During the Arizona State Fair in the fall and the Maricopa County Fair in the spring, the traffic around the Fairgrounds can be exasperating, and the parking fee is rather expensive at the fairgrounds lots. Actually, that's true for any special event held at the AZ State fairgrounds which includes the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Can you take METRO Light Rail? At this time there are no stations close to the Arizona State Fairgrounds. If you are thinking you can handle the long walk anyway, here's a map of light rail. The nearest Light rail station to the Arizona State Fairgrounds is at Central and McDowell. That's about 1-1/2 miles away. You can, however, connect to the #17 bus on McDowell from there. See below.
If you think that taking the bus might be an option, these are the two bus lines that stop right at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. One travels on 19th Avenue and the other on McDowell Road:
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Route 17
An east/west bus route on McDowell Road. Travels mostly on McDowell Road, from Hayden Road in Scottsdale in the east, to Desert Sky Mall and 83rd Avenue in the west. There is a bus stop at 19th Avenue and McDowell. Route 17A is an extension of Route 17, and is referred to as the Avondale line. It covers the area on McDowell from Desert Sky Mall to Litchfield Road, as you travel west. -
Route 19
A north/south bus route on 19th Avenue. Travels mostly on 19th Avenue from Pinnacle Peak Road, in the north, to Baseline Road, in the south. There is a bus stop at 19th Avenue and McDowell.
If you know of a legal place to park at one of the stops along these routes, it might certainly be worth your while to do that and take the bus to the Fair. Of course, there are several connecting lines to these two bus routes. If you do that (we used to call that a transfer), instead of paying the bus fare on each trip your best bet will be an All Day Pass that allows you as many bus rides as you need in one day. You can purchase an All Day Pass right on the bus. Here are the details about Valley Metro bus fares.
Warning!
Make sure you check the schedule of the bus lines to make sure you don't leave the event after service has been stopped for the night. Keep in mind that weekend service usually doesn't go as late as weekday bus service.
All dates, times, prices and offerings are subject to change without notice.
