At Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), all three concourses — A (north), B (central), and C (south) — connect airside through one central post-security area. Once you’ve cleared a TSA checkpoint, you can walk freely between any two concourses without exiting security or re-screening. There are no trains or trams; everything is on foot. Here is how the walks break down.
How the Concourses Connect
After security, you emerge into a central zone with a food court between the concourses. Concourse A extends north, Concourse B sits straight ahead in the center, and Concourse C runs south. The whole terminal corridor is roughly 1,200–1,500 feet end to end, and the concourses are designed as one continuous airside space — follow the overhead signs for your gate letter and you’ll stay on the right path.
Walk Times Between Concourses
- Concourse A ↔ Concourse B – the shortest hop; the two concourses are adjacent in the north-central part of the terminal. A few minutes at a normal pace.
- Concourse B ↔ Concourse C – a moderate walk south through the central area. Fine for a food run, but give yourself 5–8 minutes each way if your gate is deep in C.
- Concourse A ↔ Concourse C – the full end-to-end walk of the terminal. Concourse C alone runs to gate C29, so an A-gate-to-high-C-gate trip can take roughly 10–15 minutes at a brisk pace. Build this in for tight connections.
The Checkpoint Trick That Saves the Most Time
The fastest concourse-to-concourse strategy happens before security: clear at the checkpoint closest to your departure concourse. North for Concourse A (as-needed hours — verify it’s staffed), Central for Concourse B (typically 4:00 AM–10:00 PM, and the PreCheck checkpoint), South for Concourse C (typically 3:30 AM–7:15 PM). Clearing at the wrong checkpoint and walking the terminal afterward is the most common time-waster at CLE. Details are on our CLE TSA wait times page.
How Long Does a Concourse Switch Take in Practice?
Two real-world examples: you’re at gate B4 and want Inca Tea’s other location near gate C10 — that’s a short stroll south through the central area, about 5 minutes each way. You’re landing at gate A6 on Frontier and connecting to a United flight at gate C24 — that’s the full end-to-end walk, so start moving the moment you deplane and don’t stop for food until you’re in C. In both cases, you stay airside the whole way; the concourses are designed as one connected space, and the overhead signs keep you pointed at the right gate letter.
When You Should (and Shouldn’t) Switch Concourses
- Do walk over for food. Concourse B sits in front of the main food court and has the densest dining; Concourse C’s far end has a second food court. Eating in another concourse is easy and costs you only the walk.
- Do visit the lounge in B. The Club CLE is at the entrance to Concourse B (day passes around $50, Priority Pass accepted) — reachable from any concourse airside. See our CLE lounge guide.
- Don’t exit to change concourses. There is no landside shortcut between concourses that beats the airside walk — exiting means re-clearing security.
- Don’t cut it close on an A↔C trip. If your connection crosses the full terminal, the walk alone can eat 10–15 minutes; move as soon as you land.
If you want the terminal picture before you fly, our CLE airport map guide covers the full layout, and the Concourse A map and Concourse B map pages break down each concourse’s gates and food.
Keep planning: CLE Concourse C map · Cleveland airport food & restaurants guide · Cleveland Airport Guides for every CLE guide in one place
Make Your CLE Journey Easier with AirportGo
AirportGo is built for the whole airport journey — before, during, and after your flight. Before you fly, use the packing checklist and trip tasks to get organized. During your trip, search the directory for gates, food, restrooms, and ATMs, get step-by-step walking navigation through the terminal, check TSA checkpoint times, and set a parking reminder so your spot is saved. After you land, the find-my-car feature uses your saved parking photo and location to walk you back to your vehicle. It even works offline, so a weak airport signal won’t slow you down. The app is available now on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
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