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CalculateTaxiFare

New Orleans · US · verified Apr 5, 2026

Taxi Fare in New Orleans

Real OpenStreetMap routing meets the official City of New Orleans Bureau of Taxicabs and For-Hire Vehicles tariff. See the base fare, every surcharge and a min–median–max range so you know what to expect on the meter.

Base fare
$3.50
Per mile
$2.00
Per minute
$0.40
Currency
USD

01Definition

What is a taxi fare in New Orleans?

A taxi fare in New Orleans is the metered price of a regulated for-hire car ride within the city limits. New Orleans taxi rates are set by City of New Orleans Bureau of Taxicabs and For-Hire Vehicles and combine three components: a base fare of $3.50 (the amount on the meter when the trip begins), a distance rate of $2.00 per mile, and a slow-traffic rate of $0.40 per minute that applies when the cab is stopped or moving slowly. Surcharges, taxes and tip can shift the final amount by another 10–30%.

02Attributes

New Orleans taxi tariff at a glance

Below is the live New Orleans taxi tariff exactly as published by City of New Orleans Bureau of Taxicabs and For-Hire Vehicles. Every figure is dated; the most recent verification was on 2026-04-05. Use the calculator above to apply these numbers to your specific trip.

New Orleans taxi tariff attributes
Base fare
$3.50
On the meter when the ride begins
Per-mile rate
$2.00 / mile
Charged for distance travelled
Per-minute rate
$0.40 / min
Slow-traffic switch speed: 17 km/h
Minimum fare
Not specified
Floor that the meter cannot fall below
Currency
USD
Distance unit
mile
Timezone
America/Chicago
Vehicle classes
1
standard

03Calculator

Calculate your fare in New Orleans

Type any pickup and destination inside New Orleans. We pull the real OpenStreetMap distance and apply the tariff above.

Calculate a fare in New Orleans

Local addresses, the New Orleans tariff applied automatically.

05Airport routes

New Orleans airport ↔ city centre

Airport ↔ city-centre rides are the most predictable taxi trips in New Orleans because their distance is fixed. Where the regulator imposes a flat fare, the meter is bypassed and the price is locked. Otherwise the standard tariff applies and the estimate below reflects realistic departure-hall waiting plus the metered ride.

06Vehicle classes

New Orleans vehicle classes and rates

New Orleans licenses 1 vehicle class (standard). Larger vehicles command higher base or per-mile rates because their fuel and licensing costs are higher. Ride-sharing apps also offer parallel categories (UberXL, Lyft XL) that compete with the licensed taxi minivan tier.

Vehicle classes and rates in New Orleans
Vehicle classBasePer milePer minMin fare
Standard sedan
City of New Orleans Taxicab Bureau. $3.50 + $2.00/mi.
$3.50$2.00$0.40—

07Surcharges & taxes

Every extra charge on a New Orleans taxi fare

On top of the base meter, New Orleans taxi fares can include an extra-passenger fee. Every charge below is reproduced verbatim from City of New Orleans Bureau of Taxicabs and For-Hire Vehicles, with the trigger condition (time, day, equipment) shown alongside.

Surcharges, taxes and fees on New Orleans taxi fares
ChargeWhen it appliesAmountCategory
Extra passengerEach passenger beyond the first$1.00Fee
Flat fare MSY ↔ FRENCH ↔ QUARTERRegulator-imposed, bypasses the meter$36.00Flat fare

08Tipping

Tipping etiquette in New Orleans

Basic

15%

Functional service — you got there.

Standard

18%

What most riders give for ordinary service.

Excellent

20%

Helpful with bags, smooth driving, knew the route.

Tipping is expected in New Orleans. The conventional range is 15% (basic), 18% (standard) and 20% (excellent service). A tip line is built into card terminals; for cash, simply round up to a convenient amount.

09Side by side

Taxi vs Uber vs Lyft in New Orleans

Rideshare apps (Uber, Lyft and local equivalents) compete with metered taxis in New Orleans on price, but their tariffs swing with surge multipliers. A taxi’s price is fixed by the meter and the regulator — there is no surge. For routine rides our data typically shows rideshare 10–25% cheaper than taxi outside surge windows, and 20–60% more expensive at peak. Airport routes are the exception: many cities (including New Orleans where applicable) cap airport ↔ centre as a flat fare that beats both.

Reference ride: a 8 km / 15-minute trip in New Orleans. Numbers below combine the live tariff (taxi) and crowdsourced per-city rate sheets (rideshare). Apps surge in real time, so we surface min · median · max.

Taxi vs Uber vs Lyft fare comparison in New Orleans
ServiceProductMedianRange
Metered taxiStandard cab$14.94$13.44$19.60
Rideshare comparison data is not yet seeded for New Orleans.

10FAQ

New Orleans taxi fare — frequently asked questions

How much is a taxi in New Orleans?
New Orleans taxis charge a $3.50 base fare plus $2.00 per mile of distance and $0.40 per minute of slow-traffic time. A typical 5-mile ride costs roughly $14.70 excluding surcharges and tip.
What is the base fare for a New Orleans taxi?
The drop charge — the amount on the meter when your ride begins — is $3.50. This is set by City of New Orleans Bureau of Taxicabs and For-Hire Vehicles and is identical for every licensed cab in the city.
Are New Orleans taxi fares metered or negotiated?
New Orleans taxis are metered. The regulator requires drivers to use the meter on every trip; negotiating off-meter is generally illegal and unwise. Flat fares apply only on a small list of pre-approved airport routes (see the airport routes section above).
Do I tip taxi drivers in New Orleans?
Tipping is expected in New Orleans. The conventional range is 15% (basic), 18% (standard) and 20% (excellent service). A tip line is built into card terminals; for cash, simply round up to a convenient amount.
How do night and weekend rates work in New Orleans?
New Orleans does not impose an explicit night surcharge — the meter rate is the same 24/7.
Is Uber cheaper than a taxi in New Orleans?
In free-flow conditions, Uber and Lyft are usually 10–25% cheaper than New Orleans taxis. During peak demand, surge pricing can push rideshare 20–60% above the metered taxi fare. For airport runs, regulated taxi flat fares often beat both. Use the rideshare comparison above to see today's typical numbers.
Can I trust the calculator above?
Yes. We compute distance and duration from real OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) and apply the published New Orleans tariff straight from City of New Orleans Bureau of Taxicabs and For-Hire Vehicles. We always show a min–median–max range so you see how traffic affects the final price.
How long does a 5-mile taxi ride take in New Orleans?
In free-flow traffic, a 5-mile ride in New Orleans takes roughly 13 minutes on average city streets. Heavy traffic can double that, which is why our maximum estimate uses a 60% slow-time assumption.
Are credit cards accepted in New Orleans taxis?
Card acceptance varies by operator. Many regulated taxis in New Orleans accept major credit and debit cards; always carry cash as a backup, particularly for short journeys. Confirm with your driver before starting the trip, and contact City of New Orleans Bureau of Taxicabs and For-Hire Vehicles for the current official requirement.
Where do I find the official New Orleans taxi rates?
The authoritative rate sheet is published by City of New Orleans Bureau of Taxicabs and For-Hire Vehicles at https://nola.gov/safety-and-permits/taxicab-bureau/ (last verified 2026-04-05). Every figure on this page is reproduced from that source.
Is there a flat airport taxi fare in New Orleans?
Yes. The route MSY ↔ FRENCH ↔ QUARTER has a regulator-mandated flat fare of $36.00 (excluding tip and tolls). Other airport pairs in New Orleans default to the metered tariff.

11Sources & verification

Sources, last verified

Every figure on this page is reproduced from City of New Orleans Bureau of Taxicabs and For-Hire Vehicles, the recognised authority that sets New Orleans taxi rates. We re-verify each record at least every 180 days; the timestamp below confirms when this page was last reconciled with the primary source.

Primary source

City of New Orleans Bureau of Taxicabs and For-Hire Vehicles

Last verified
April 5, 2026
Verification cadence
Every 180 days
Routing data
OpenStreetMap via OSRM

Editorial notes

Special-event surcharge $5 (Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, etc.).

Spotted an inaccuracy? Report it and we will reconcile within 48 hours.