Getting There

By Plane -- More than 50 commercial flights take off or land daily from Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (tel. 806/335-1671), off I-40 exit 76 (Lakeside Dr.) at 10801 Airport Blvd., 7 miles east of downtown. Airlines serving Amarillo include American Eagle (tel. 800/433-7300), Continental Express (tel. 800/525-0280), and Southwest (tel. 800/435-9792). Car rentals are available from Avis (tel. 806/335-2313), Hertz (tel. 806/335-2331), Enterprise (tel. 806/335-9443), and National (tel. 806/335-2311).

By Car -- Coming from east or west, Amarillo can be accessed via I-40, exits 62 (Hope Rd.) through 75 (Lakeside Dr.). The primary downtown exit is 70 (Taylor/Buchanan sts.), and the airport is located northeast of exit 75. Coming from the north by car, you'll likely enter Amarillo via U.S. 87/287, which takes you through downtown and continues south to Canyon and Lubbock as I-27. If you are coming from the northwest, Texas FM 1061 can be used as a shortcut from U.S. 385; it becomes Tascosa Road as it enters Amarillo. U.S. 60 is the primary route northeast to Pampa and southwest to Hereford, and U.S. 287 veers east beyond the city, to Childress, and, beyond that, Wichita Falls and Fort Worth.

Orientation

I-40 cuts through the heart of Amarillo, skirting the south side of downtown. The city's primary north-south artery is U.S. 87, which splits into four one-way, north-south streets in the downtown area. (From the west, these streets are Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, and Buchanan.) South of I-40, U.S. 87 becomes I-27, which leads to Canyon and Lubbock. The northern boundary of downtown is 1st Avenue, the southern boundary I-40. The Route 66 Historic District begins at 6th Avenue and Georgia Street and continues west along 6th Avenue for a mile to Western Street. Amarillo Boulevard is a major east-west route through the northern stretch of the city. Along with Georgia Street, Ross-Mirror and Washington streets are among the busiest north-south roads in Amarillo. Loop 335 comprises four roads (Soncy Rd., FM 1719, Lakeside Dr., and Hollywood Rd.) that circumnavigate the city.

Getting Around

Aside from some one-way streets downtown, Amarillo is a snap to navigate by car, with relatively little traffic. (Instead of a rush hour, locals like to say they have a "rush minute.")

Amarillo City Transit (tel. 806/378-3095) operates a bus system Monday through Saturday from 6:15am to 7pm. The main transfer point is located downtown at 3rd Avenue and Fillmore Street. Eight different routes run from downtown to the major shopping centers and Harrington Regional Medical Center. Ride tickets are 75¢ for adults, 60¢ for children ages 6 to 12 and students, and 35¢ for seniors and travelers with disabilities.

Taxi service is provided by Ace's Taxi (tel. 806/676-7263), Airport Taxi (tel. 806/358-8350), and Bob and Son Taxi (tel. 806/373-1171).

Visitor Information

The Amarillo Convention & Visitor Council maintains an information center at 401 S. Buchanan St. (tel. 800/692-1338 or 806/374-8474; www.visitamarillotx.com), open 7 days a week in summer, with more limited hours the rest of the year. For statewide information, visit the Texas Travel Information Center on the city's east side; it's located on the south frontage road just west of I-40, exit 75.

Fast Facts -- The Northwest Texas Hospital is at 1501 S. Coulter Dr. (tel. 806/354-1000; www.nwtexashealthcare.com), just north of I-40 on the Harrington Regional Medical Center campus. The main post office is located at 2301 S. Ross St. and is open Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am to 2pm.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.