Getting a taxi in Los Angeles
The sprawling city of Los Angeles has over 2,300 taxis roaming its streets, making taxis one of the best ways to explore all this vibrant city has to offer. All taxis in Los Angeles are privately owned by different companies, each choosing unique car colors and styles. There are 9 different registered taxi companies in LA, some of which cover the Greater Los Angeles Area, while others only work in specific neighborhoods, such as Beverly Hills or Hollywood. All taxis in Los Angeles must adhere to strict prices and be fitted with an officially calibrated taximeter.
Unlike most other cities, hailing a taxi in the street in LA isn’t common. Instead, you can walk to a taxi rank, call a phone dispatch taxi, or use a taxi app in Los Angeles. For time-sensitive rides, such as your Los Angeles Airport taxi, you can also pre-book this service in advance.
As there are 9 different registered taxi companies in Los Angeles, ensuring you travel with one of them is important. Look for the company logo and phone number on the side of the vehicle, the taximeter on the dashboard – displaying the official tariffs, and the driver’s ID hanging on the windshield or on the front dashboard. With so many different ways to enjoy a door-to-door Los Angeles taxi service at your fingertips, there’s no better way to explore LA.
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How much does a taxi cost?
| Taxi prices | Day time (05:00 - 24:00) | Night time (00:00 - 05:00) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| FROM LAX AIRPORT TO DOWNTOWN LA | 52 € | 52 € | 30 MIN |
| FROM BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL TO SANTA MONICA PIER | 36 € | 36 € | 25 MIN |
| FROM DISNEYLAND TO HOLLYWOOD | 80 € | 80 € | 40 MIN |
| FROM LAX AIRPORT TO SANTA MONICA | 50 € | 50 € | 30 MIN |
| FROM HOLLYWOOD BLVD TO SANTA MONICA PIER | 40 € | 40 € | 35 MIN |
| FROM LAX AIRPORT TO UNIVERSAL STUDIOS | 74 € | 74 € | 40 MIN |
What are the Los Angeles taxi rates?
Taxi fare in Los Angeles is set by the Los Angeles Department of Transport (LADOT) and all drivers must adhere to the official tariff. The fare consists of both distance and time elements and is implemented using an officially calibrated taximeter. Unlike many other major cities, the Los Angeles taxi price won’t increase during nighttime hours. You can expect your fare to be calculated as follows:
Base Fare: $3.10 (€2.90)
Price per 1/9 mile: $0.33 (€0.28)
Price per 37 seconds waiting: $0.33 (€0.28)
For example, the 25-minute trip from the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel to Santa Monica Pier will cost approximately $40 (€36). The only time a fixed fare is implemented is when traveling from LAX Airport to downtown. This ride has a fixed fare of $51.15 (€48.50) and a surcharge of $4 (€3.50).
Keeping your driver waiting for an hour will cost a fixed price of $32.11 (€30) per hour and there may be additional charges for using a phone dispatch taxi service.
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How to get a taxi in Los Angeles
Unlike most other major cities, it’s not common to hail a taxi from the street in LA. The most common way to get a taxi in Los Angeles is to call one of the 9 companies on the phone or to use a ride-share app. However, it is also possible to walk to a taxi rank if you’re in the correct neighborhood. You will find taxi ranks at LAX Airport, outside of some major hotels, such as the Beverly Hills Hotel, and at the theme parks; Universal Studios and Disneyland. You can also pre-book rides, such as your Los Angeles Airport taxi, in advance with a private company to ensure an on-time pickup.
How to get a taxi from LAX Airport
Although LAX Airport has 9 terminals, there are only 3 taxi ranks. If you land in certain terminal buildings, you will need to transfer to one of the following Los Angeles Airport taxi stands:
LAX-it Terminal 1 – You can either walk to this parking lot or take the free LAX-it shuttle, which arrives every 3 to 5 minutes and can be picked up on the Lower/Arrivals Level of each terminal. You will see the big green sign for the LAX-it shuttle at the curbside.
Parking Structure 3 – This taxi rank is located between Terminal B and Terminal 3. You can easily walk to this rank from both terminals.
Terminal 7 – This is the only terminal to have its own taxi rank. You will find the stand at the very far end of the terminal, outside of Baggage Claim. The Terminal 7 taxi stand is walking distance from Terminal 8.
Los Angeles taxi rates to downtown are fixed from all three of these ranks. It will cost $51.15 (€48.50), plus a surcharge of $4 (€3.50) to reach downtown LA.
How to get a taxi from Univeral Studios Hollywood
There’s an unofficial taxi stand located in the car park of Universal Studios Hollywood. Although taxis can be at this stand from 10:00 to 17:00, there may be times when there are no available cars. You can choose to walk to this taxi stand or take the free Universal Studios shuttle. All rides from Universal Studios are metered, but you can expect to pay around $35 (€32) to downtown LA.
How to get a taxi from Disneyland Park
There is an official taxi rank at Disneyland Park that’s open from 08:00 to 24:00. The taxi rank is located at the entrance to the park. You will see clear signposts to the taxi stand as you exit the park’s main gates. All taxis at Disneyland Park offer metered rides, so you can expect to pay an average of $40 (€36) to downtown LA.
Using a Los Angeles taxi app
If you’re traveling late at night, trying to beat the rush of people in the streets during peak times, or traveling during bad LA weather, staying inside and ordering a taxi directly from your phone makes life easy. There are a few different Los Angeles taxi app options to choose from, with Uber, Lyft, Curb, and Ride Yellow being the most popular.
However, during rush hour or peak times of day, there can be extremely long wait times for a ride on a taxi app in Los Angeles. There are also dramatic increases in price during high demand.
To avoid these frustrating wait times and soaring prices, you can always pre-book your taxi service in Los Angeles with a trusted company such as Welcome Pickups.
Calling a Los Angeles taxi number
To avoid filling your phone with apps, you can also choose to call a phone dispatch taxi in Los Angeles. There are quite a few different companies to choose from and as LA is very large, some only operate in certain areas. These are all 9 of the taxi companies that operate in Los Angeles:
United Checker Cab: +1 877 201 8294
LA Checker Cab: +1 800 300 5007
Bell Cab: + 800 999 9977
City Cab: +1 888 248 9222
Independent Taxi: +1 800 822 8294
United Independent Taxi: +1 323 653 5050
Yellow Cab: +1 424 222 2222
Beverly Hills Cab: +1 310 273 6611
United Taxi of San Fernando Valley: +1 818 222 0000
Pre-booking your taxi services in Los Angeles
Looking for a taxi rank within the city, or having to wait in line for a cab all the while wasting the precious time you have left on your trip, is stressful. However, calling a local Los Angeles taxi company and asking for an advanced booking can result in extremely high fees.
To avoid the long waits and the price spikes, you can pre-book your taxi service in Los Angeles with Welcome Pickups. We offer guaranteed on-time pickups, competitive fixed rate fares, 24-hour customer service, and a 5-star ride, every time.
Los Angeles taxi tips
- Make sure that your driver resets the taximeter and that it is running correctly before you begin your journey, to avoid being overcharged.
- All LA taxi drivers should accept payments by credit card, however, an extra fee may be applied and sometimes their POS system may be down. Try to carry cash in USD with you just in case.
- It is customary to tip your Los Angeles taxi driver around 10 - 20%.
- LA is notorious for having terrible traffic. When stuck in traffic jams, your driver will switch over to the timed meter for your journey.
- For longer journeys, it may be cheaper to agree on a set price with your driver or book a taxi online at a set fee rate.
- You will have to pay an additional $4 (€3.30) if you take a taxi from LAX airport.
- Pre-booking your taxi in Los Angeles will give you the peace of mind of guaranteed on-time pickups, hand-picked local drivers, competitive fixed-rate fares, and 24/7 customer support.
Wheelchair-accessible taxi in Los Angeles
Unfortunately, not all LA taxis are equipped to transport wheelchairs. However, there are a few companies around Los Angeles that are.
There are a few different Los Angeles taxi service options that have fully adapted wheelchair-accessible vehicles, such as LA City Cab: +1 888 248 9222. Their vehicles are specially equipped to accommodate people with wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, or other accessibility needs. You can also contact United Independent Taxi at +1 800 822 8294. They offer equipped vehicles and service the greater Los Angeles area (LA, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice, Marina Del Ray, and more).
Los Angeles taxi safety and complaints
Although there are many different Los Angeles taxi companies available, all drivers must adhere to the regulations set by the Los Angeles Department of Transport. This governing body sets fare maximums, licenses, and codes, by which all LA taxi companies must abide.
If you feel your driver has been rude, overcharged you, or broken any of the LADOT rules, you can report them directly to the department by filling out an online form, calling them at +1 311, or contacting them through the MyLA311 application.