Rental Cars
Enjoy the freedom of your own ride
For traditional car rentals, there are nine companies on site for your convenience. Follow the purple signs in the terminal to the arrivals level, and take a short shuttle ride to our new rental car center.
Rental agencies at CMH
Learn more about our new rental car center
Check out our FAQs below, outlining all you need to know about navigating the new rental car process.
Q: Where will I pick up and drop off my rental car?
A: Rental cars can be picked up and dropped off at the new center (put John Glenn Columbus International Airport into your GPS, then follow the purple signs when you arrive at the airport!)
Q: How do I get to the rental car center?
A: To pick up a rental car, follow the purple signs to the arrivals level. Look for the purple shuttle area and board one of the purple buses to get transported to the rental car center.
Q: Where will the rental car shuttles pick me up and drop me off?
A: The purple shuttles pick up and drop off passengers on the arrivals level of the terminal (no shuttles on the departure level), and at the front of the new rental car center.
Q: How often do shuttles run?
A: The shuttles for the CMH rental car center run 24/7, departing approximately every 5 minutes.
Q: How long does it take to get from the terminal to the rental car center?
A: The process from queuing for shuttles, boarding a shuttle and being transported to the rental car center takes under 15 minutes.
Q: Where do I go when returning my rental car?
A: Follow the purple signs on International Gateway to the rental car center. Once the car is dropped off, head to the front doors of the rental car center and board a purple shuttle bus to the terminal to catch your flight!
Rental car center features
- Spacious and modern customer service lobby welcomes passengers
- Amenities include water bottle filling stations on all three levels
- Energy efficient design includes occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting to reduce energy consumption during daytime and low usage periods
- Shuttle buses with ground-level boarding circulate to pick up and drop off passengers
- Shuttle fleet includes the first zero-emission battery-electric buses in operation in Ohio
- First multi-level fueling facility in Ohio
- Color-coded wayfinding system enables passengers to locate rental car services quickly and easily
- User-funded project paid for by customer facility charges (CFCs), a user fee collected for rental cars since 2007
- Enables future expansion of new airport terminal as part of master plan
By the numbers
- 900,000 square feet, one of the largest projects in airport history
- Built on 21.5 acres of airport property
- $134M to construct, resulting in 1,600 jobs (direct and indirect)
- Estimated $140M economic impact
- 9 rental car companies
- 15-minute quick turnaround to return, clean, fuel, service and rent vehicles
- 9 car wash stations with infrared heaters to prevent freezing
- 6 maintenance bays, creating greater efficiency by bringing servicing on-site
- 3 zero-emission electric buses in shuttle fleet
- Frees 40% or 1,700 spaces of CMH garage parking for passengers