Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is a mid-sized public airport in the US Midwest that serves the Cincinnati Tri-State area os Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

It is the busiest airport in the state of Kentucky, but its strategic location between all three states (in Hebron, Boone County) makes it a popular choice for those living in the Cincinnati Metropolitan Area.

In 2024, CVG reported over 9 million passengers, ranking in the top 50 US airports by commercial traffic.

Major Airlines - Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Allegiant Air

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky is a major cargo airport, but on the passenger side, it is not a hub to any airline.

The airport still offers nonstop service to more than 50 destinations across North America and a select few international points.

Delta Air Lines is the carrier with the most flights at CVG, capturing about 25% of the market share. Delta flies primarily to its hubs throughout the US, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Salt Lake City, but a few smaller domestic airports and even several international routes, such as Paris, France, and Cancún, Mexico.

Nonetheless, major low-cost carriers like Frontier and Allegiant Air offer more destinations in their portfolio. With direct flights to smaller and regional airports and lower airfares, LCCs dominate CVG. Other budget carriers operating at the airport include Breeze Airways, Sun Country Airlines, and Viva Aerobus (Mexico).

Allegiant Air flies to more than 20 destinations from Cincinnati.

The other major US carriers, American, United, Southwest, and Alaska, also fly to and from Cincinnati, but with reduced schedules.

The only foreign carriers at CVG are Air Canada Express and British Airways.

See a list of all airlines at CVG.

Terminal Layout and Gates

CVG currently operates a single terminal building, which was previously known as Terminal 3 because Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 were destroyed.

The present terminal has two concourses:

Concourse A: 23 gates.
Concourse B: 28 gates. Handles all international arrivals without U.S. pre-clearance.

The Cincinnati Airport People Mover, an underground automated tram, links the main terminal building with the concourses.

Walking is an ever-present option too, especially since the longest possible distance at the airport is under a 15-minute walk - from Concourse A to Concourse B via the Transportation Hall in between. Moving walkways speed up walking, too.

CVG has a single security checkpoint open from 3:30 AM to 8:50 PM.

Free WiFi

Free high-speed WiFi is available throughout the terminal and the concourses. The network’s SSID is “CVG Free Wifi”. The connection is not limited in bandwidth or duration.

Check out the best things to do in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Services at CVG

Other services at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport include:

Luggage carts: in the Terminal Garage, pre-security, baggage claim. Price per rental is $5.
Family restrooms: In both concourses - near Gate A-11 and near Gate B-13.
Children’s Play Area: Near Gate A-4 and near the Food Court in Concourse B.
Inter-faith/meditation room: Post-security in Concourse B near Gate B-14.
Currency exchange, bank services, ATMs: 5/3 Bank in Concourse B, providing full bank services and currency for 100+ countries. There are at least 5 ATMs spread throughout the airport.
Duty-free: Options for shopping are located airside near Gate 12. There is also a small selection of retail stores and newsstands throughout the terminal.
Jabbrrboxes: Private booths/work zones, equipped with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, speakers, and a camera, perfect for video conferencing, private calls, or just quiet work. The price to rent is $15 per 30 minutes. Located near Gate B-16 and near Gate A-2.

Lounges at Cincinnati Airport

There are 3 lounges at CVG, of which one is airline-affiliated and two are pay-per-use.

All lounges are within the concourse areas.

Delta Sky Club: Located near gate B-14, this lounge offers premium facilities to Delta passengers with elite status or membership. Open daily from 5 AM to 7:30 PM.
The Club CVG: Located between Gates A-8 and A-10. Accepts Priority Pass, and pay-at-the-door is also possible for $50. Open from 5 AM to 8 PM (Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6 AM).
Escape Lounge - The Centurion Studio Partner: Located near gate B-21. This lounge is open to passengers of any airline for a fee of $45 ($40 if pre-booked online at least 24 hours in advance). Open from 5 AM to 9:30 PM.

A USO Lounge existed until September 2025, when it was permanently closed.

Delta maintains a lounge in Concourse B of CVG.

Dining Options at CVG

CVG offers a wide variety of dining and beverage choices across the terminal and concourses. Dining is available both pre-security (landside) and airside (post-security). The check-in and ticketing areas have cafés and quick-service outlets, whereas gates have full service and snack bars.

For example, Concourse A features local brands such as Graeter’s Ice Cream (Gate A-13), the stylish Urban Crave restaurant (Gate A-6), the full bar with an exciting menu Braxton Brewing Co. Taproom (Gate A-14), and the Cincinnati icon - Christian Moerlein Taproom (Gate A-15), known for its lively atmosphere and comfort bar food like bratwurst and schnitzel.

In Concourse B, you can take your pick from local chain Skyline Chili (Food Court), national chains like Chick-fil-A, Wendy’s, and Illy Coffee (Gate B15), or the Bengals Bar & Kitchen (Food Court), which pays homage to Cincinnati’s most popular sports team. The Sambazon Açaí Bowls (Gate B19) is the perfect option if you’re health-conscious.

Transport to and from the airport

Road Access to CVG is via Interstate 275 or I-75. You can reach Cincinnati by car in around 20-25 minutes, Lexington in 80 minutes, Louisville in 90 minutes, or Indianapolis in about 2 hours.

Public transport to downtown Cincinnati and Covington is offered by TANK (Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky). The Airporter bus service operates around the clock, every 30 minutes, departing from Zone 5 of the airport. A single ticket costs $1.50, whereas a day pass is $3.50.

Taxi ranks are located in Zone 2. The fare to Downtown Cincinnati is around $35.

Rideshares like Uber and Lyft have clearly marked pick-up and drop-off locations in Zone 1 of the Ground Transport East.

Private shuttles are available from Zone 4.

You can find all rental car companies within the consolidated rental car centre. Follow signs to “Car Rental”/“Ground Transport.” A free shuttle runs between the terminal and the rental car center every 10 minutes. Companies offering services at CVG include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt, Thrifty, and Zipcar. Pre-book a rental car here.

Parking at Cincinnati Airport

CVG offers multiple parking options, including a garage adjacent to the terminal building, economy lots that require a shuttle, and a cell-phone waiting lot.

For short-term parking, park in the Terminal Garage right next to the terminal. It’s connected to the check-in areas via a pedestrian walkway. Parking costs $3 per hour or $23 per day (if longer than 3 hours) thereafter. Premium reserved parking is also available at $27 per day, which gives you the best parking location in the garage.

A cheaper alternative for longer stays is the long-term ValuPark lot. To reach, you can take the free shuttle bus from the terminal’s Ground Transportation West. Parking here costs $12 per day.

The absolute cheapest parking available is the Economy Lot at $10 per day. It is also linked to the terminal via shuttle buses.

The premium parking option, Valet Parking, is on the Baggage Claim level, right next to the terminal. It costs $35 per day.

A cell phone lot is located at 3401 Loomis Rd.. Parking there is free - suitable if you’re waiting for friends or family to land so you can pick them up. Note that parking is not permitted curbside, but drop-offs are.

Note that all parking lots and garages exclusively accept credit cards and do not accept cash.

Hotels near Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport

A DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cincinnati Airport is on-site, within the airport’s premises, and just a few minutes walk away from the terminal, though it also offers a 24/7 shuttle. This 3-star hotel features an on-site restaurant, air-conditioned rooms, an indoor swimming pool, and parking options.

Several other hotels are located within a 10-minute drive of the airport, just off Interstate 275. These include: