How To Get Between Terminals at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport [DFW]

Key Takeaways

• The Skylink train operates after security and connects all terminals. Trains depart every 2 minutes, with a maximum travel time of 9 minutes between the farthest points, making it highly efficient.
• The Terminal Link shuttle bus runs before security every 8 to 10 minutes from 5 a.m. to 12 a.m., with after-hours service available upon request.
• Walking between terminals with moving sidewalks is feasible for shorter connections, providing an alternative for travelers with minimal luggage.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is the third busiest airport in the U.S., serving over 81 million passengers in 2023. The airport is bigger than Manhattan and is so large that it has its own ZIP code. Despite its size, it’s an easy airport to navigate, with a convenient light rail service running between all terminals.

DFW is the main hub for American Airlines, with the airline solely occupying 3 of the 5 terminals.

Here’s all the information you need to know on how to navigate DFW and ensure you get to your gate efficiently.

DFW Airport Layout

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was designed to reduce traffic congestion within the terminals and, therefore, speed up services such as the Terminal Link shuttle bus. The terminals are all accessible individually from the International Parkway/ State Highway Spur 97 that runs from north to south of the airport.

The terminals (except for Terminal D) are shaped like semicircles. Parking lots, ground transportation, and presecurity departure and arrival facilities are on the inside of the semicircle. The departure gates and Skylink train are located after security on the outside of the semicircle, where only ticketed passengers are permitted.

Terminals C and D have airport hotels either within or just outside the terminal. Each terminal has its own shops, cafes, lounges, and restaurants, with the widest selection in Terminal D, also known as the international terminal.

DFW Ground Transportation Before Security

Terminal Link Shuttle Bus

In some situations, you may need to connect between terminals outside of the secure area, and the best way to do this is via the free Terminal Link shuttle bus. The shuttle bus stops at all terminals from 5 a.m. to 12 a.m., and an out-of-hours service is available by calling 972-574-5465.

Buses operate every 8 to 10 minutes from the departures level of each terminal, excluding Terminal D, where pickup and drop-off are from the arrivals level. There are 2 pickup points at each terminal signposted “Terminal Link.”

Terminal Link shuttle buses operate from:

• Terminal A (Departures Level)
  • Entrance A10 for gate A1 to gate A20 and DFW Airport DART Rail Station
  • Entrance A16 for gate A21 to gate A39
• Terminal B (Departures Level)
  • Entrance B14 for gate B1 to gate B25
  • Entrance B43 for gate B26 to gate B49 and DFW Airport TEXRail Station
• Terminal C (Arrivals Level)
  • Due to Terminal C’s construction work, the Terminal Link pick-up point has temporarily moved to the lower level near entrance C17.
• Terminal D (Arrivals Level)
  • Entrance at Lower Level D17 for gate D1 to gate D22
  • Entrance at Lower Level D29 for gate D23 to gate D40
• Terminal E (Departures Level)
  • Entrance E14 for gate E2 to gate E18
  • Entrance E35 for gate E20 to gate E38

Hot Tip:

Track the Terminal Link’s next arrival time by scanning the QR code at every shuttle stop.

DFW Ground Transportation After Security

DFW has a convenient airside people mover called Skylink, with 2 Skylink stations at either end of each terminal depending on which gate you need to reach. The Skylink is free to use and operates clockwise and counterclockwise, so you can choose the direction that’ll get you to your desired terminal faster.

Trains depart every 2 minutes, and it takes a maximum of 9 minutes to travel between the furthest points. The Skylink runs after security for the full journey, so passengers need to clear security to utilize this transportation.

Skylink stations are located:

• Terminal A
  • Between gate A13 and gate A16
  • Between gate A29 and gate A34
• Terminal B
  • Between gate B9 and gate B14
  • Between gate B28 and gate B43
• Terminal C
  • Between gate C8 and gate C12
  • Between gate C27 and gate C35
• Terminal D
  • Between gate D11 and gate D20
  • Between gate D24 and gate D34
• Terminal E
  • Between gate E8 and gate E11
  • Between gate E31 and gate E34

Layout of DFW Terminals

DFW Terminal A

Terminal A is on the east side of the airport, opposite Terminal B and next to Terminal C. There are 26 gates, numbered A8 to A11, A13 to A25, A28, A29, and A33 to A39, with the lower numbered gates at the north of the semicircle through to the higher-numbered gates at the south.

If you want to walk between terminals, Terminal A is connected to terminals B and C via post-security walkways.

To reach Terminal B, you can cross over the Skylink tunnel with moving walkways that is opposite gate A39, up the escalator or elevator at the south end of Terminal A. To reach Terminal C from Terminal A, walk along the connector tunnel with moving walkways that is next to gate A39 on the same level.

If you would prefer to take the Skylink train between terminals, then the Terminal A stations are between gates A13 and A16 and between gates A29 and A34 up the escalator or elevator on level 3.

If you have to exit the secure area, you can pick up the Terminal Link shuttle bus from outside the terminal on the departures level, entry A10 for gates A1 to A20, and entry A16 for gates A21 to A39.

Hot Tip: If you’re connecting from Terminal A’s higher-numbered gates to Terminal B or C’s lower-numbered gates, it may be quicker for you to walk rather than catch the Skylink because of where the Skylink stations are.

DFW Terminal B

Terminal B has 44 gates, numbered B1 to B11, B12A, B12B, B14, B16 to B19, B21, B22, B24 to B44, and B46 to B49. The higher-numbered gates are at the north of the terminal and the lower numbered gates at the south. The terminal is on the west side of the airport, opposite Terminal A and beside Terminal D, both of which are accessible by the Skylink train or connecting walkways.

To reach Terminal A by foot, take the escalator or elevator near gate B4 to level 3 and cross over the Skylink using the moving walkways. To reach Terminal D, continue around the corner near gate B4, past gates B1 and B3 through the walkway until you reach Terminal D. There are no moving walkways on this route.

To reach Terminal C by foot, walk across the connector bridge to Terminal A and take a right at gate A39 to walk through the walkway to Terminal C.

The Skylink train stations are between gates B9 and B14 and between gates B28 and B43, where you take the escalator or elevator to level 3 to access the train. The Skylink train can transport you to other terminals if you can remain airside. If you leave the secure area, take the Terminal Link shuttle bus from outside the terminal at the departures level, near entry B14 for gates B1 to B25 or B43 for gates B26 to B49.

Hot Tip: If you’re connecting from Terminal B’s lower-numbered gates to Terminal A or D’s higher-numbered gates, it may be quicker for you to walk than to take the Skylink train. Check where the Skylink stations are in relation to your gate number.

DFW Terminal C

Terminal C is on the east side of the airport, opposite Terminal D with Terminal A and Terminal E on either side. Terminal C is connected to Terminal A and Terminal D via airside walkways but is not connected to Terminal E.

With current construction work, there are 25 gates in Terminal C, numbered C2, C4, C6 to C8, C10 to C12, C14 to C17, C19 to C22, C24, C26, C27, and C35 to C39. The lower-numbered gates are in the north of the terminal, and the higher-numbered gates are in the south.

To connect to Terminal A by foot, follow the walkway around to the right after gate C2, or to connect to Terminal D, take the escalator or elevator near gate C2 to level 3 and walk across the Skylink connector bridge. To connect to any of the terminals, you can ride the Skylink train, with stations accessible between gates C8 and C12 or between gates C27 and C35.

Hot Tip: If you’re connecting from the lower-numbered gates of Terminal C to the higher-numbered gates of terminals A or D, it might be quicker to walk instead of taking the Skylink train. You may even find it quicker to walk to gates B1 to B3, as these gates are in the walkway between terminals D and B. 

DFW Terminal D

Terminal D consists of 33 gates, numbered D1 to D8, D10 to D12, D14, D17, D18, D20 to D25, D27 to D31, D33, D34, D36 to D38, and D40, with the higher-numbered gates at the northern end of the terminal and the lower-numbered gates at the southern end.

Terminal D is on the west side of the airport, opposite Terminal C and beside Terminal B. Both are connected via airside walkways.

To reach Terminal B from Terminal D, walk past gate D40 and follow the walkway around to the hallway between the terminals. This is on the same level as departures and connects to the departures area of Terminal B with the lower gate numbers.

The Skylink train can be picked up between gates D11 and D20 or between gates D24 and D34 and stops at all terminals.

As Terminal D handles international flights, it’s likely that on arrival you’ll end up outside of the secure area after clearing customs and immigration. If you have a flight connection and checked your bags, you can recheck them at the flight connections bag drop area, reclear security, and ride the Skylink to your connecting terminal.

If you have to connect outside of security, you can ride the Terminal Link shuttle bus from outside of Terminal D. These depart regularly from the arrivals level at entry D17 for gates D1 to D22 and D29 for gates D23 to D40.

Hot Tip: If you’ve booked 2 separate tickets and are connecting with American Airlines, you can check in for your connecting flight at the American desk in Terminal D. You can then reclear security and ride the Skylink train from Terminal D to your connecting terminal rather than catching the Terminal Link shuttle bus, which can be slower. 

DFW Terminal E

Terminal E is the only terminal not connected to another terminal with walkways. It is on the east side of the airport next to Terminal C.

Terminal E has 43 gates, numbered E2, E4 to E18, E20, E21, E22A, E22B, E23A, E23B, E24A, E24B, E25, E25A E25B, E26, E27A, E27B, E28, E29A, E29B, and E30 to E34, E35A, E35B, E36, E37A, E37B, E38A, and E38B. The lower-numbered gates are at the northern end of the terminal. and the higher-numbered gates are at the southern end.

Gates E22A, E22B, E23A, E23B, E24A, E24B, E25 to E27, E27B, E28, E29A, E29B, and E30 are in a satellite terminal, accessible through a tunnel (with moving walkways) near gate E21.

Terminal E is connected to the other terminals via the Skylink train. However, if you’re connecting to Terminal E from outside the secure area of another terminal, you can’t access the train, as the stations are located after security.

To connect to Terminal E outside of the secure area, ride the Terminal Link shuttle bus from outside of the terminal at entry E14 serving gates E2 to E18 or E34 serving gates E20 to E38B. If you’re connecting airside from Terminal E, the Skylink train stations are between gates E8 and E11 or between gates E31 and E32.

Hot Tip: If you’re flying American Eagle from the satellite terminal, allow an additional 10 minutes to reach your gate. 

Estimated Walking Times Between Terminals

Although the Skylink train is usually the quickest way to get between terminals at DFW, in some situations it may be quicker to walk. For example, if your flight arrives at the higher-numbered gates of Terminal A and your connection is at a lower-numbered gate of Terminal B, these gates are easily accessible via a walkway.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule for this, as it depends entirely on the location of your arrival and departure gates and whether these are close to a Skylink station, so it’s worth checking the map.

The estimated walking times below are based on the closest points of each terminal — you’ll want to factor in a little extra time to reach your gate:

• 5 to 10 minutes:
  • From Terminal A to Terminal B; moving walkways are available
  • From Terminal A to Terminal C; moving walkways are available
  • From Terminal B to Terminal D; moving walkways are unavailable
  • From Terminal C to Terminal D; moving walkways are available
• 10 to 20 minutes:
  • From Terminal A to Terminal D; moving walkways are available
  • From Terminal B to Terminal C; moving walkways are available

Flight Connections at DFW

As with all U.S. airports, if you’re arriving on an international flight, you need to clear customs and immigration upon arrival. That means picking up your bag from baggage claim. If you booked a combined ticket or your bags are checked to an onward destination, you will be able to drop them off at the flight connections bag-drop area.

If you booked separate tickets, you need to recheck your bag at the applicable airline’s check-in desk. In any case, you have to reclear security to enter the other terminals, and once you do, you can make use of the Skylink train to reach your connecting terminal.

If you’re connecting from a domestic flight, you don’t need to clear customs and immigration and can remain airside to connect to your next terminal, either by walking or taking the Skylink. If you’re connecting to or from Terminal E, you need to ride the Skylink to remain airside.

Accessibility

DFW terminals are accessible to passengers with disabilities, mobility concerns, and wheelchair users. The Skylink is fully accessible at each station by elevator, with dedicated seating areas on board each train for passengers with mobility impairments.

Terminal Link buses and shuttles to and from the rental car center or parking lots are wheelchair accessible. You can ask for wheelchairs through individual airlines to use throughout the terminal.

Final Thoughts

DFW is a busy airport for flight connections because of its central position and 4-hour flight time to most continental U.S. cities.

Every terminal at DFW, except Terminal E, is connected to another with airside walkways and connector bridges, so it’s possible to walk between flights if you have time or want to stretch your legs.

Passengers looking for the fastest and most convenient way to get between terminals can ride the Skylink train. It operates every 2 minutes from each terminal, with one train running clockwise and another running counterclockwise.