Baltimore and Washington, D.C. offer a wide range of transportation options to the Johns Hopkins community. Whether you’re commuting between campuses, exploring the city, or traveling from nearby airports, this page provides essential information on shuttle services, public transit, ride-share options, and more.
Baltimore Transportation
- Johns Hopkins Shuttles: There are many shuttle lines to help you travel between JHU-affiliated locations in Baltimore. The Homewood-Peabody-JHMI line is the most commonly used and can be used to get from Homewood Campus, Peabody Institute and the surrounding Mount Vernon neighborhood, and JHMI in East Baltimore. There are also various shuttles that operate around East Baltimore Campus (Carey Business School and Peabody)
- Blue Jay Night Ride: An on-demand, curb-to-curb service to and from locations within the service area, which is proximate to the Homewood campus. Ride requests are accepted beginning at 6 p.m. Download the TransLoc app to request a ride directly from your smartphone or call 410-516-8700 to book directly with a dispatcher
- Public Safety Escort Program: Students who feel unsafe or are ill can call Campus Security for a walking or vehicle response on or around campus.
- JH SafeRide: this service provides safe travel between your home and school for JHU pre-doctoral students at the School of Medicine, School of Nursing or School of Public Health who live near the Johns Hopkins East Baltimore medical campus
- Charm City Circulator – FREE bus service to many popular destinations in Baltimore. The Purple Circulator runs from nearby Homewood Campus through Mount Vernon, and Downtown all the way to Federal Hill, where there are many popular restaurants, music, and events
- MTA– Baltimore’s local public transit service, including buses, light rail, and Metro
- Spin and Lime operate dockless scooters and e-bikes for rent around Baltimore. You can download each company’s app to find the scooter/e-bike nearest you to ride
- Baltimore Collegetown Network Shuttle – FREE bus service for students, faculty and staff at six participating local colleges/universities
- Amtrak Train Schedules – long distance train service to cities around the U.S.
- Uber and Lyft provide an alternate to taxis with smartphone-enabled car-for-hire service
Washington, DC Transportation
- Johns Hopkins Shuttles: The JHU shuttle is available for travel between the JHU Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Ave and several metro/train stations.
- WMATA – DC public transit, including Metrorail trains and local buses
- Amtrak Train Schedules – long distance train service to cities around the U.S.
- Uber and Lyft provide an alternate to taxis with smartphone-enabled car-for-hire service
Tips and Tricks for Local Transportation
- Use the “Transit” app on your smartphone to track local MTA and Circulator buses and to find your route in Baltimore and Washinton, DC.
- Use the CharmPass app to pay for MTA transit and for MARC trains. If you buy a pack of 6 tickets (MARC or MTA) at a time, each ticket is cheaper
- Use the TransLoc app to track JHU shuttle buses and to request Blue Jay Night Ride
- Going to Mount Vernon or Penn Station? You have lots of options! You can take the JHU Shuttle, Charm City Circulator Purple route bus, or the MTA CityLink Silver bus
- Some hotels offer free airport shuttle services—check with your hotel
Transportation from the Airport
Below are key resources for navigating transportation options from nearby airports to your destination. The Office of International Services (OIS) does not provide airport pick-up services; however, there are many transportation options available to consider.
Airports Near Johns Hopkins
- Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI): The closest airport to JHU’s Baltimore campuses, located about 20 minutes south of downtown Baltimore. While BWI offers limited international flights, most travelers will connect through another U.S. airport and transfer to a domestic flight to BWI
- Dulles International Airport (IAD): Located about 25 miles west of Washington, D.C., and between 1.5 – 2 hours from Baltimore’s Homewood Campus. Dulles offers many international flights
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): Located in Washington, D.C., about 1 hour from downtown Baltimore and convenient for domestic flights
Airport Transportation Options
Transportation by Personal Vehicle
If you intend to drive a vehicle while inside the U.S., we recommend that you review the state agency Motor Vehicle website carefully. Each state has its own rules regarding eligibility for a license and permissibility of driving with a license issued by another U.S. state or country. U.S. Driver’s licenses are issued by the state in which you reside. Visit the OIS Driver’s License webpage for additional information.
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