By the Airport Limo Toronto team · Updated · 5 min read
Quick answer
Aim to be at Pearson about 3 hours before an international or US flight and about 2 hours before a flight within Canada. Then add the drive from your city, plus 20 to 40 minutes at rush hour.
- International and US flights: at Pearson about 3 hours ahead
- Flights within Canada: about 2 hours ahead
- Weekday rush hour can double the drive
- US flights clear US border checks at Pearson, so allow for the queue
The simple formula
Pickup time = flight time − time at the airport − drive time − buffer.
Example: a 9:00 a.m. flight to London from Scarborough. Be at Pearson by 6:00. The drive is 30 to 45 minutes before the morning rush. Book a 5:00 a.m. pickup and you arrive with time to spare.
Drive times to Pearson by city
| From | Off-peak | Rush hour |
|---|---|---|
| East York | 25–40 min | 45–70 min |
| Scarborough | 30–45 min | 50–80 min |
| Mississauga | 15–25 min | Add 20–40 min |
| Brampton | 20–35 min | Add 20–40 min |
| Markham and Richmond Hill | 30–45 min | Add 20–40 min |
| Vaughan | 20–30 min | Add 20–40 min |
| Oakville and Burlington | 25–40 min | Add 20–40 min |
| Hamilton | 50–70 min | Add 20–40 min |
| Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, Pickering | 45–65 min | Add 20–40 min |
| Kingston | About 2 h 45 | Add 20–40 min |
| Waterloo and Kitchener | About 1 h 10 | Add 20–40 min |
| Barrie | About 1 h 10 | Add 20–40 min |
Times are approximate and come from our city pages. Snow, a crash on the 401 or a long weekend can add more.
Work backwards from the gate, not forwards from your front door.
When is rush hour?
On weekdays, roughly 7 to 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. (approx.). Friday afternoons before a long weekend are the slowest of the year. Early-morning flights usually miss the worst of it.
Flying to the US
Pearson has US preclearance, so you go through US border checks in Toronto before you board. That queue varies a lot by time of day, which is why airlines ask for the extra hour (check your airline).
Let us pick the time
Tell us your flight number when you book. We look at the departure time, your address and the day of the week, and suggest a pickup time. You can always ask for earlier.
