Travel Times
Sydney Airport travel times from the North Shore, Hornsby & Northern Beaches
Estimated drive times to Sydney Airport, and what else to allow when planning your pickup.
Estimated drive times to Sydney Airport
These are typical drive times by car from each area to Sydney Airport. They are planning estimates, not live traffic calculations or guaranteed journey times.
| Pickup area | Region | Est. drive time to Sydney Airport |
|---|---|---|
| Lane Cove / Mosman | North Shore | 25 min |
| Chatswood | North Shore | 25 min |
| Pymble / Gordon | North Shore | 30 min |
| Turramurra / St Ives | North Shore | 35 min |
| Wahroonga | North Shore | 35 min |
| Hornsby / Waitara / Asquith | Hornsby | 40 min |
| Mount Colah / Berowra / Mount Kuring-gai | Hornsby | 45 min |
| Manly / Balgowlah / Seaforth | Northern Beaches | 40 min |
| Dee Why / Brookvale / Collaroy | Northern Beaches | 40 min |
| Mona Vale / Newport | Northern Beaches | 45 min |
| Avalon / Palm Beach | Northern Beaches | 60 min |
Planning your pickup time
Traffic varies
Weekday peak hours, school holidays, roadworks, incidents and weather can all make the drive longer than the estimate. Longer trips — such as from Hornsby, Berowra, Avalon or Palm Beach — have more room for delays, so they generally need more lead time.
Terminals differ
Sydney Airport's T1 International terminal and the T2 and T3 Domestic terminals are on different sides of the airport, so the drive can differ depending on your terminal. Include your terminal and airline in your request.
Airport drop-offs
For departures, work back from your airline's recommended check-in or bag-drop time, then add the estimated drive time and a buffer for traffic. International flights usually need more time at the airport than domestic flights — check with your airline.
Arrival pickups
For arrivals, the drive home starts after you have landed and collected your bags, and for international flights after immigration and customs. Domestic pickups may use the Priority Pick-up area; international pickups use the public pickup area where suitable. Include your flight number.
Fares are fixed regardless of drive time — see Fixed Airporter Fares.
Not sure what time to leave?
Share your flight time, terminal and pickup suburb in your availability request and Airporter will suggest a pickup time.