Downtown Memphis · Getting Around

Getting Around Downtown Memphis: Trolley, Walking & Parking

One of the best things about downtown life is how little you need to drive. This guide covers getting around downtown Memphis — on foot, on the Memphis trolley, by bike and bus, and where to put the car when you do drive. It's written from the heart of downtown at The Exchange Building, a 1910 landmark on Court Square Park where the Main Street trolley runs by just a block away and the whole city is within a walk.

A local getting-around guide from The Exchange Building · 9 N 2nd Street, Memphis, TN 38103

Walkability is downtown's biggest advantage

Downtown Memphis was made for walking. The street grid traces back to the city's original 1819 plan, which set aside four public squares — Court Square among them — and laid out short, regular blocks that are still a pleasure to cross on foot. The terrain is flat, the sidewalks are wide, and Main Street is a pedestrian-priority promenade closed to most through traffic, so you can stroll the spine of downtown without dodging cars.

From the central core around Court Square, an enormous amount of the city is within a comfortable walk: the Mississippi riverfront and River Garden, the live music of Beale Street, baseball at AutoZone Park, basketball and concerts at FedExForum, the Renasant Convention Center, a downtown grocery, coffee shops, and dozens of restaurants. It's the kind of neighborhood where you can run your whole day on foot and only think about a car when you're leaving the city entirely.

The Main Street trolley (MATA)

The Main Street trolley is downtown's signature ride: a fleet of beautifully restored vintage streetcars that glide up and down Main Street on the Main Street Line. It connects the north end and the Pinch District with the office core, Court Square, and the South Main Arts District down to the National Civil Rights Museum, and a separate Riverfront Loop swings toward the water. It's equal parts practical transit and a genuinely charming way to see the city.

The trolley is operated by the Memphis Area Transit Authority, and fares are inexpensive — a low flat fare per ride with day passes available. Schedules and current rates are posted by MATA. For a resident, the line is most useful for car-free hops between the core and South Main: lunch, a gallery night, a trolley ride to dinner and back. A stop sits along Main at the edge of Court Square, a block from The Exchange's front door.

Buses and regional transit

Beyond the trolley, MATA runs the city's fixed-route bus network, with a downtown transit hub that ties routes together and connects the core to Midtown, the universities, the medical district, and neighborhoods across Memphis. For a downtown resident who commutes outward — to a campus, a hospital, or an office park — the bus network is the backbone, and trip planning, routes, and live schedules are all available through MATA. If your routine is mostly within downtown, you may never need it; if you cross the city regularly, it's worth learning the one or two routes that serve your destination.

Biking and Explore Bike Share

Downtown's flat grid makes it excellent cycling territory. The city has built out bike lanes on several downtown streets, and Explore Bike Share stations are dotted through the core, so you can grab a bike for a one-way trip and dock it near your destination without owning anything. It's an easy way to extend your range past comfortable walking distance.

The riverfront is the real prize for two wheels. Paved paths link the chain of river parks, and the Big River Crossing — the pedestrian and cycling boardwalk on the historic Harahan Bridge — lets you ride clear across the Mississippi River into Arkansas and back, with some of the best sunset views in the region. Longer-distance riders can connect toward the Wolf River Greenway, too. For more on the parks and the bridge, see our Memphis riverfront guide.

Parking and garages

You can absolutely keep a car downtown — you just park a little differently than in the suburbs. The neighborhood is served by a mix of parking garages, surface lots, metered street parking, and monthly contract lots. Many historic buildings, The Exchange included, lean on nearby garages and monthly lots rather than large on-site parking decks, so the smart move is to set up a monthly space within a short walk of home and leave it there.

• Monthly contracts in a nearby garage are the simplest option for residents and usually the best value.
• Metered street parking is handy for quick stops; pay attention to posted hours and event-day restrictions.
• Event days around AutoZone Park and FedExForum push up demand and prices in the immediate blocks, so plan ahead or simply walk.
• Ask the leasing office about the parking options tied to your building before you sign — it's the single most common downtown question.

The airport (MEM) connection

Memphis International Airport (MEM) sits roughly eleven miles south of downtown — about a fifteen-to-twenty-minute drive in normal traffic by way of Interstate 55 or Airways Boulevard. There's no rail link, so rideshare and taxis are the usual way to and from the terminal, and they're quick given the short distance. For frequent flyers, contract workers, and travel nurses on assignment, that easy airport run is a quiet but real perk of living in the core. Memphis is also one of the world's great cargo hubs, anchored by FedEx's superhub at MEM, which keeps the airport humming around the clock.

Living car-optional downtown

Put the pieces together and a car-optional life downtown looks like this: walk for daily errands and most meals, ride the trolley to South Main, grab a bike for the riverfront, take a rideshare to the airport, and save the car for grocery hauls and trips out of town. The savings add up — less fuel, fewer miles, and a single monthly parking space instead of two. Just as important is the time you get back when your commute is a five-minute walk instead of a highway slog.

It's a lifestyle that suits a lot of people: young professionals, students, empty-nesters, remote workers, and medical staff who want to be close to everything. If you're weighing it against a car-dependent address elsewhere in the city, our comparison of downtown vs. Midtown vs. East Memphis lays out the trade-offs, and our guide to apartments near Court Square Park zeroes in on the most central, most walkable blocks of all.

The Exchange's central spot on Court Square

Everything in this guide gets easier the more central you live, and it's hard to be more central than The Exchange Building. The 1910 Beaux-Arts landmark stands on Court Square Park at 9 North Second Street, with the Main Street trolley a block away and Beale Street, the riverfront, AutoZone Park, FedExForum, and the Convention Center all within an easy walk. It's the address that makes a car optional rather than mandatory.

Renting here is just as straightforward as getting around. You lease direct with an on-site team — no broker fees, transparent pricing, and a modern, self-serve process. Submit a quick inquiry, get a private portal, then tour, apply, and message the office from your phone. Learn more about the building in our Exchange Building apartments guide, or start your search on the home page.