail line runs straight through ASU's Tempe campus — living anywhere along it makes life much easier without a car.
  • Tempe's FLASH and Orbit shuttles are completely free and cover most of the campus area. Learn these first.
  • Summer heat is a serious safety issue, not an inconvenience. From May to September, plan for shade, carry water, and do not underestimate a 15-minute walk at 43°C.
  • Buy the ASU U-Pass through the university, not from Valley Metro — the university rate is far cheaper.
  • Phoenix is built for cars and the rail is a single line. If you live off the corridor you will need a bike, a scooter or a car.

A map only gets you so far on your first night

Reading about the Tempe system at 2am after a 20-hour flight, with two suitcases and no US phone number, is a different thing entirely. Plan it with your advisor before you fly, and message them if anything goes wrong on the way.

Get an advisor