GuideMarch 12, 20265 min read

How to Get from SoFi Stadium to LAX Airport: A Fan's Transport Guide

Everything you need to know about getting from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood to Los Angeles International Airport, just three miles away.

By FIFA26 Fan Community

LA Metro C Line (Green Line)

SoFi Stadium is located in Inglewood, California, and Los Angeles International Airport is just three miles to the west, making this one of the shortest stadium-to-airport connections of any FIFA 2026 venue. The LA Metro C Line, formerly known as the Green Line, is the public transit backbone connecting these two points. The nearest C Line station to SoFi Stadium is the Hawthorne/Lennox station, which is about a fifteen-minute walk east from the stadium along South Prairie Avenue. From Hawthorne/Lennox, ride the C Line westbound to the Aviation/LAX station, a trip of roughly eight minutes. At Aviation/LAX, you transfer to the LAX Automated People Mover, a free elevated train that connects the Metro station directly to all nine LAX terminals. A one-way Metro fare costs one dollar seventy-five cents on a TAP card. The C Line runs from approximately four thirty in the morning until midnight on weekdays and Saturdays, with Sunday service starting slightly later. For evening matches with late finishes, confirm the last train time on the Metro website because missing it means relying on rideshare or taxis during the post-match surge. The total journey from the stadium gates to your airline terminal can be done in forty to fifty minutes.

Rideshare and Taxi Logistics

Given the short distance between SoFi Stadium and LAX, rideshare is a viable option even with post-match surge pricing. Under normal conditions, an Uber or Lyft from SoFi to LAX costs ten to fifteen dollars and takes about ten minutes. After a sold-out match with 70,000 fans, expect surge pricing to push that to thirty to fifty dollars, and the ride time can stretch to twenty-five or thirty minutes as traffic clogs Century Boulevard, South Prairie Avenue, and the surrounding streets. The designated rideshare pickup zone at SoFi is in the Uber and Lyft lot off South Prairie Avenue on the east side of the complex. Wait times of twenty to forty minutes are common after major events, so factor that into your airport timeline. A practical strategy for fans catching a post-match flight is to walk ten minutes south on Prairie Avenue away from the stadium crowds and request your rideshare from a quieter pickup point, which reduces both wait time and the surge multiplier.

Shuttle and Bus Services

LA Metro operates several bus routes in the Inglewood and LAX area that can supplement the C Line on match days. The Metro 117 bus runs along Century Boulevard and connects the LAX transit center area to neighborhoods near SoFi Stadium, though it is not a direct stadium-to-airport shuttle and requires some walking. The Inglewood Transit System operates local buses that circulate through the city and can drop you at transfer points for the C Line or LAX-bound services. For the 2026 World Cup specifically, FIFA and the Los Angeles host committee are expected to operate dedicated fan shuttle buses connecting SoFi Stadium to LAX, Union Station in downtown LA, and other key destinations. These tournament-specific shuttles have been a feature of every recent World Cup and typically cost between five and fifteen dollars per ride. Details will be published on the official FIFA 2026 transportation portal as the tournament draws closer. There are also private shuttle companies that offer pre-booked airport transfer services from Inglewood.

Driving and Parking at SoFi

If you are driving to SoFi Stadium and then heading to LAX afterward, understanding the parking situation and exit routes is critical. SoFi Stadium parking is located in the surrounding Hollywood Park development lots, and parking passes must be purchased in advance through the SoFi Stadium or FIFA ticketing platforms. General parking costs between forty and sixty dollars depending on the lot and event tier. The stadium complex is bounded by South Prairie Avenue to the east, West Century Boulevard to the north, South Doty Avenue to the west, and West Arbor Vitae Street to the south. After the match, Century Boulevard westbound is your most direct route to LAX, but it will be severely congested. A better route is to exit south to West Manchester Boulevard, head west to La Cienega Boulevard, and then cut north to Century Boulevard closer to the airport, bypassing the worst of the stadium exit traffic. The drive to LAX under normal conditions is ten minutes. After a match, budget thirty to forty-five minutes.

Post-Match Flight Planning

The proximity of SoFi Stadium to LAX is a unique advantage for fans who need to catch a flight after the match. However, proximity does not mean you can cut it close. A typical FIFA World Cup group stage match kicks off and lasts about two hours including halftime and stoppage time, so a seven PM kickoff means the match ends around nine PM. Add thirty minutes to exit the stadium and reach your transport, plus thirty to forty-five minutes for travel to the terminal, and you are arriving at your gate around ten to ten-fifteen PM at the earliest. For domestic flights, aim for a departure no earlier than eleven PM if you want a reasonable buffer. For international flights that require earlier check-in, you realistically need a departure of eleven-thirty PM or later, or better yet, book a flight the following morning and enjoy the post-match celebrations without the stress. If you do have a late flight, pack your carry-on efficiently so you can go from the stadium to the airport to the gate without needing to stop at your hotel. The bottom line is that catching a same-night flight is doable but stressful. A next-morning departure is the smarter play for any fan who wants to actually enjoy the match without watching the clock.