St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) is the primary commercial airport serving the St. Louis metropolitan area in Missouri and one of the historically significant airports in the United States. Named partly for Albert Bond Lambert, a pioneering aviator and St. Louis aviation booster who helped finance Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight, STL is served directly by the MetroLink light rail system, connecting the airport to downtown St. Louis, Forest Park, and the Missouri side of the bistate metro area.
St. Louis Lambert International Airport has experienced one of the most dramatic contrasts between its historical peak and current role of any major U.S. airport. In its 1990s heyday as a TWA hub, STL was one of the ten busiest airports in the country — a major connecting point for transcontinental and international travel. The collapse of TWA in 2001 and American Airlines' subsequent contraction of the STL hub fundamentally reduced the airport's scale. STL now operates at a fraction of its 1990s peak, but continues to serve as the primary gateway for the St. Louis region.
The airport's MetroLink light rail connection — one of the most direct and reliable airport rail links in the Midwest — remains a genuine strength. The MetroLink Red Line serves both terminal areas and provides direct service to downtown St. Louis's Civic Center TransStation, Forest Park, Clayton, and other regional destinations.
STL's architecture is notable: the main Terminal 1 concourses feature distinctive cylindrical concrete barrel vault ceilings designed by the St. Louis firm Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, one of the world's leading airport design practices. The architecture reflects mid-century optimism about aviation's future.
Lambert Field — as it was long informally known — opened in 1923. Albert Bond Lambert, a St. Louis businessman and aviator, donated the land and championed the facility's development. His most enduring contribution was helping finance Charles Lindbergh's 1927 solo transatlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis, which departed from Roosevelt Field in New York but was backed by St. Louis businessmen organized by Lambert.
TWA, long headquartered in Kansas City with strong St. Louis ties, built Lambert into a major hub through the postwar decades. The distinctive barrel vault concourses were designed in the late 1950s and became one of the iconic spaces of the jet age. TWA's bankruptcy and acquisition by American Airlines in 2001 ended STL's hub era. American progressively reduced its STL operations through the 2000s, and the airport scaled back significantly. Southwest Airlines subsequently built a major STL presence that now anchors the airport's domestic service.
STL has two terminal areas. Terminal 1 is the main terminal building, featuring the historically significant barrel vault concourses (Concourse C and D) designed by Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, as well as newer concourses (E and F). Terminal 1 handles Southwest Airlines and other carriers. Terminal 2 (formerly handled American Airlines primarily) has reduced capacity given the hub contraction.
The MetroLink light rail station serves both terminal areas and is accessible from the terminal roadway levels. The MetroLink Red Line provides direct service to downtown St. Louis in approximately 25 minutes.
Southwest Airlines is now the largest carrier at STL by a significant margin, operating a dense domestic network that has made Southwest the dominant force in St. Louis aviation in the post-hub era. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines all have smaller presences at STL, providing connections to their respective hub networks. Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air provide low-cost options.
International service at STL is very limited, reflecting the hub contraction. Air Canada has provided Toronto service in past seasons. For most international travel, St. Louis passengers connect through Dallas, Charlotte, Atlanta, or Chicago. STL provides nonstop service to approximately 50 domestic destinations.
STL's Terminal 1 facilities have been progressively improved, with dining and retail options that reflect St. Louis's culinary culture — the city's distinctive food traditions (toasted ravioli, St. Louis-style pizza, Ted Drewes frozen custard) are represented. The barrel vault concourses are a historically significant architectural experience worth appreciating for their mid-century design quality.
Free Wi-Fi is available throughout. Nursing rooms, pet relief areas, and interfaith spaces are accessible across the terminal. The MetroLink connection makes STL one of the more transit-accessible Midwest regional airports.
The MetroLink light rail Red Line serves STL with stations at the Airport Main Terminal (Terminal 1) and Airport East (Terminal 2). Trains reach Civic Center TransStation in downtown St. Louis in approximately 25 minutes, with stops at the Convention Center, Busch Stadium area, and other destinations. The MetroLink also serves Forest Park (home of the St. Louis Zoo, Art Museum, and Science Center), the Washington University campus, and Clayton.
Rideshare services operate from the ground level of both terminals. Taxis serve designated stands. Rental car companies operate from an on-campus facility. The airport is accessible via I-70 and Natural Bridge Road.
STL provides parking in garages adjacent to both terminals and in economy surface lots with shuttle service. Given the airport's reduced traffic relative to its historical peak, parking is generally more available than at hub airports of similar size. Economy lots offer competitive rates. The MetroLink from downtown St. Louis provides a practical alternative to parking for city-based travelers.
The MetroLink from downtown St. Louis to STL is one of the better Midwest airport rail connections — fast, reliable, and covering useful destinations including Forest Park, Washington University, and Clayton. For travelers based downtown or near a MetroLink station, the train is recommended.
STL's barrel vault Concourse C architecture is architecturally significant and worth a moment of appreciation — it is a genuine piece of mid-century American airport design history. Southwest Airlines dominates STL's route map, so check Southwest's options first for most domestic travel. For international connections, plan on connecting through a major hub.
St. Louis Lambert International Airport is the primary aviation gateway for a bi-state St. Louis metropolitan area that anchors Missouri's economy. The airport serves the city's healthcare (Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Mercy Health), financial services (Edward Jones, Centene Corporation), technology, and manufacturing sectors. Washington University in St. Louis and the region's research institutions generate academic travel.
The airport's history as a TWA hub left an oversized physical facility for its current traffic level — Terminal 2 is substantially underutilized. The airport authority continues to right-size operations and pursue strategies for attracting new service appropriate to the region's actual demand.
STL is pursuing a master plan to right-size the terminal complex for current and projected demand, potentially involving Terminal 2 transformation or repurposing. The airport authority is working to attract additional international service. MetroLink system improvements may further enhance STL's transit connectivity. The airport continues to identify opportunities for economic development on its underutilized campus.
STL is a medium hub airport providing regional connectivity in the Midwest. It serves as the primary aviation gateway for the St. Louis metropolitan area with Southwest Airlines-dominant domestic service and a direct MetroLink light rail connection.
Airports within approximately 60 miles of St. Louis Lambert International Airport that may provide additional scheduled commercial, regional access.
St. Louis Lambert International Airport carries the weight of an extraordinary aviation legacy — a facility financed partly by the backers of Lindbergh's transatlantic flight, shaped into a mid-century architectural landmark, built into a major TWA hub, and then dramatically scaled back. Today's STL is a practical, transit-connected regional gateway whose Southwest Airlines-dominant domestic network serves the St. Louis metro area, and whose remarkable barrel vault architecture connects the present to the golden age of American air travel.
Board the MetroLink Red Line from the Airport Main Terminal or Airport East station. Trains reach Civic Center TransStation in downtown St. Louis in approximately 25 minutes. The MetroLink also serves Forest Park, Washington University, and Clayton.
Trans World Airlines operated a major hub at STL from the postwar decades through 2001, when TWA filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by American Airlines. American subsequently contracted the STL hub, reducing it significantly by the mid-2000s. Southwest Airlines has since become the dominant carrier at STL.
Southwest is the largest carrier. American, Delta, United, Frontier, and Allegiant also serve STL. International service is limited; most international connections go through Dallas, Charlotte, Atlanta, or Chicago.
The main terminal's Concourse C and D feature distinctive cylindrical concrete barrel vault ceilings designed by Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum in the late 1950s. The architecture is a notable example of mid-century American airport design and reflects the optimism of the early jet age.
For the most current flight schedules, parking availability, terminal maps, and ground transportation updates, visit the official St. Louis Lambert International Airport website.
St. Louis Lambert International Airport Official Site