GRTC Richmond VA Bus Schedule: Routes, Times & Stops
Need the current GRTC bus schedule in Richmond, VA? GRTC serves Richmond, Henrico, parts of surrounding counties, and selected regional destinations through local routes, the Pulse Bus Rapid Transit line, express buses, LINK microtransit, and CARE paratransit.
This Richmond-focused guide helps you find the right route for downtown, VCU, Richmond International Airport, the Fan District, Southside, hospitals, and Petersburg. You’ll also find actual official timetable examples, fare information, stop IDs, transfer advice, maps, live bus tracking, holiday service, and accessibility details.
How Do You Check the GRTC Bus Schedule in Richmond?
Open the official GRTC route directory, find your route number, select the correct direction and day, then check the scheduled time for the nearest timepoint. Before leaving, enter your actual bus stop ID in GRTC Bus Tracker or text GRTC followed by your stop number to 22827.
For the broader regional route directory, including Henrico and surrounding county coverage, consult our existing GRTC systemwide bus schedule and service guide. This article concentrates on practical trips that start, end, or transfer in Richmond, Virginia.
October 9–11, 2026: Richmond Folk Festival Bus Impacts
GRTC announced downtown service impacts from Friday, October 9 at noon through Sunday, October 11 at 11:59 PM because of the Richmond Folk Festival.
This notice applies specifically to October 9–11, 2026, and is not a permanent route change. Check official alerts for any updated routing and for trips after the event.
Richmond GRTC Schedule Guide
Popular GRTC Bus Routes in Richmond, VA
GRTC operates multiple route families and branches. Choose the destination first, then check the route’s full name and headsign. A route with the same first digit may end in a different neighborhood or county.
Broad Street / Main Street BRT
Willow Lawn, Scott’s Addition, Science Museum, VCU, downtown, Main Street Station, Shockoe Bottom, and Rocketts Landing.
Best for: Frequent east-west travel between major Richmond destinations.Chamberlayne / Downtown
Chamberlayne Avenue, Brookhill Azalea, Jackson Ward, and downtown Richmond.
Best for: Northside-to-downtown journeys.Hull Street / Southside Branches
Southside Plaza and different Hull Street, Midlothian, Warwick, and Elkhardt destinations, depending on the branch.
Best for: Southside travel where selecting 1A, 1B, or 1C correctly matters.North Avenue / Southside Branches
North Avenue service with Forest Hill, Jahnke, Midlothian, and Belt Boulevard connections depending on the route variant.
Best for: Cross-city travel involving Northside and Southside destinations.Highland Park / U.S. 1
Highland Park, Brookland Park, downtown, and parts of the Route 1 corridor. Endpoints differ by branch.
Best for: Travel between Northside, downtown, and the southern U.S. 1 corridor.Cary / Main / Whitcomb
Serves the Cary Street, Main Street, and Whitcomb corridor with weekday evening service improvements introduced in July 2026.
Best for: Cary Street and eastern Richmond travel.Nine Mile / Richmond Airport
Two airport-serving routes connecting the RIC area with the Downtown Transfer Station through different neighborhood paths.
Best for: Airport travel and connections to the East End.Orbital
Cross-city connections involving Southside Plaza, Forest Hill, Carytown, the Fan District, Scott’s Addition, and Brookland Park.
Best for: Reaching destinations without always traveling through the downtown transfer hub.West Broad Street
Connections along the West Broad corridor serving Richmond and portions of Henrico County.
Best for: West Broad Street shopping, employment, and regional connections.Broad Street / University of Richmond
Provides connections involving downtown, VCU, the Fan District, and the University of Richmond area.
Best for: University and West End travel.Patterson
Connections involving Willow Lawn, the Museum District, the Fan, and St. Mary’s Hospital.
Best for: Patterson Avenue and hospital-area trips.Richmond / Petersburg Express
Connects downtown Richmond with Brightpoint Community College and Petersburg Transit Center.
Best for: Regional weekday commuter travel.Which GRTC Bus Goes to Popular Richmond Destinations?
When you know where you want to go but not the route number, use this destination table. The services shown are useful starting points; the nearest stop and best route still depend on where your journey begins.
| Destination | Relevant GRTC service | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| VCU Monroe Park Campus | Pulse and selected Broad Street/local routes | Choose the correct VCU-area stop and campus building; not every destination is beside the same station. |
| VCU Medical Center | Pulse, downtown connections | Check the Medical Center-side station and walking distance to the correct hospital entrance. |
| Main Street Station | Pulse | Use the Main Street Station stop and confirm your Amtrak or intercity boarding point separately. |
| Richmond International Airport | 7A and 7B | Check the upper departure deck and service-day timetable. |
| Carytown / Fan District | 20, plus nearby local routes | Route 20 is useful around Carytown and the Fan; check the closest actual stop. |
| University of Richmond | 50 | Use the University of Richmond-side published timepoints and stop list. |
| St. Mary’s Hospital | 76, 79 | Verify the active service span, particularly evenings and weekends. |
| Richmond VA Medical Center | 2C, 20, 86, 87 | Compare stop proximity and the direction of each route. |
| Southside Plaza | Selected 1 and 2 branches, Route 20, other local connections | Check exact route branch, route direction, and return-service availability. |
| Petersburg Transit Center | 95X Express | Weekday commuter pattern and updated Petersburg stop location. |
GRTC Richmond Bus Times: First Bus, Last Bus, and Schedule Examples
GRTC describes its overall local and express network as operating generally between 5:00 AM and 1:00 AM, but individual routes have different operating spans. Some begin earlier, some end much earlier, and express routes generally run on weekday commuter schedules.
Official Published Route 1 Example
GRTC’s Route 1 Chamberlayne/Downtown schedule lists departures from the Chamberlayne + Brook Hill Azalea Shopping Center timepoint including the following early-morning sequence:
| Example departure | Timepoint | Important note |
|---|---|---|
| 4:40 AM | Chamberlayne + Brook Hill Azalea Shopping Center | Published early trip from the selected direction table. |
| 4:55 AM | Same published timepoint | 15-minute interval after the previous listed departure. |
| 5:10 AM | Same published timepoint | Check the appropriate service-day and direction table. |
| 5:25 AM | Same published timepoint | Not the scheduled time for every intermediate Route 1 stop. |
These are examples from GRTC’s published Route 1 page, not live arrivals or a full-day timetable. Reopen the current schedule to check whether your selected service day uses this sequence.
How to Read the GRTC Schedule PDF
For further explanation of timepoint letters, service-day variants, and stop-level predictions, our transit bus timetable reading and live-departure guide gives a step-by-step method that also applies to GRTC.
GRTC Pulse Schedule: Willow Lawn to Rocketts Landing
Pulse is Richmond’s Bus Rapid Transit service along the Broad Street and Main Street corridor. It connects Willow Lawn, the Science Museum, Scott’s Addition, VCU, downtown, the Medical Center, Main Street Station, Shockoe Bottom, and Rocketts Landing.
Schematic corridor showing selected stations, not every platform or geographic distance.
Published Weekday Pulse Frequency
These are the published weekday headways, meaning the intended time between buses. Actual arrivals may be disrupted, and Saturday/Sunday frequency patterns are different.
GRTC Bus to Richmond International Airport: Routes 7A and 7B
GRTC Routes 7A and 7B connect Richmond International Airport (RIC) with the Downtown Transfer Station. Both reach downtown, but they follow different local corridors.
GRTC states that buses serving the airport depart the upper departure deck approximately every 15 minutes when considering the two airport routes together. This is a combined-service statement, not a promise that each separate branch runs every 15 minutes at every stop.
Important 2026 Evening and Early-Morning Details
GRTC’s July 12, 2026 service adjustment extended the evening service pattern on Routes 7A and 7B, with trips every 30 minutes until 8:00 PM and hourly service afterward according to the agency’s announcement.
For certain early-morning airport trips between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM, GRTC also publishes an airport Uber voucher program for eligible journeys between designated GRTC stops and RIC. Read its current instructions; it is not an ordinary scheduled bus departure.
GRTC 95X Richmond–Petersburg Express: Actual Morning Times
The 95X runs between downtown Richmond and Petersburg via I-95, with a Brightpoint Community College stop added to the timetable in July 2026.
These are two selected official Richmond-to-Petersburg morning trips, useful for understanding approximate point-to-point travel time.
| Published timepoint | Trip 1 | Trip 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 14th + Franklin, Richmond | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM |
| 7th + Marshall | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM |
| Broad + 11th | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM |
| Weir & Brightpoint | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM |
| Petersburg Transit Center | 6:21 AM | 6:51 AM |
Approximate scheduled trip time: 51 minutes from 14th + Franklin to Petersburg Transit Center on these two listed trips. Traffic and later timetable changes can affect the actual journey.
Other Richmond Express Services
Express buses are mainly for weekday commuters. Always confirm the published timetable rather than assuming an express departure is available in the middle of the day or on a weekend.
GRTC Richmond Bus Fare: Is It Really Free?
Yes. GRTC currently operates regular fixed-route service, Pulse, and its Open Access LINK program without a passenger fare. The agency’s 2026 rider instructions explicitly state that GRTC buses are Zero Fare and that riders may enter through any open door.
How Does a Free GRTC Transfer Work?
For regular GRTC buses and Pulse, you can change routes without buying a transfer ticket because the fixed-route network is fare-free. You still need to plan your connection: the buses are not guaranteed to wait for one another.
LINK microtransit and CARE specialized transportation have different booking and eligibility rules. Do not assume a free fixed-route bus ticket or transfer procedure applies to all CARE On-Demand arrangements.
Track a GRTC Bus in Richmond by Stop ID or Text Message
GRTC Bus Tracker uses GPS vehicle locations and prediction technology to display estimated arrivals. It can show where the vehicle is and when it is expected at your boarding stop.
Look for the numeric code on the official GRTC stop sign.
Text GRTC followed by the stop ID to 22827.
Check the estimated arrival for the correct route and direction.
Use GRTC’s online tracker or Transit app for vehicle information.
Look for detours, cancellations, or temporary stop changes.
Send to 22827. This is GRTC’s published format example; replace 3623 with your actual stop number.
Scheduled: the time printed in the official timetable.
Live: a predicted arrival that may change with traffic, detours, operations, or data availability.
How to Find the Correct GRTC Bus Stop in Richmond
Look for the Posted Numeric Stop Code
A Richmond intersection can have more than one bus stop serving different directions. The GRTC stop ID helps distinguish your boarding location from a stop across the street.
Before boarding, confirm the route number, destination sign, and stop location. If a detour is active, the normal sign may no longer be the correct boarding point.
Arrival rule: GRTC recommends reaching the bus stop approximately five minutes before the scheduled departure.
GRTC Downtown Transfer Station: How to Connect Between Routes
GRTC’s Downtown Transfer Station is a central connection point for Richmond local buses. Riders transferring between a neighborhood route and another downtown service should verify the posted bay and real-time display.
GRTC announced that the station reopened for transfers on September 12, 2026 following repaving. The temporary construction stops on 9th Street were intended for the closure period, not as permanent replacement bays.
Connecting to Regional or Intercity Buses
Richmond has local GRTC transit as well as other transportation providers. If you are connecting from a GRTC bus to a long-distance coach, our Greyhound departure, boarding-location, and ticket guide explains how to confirm the booked operator, actual Richmond boarding address, departure time, and ticket requirements. Never assume the intercity stop is at the same GRTC transfer bay.
GRTC Richmond VA Bus Map and Downtown Station Locator
Use the official GRTC map for route lines, Pulse stations, service classifications, and transfer connections. The Google Maps embed below is a navigation aid for locating downtown Richmond transit connections; it is not a live map of GRTC vehicles or a complete bus stop directory.
Which Map Should You Use?
- GRTC system map: routes, frequency categories, and regional connections.
- Individual route map: stops, route branches, and direction.
- Bus Tracker: live vehicle locations and estimated arrivals.
- Google Maps: walking directions, transfer comparisons, and destination finding.
For step-by-step help comparing walking distance, bus transfers, departure estimates, and alternative routes, follow our Google Maps transit trip-planning tutorial. Always confirm the final stop and service alert through GRTC.
GRTC Richmond Holiday Bus Schedule
Some holidays use a Sunday schedule, while others use a weekday schedule without express buses. Always check the published GRTC holiday schedule before using an ordinary weekday departure.
| Holiday | GRTC service pattern |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Sunday service |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Saturday service |
| Presidents’ Day | Weekday service; no express |
| Memorial Day | Sunday service |
| Juneteenth | Weekday service; no express |
| Labor Day | Sunday service |
| Indigenous Peoples’ Day | Weekday service; no express |
| Veterans Day | Weekday service; no express |
| Thanksgiving Day | Sunday service |
| Day After Thanksgiving | Weekday service; no express |
| Christmas Eve | Weekday service |
| Christmas Day | Sunday service |
GRTC Accessibility, Wheelchairs, CARE and LINK
GRTC states that its local and express fleet provides low-floor accessible boarding and wheelchair accommodations. Riders can ask operators for assistance when needed.
What if You Cannot Use a Conventional Bus Stop?
Check whether GRTC CARE or a suitable LINK service zone is available. Some rides require eligibility review or booking through GRTC on the Go. Confirm operating hours, service boundaries, and mobility accommodations before relying on the trip.
Richmond GRTC Bus Trip Checklist
- Confirm the route number, name, and branch.
- Choose the correct direction and destination sign.
- Check the weekday, weekend, or holiday schedule.
- Confirm the exact stop ID and street side.
- Check GRTC Bus Tracker shortly before leaving.
- Check downtown detours and temporary stop closures.
- Arrive about five minutes early.
- Leave extra time for airport or medical trips.
- Check the return trip and last bus, not only your outbound ride.
- Use the official route page if a PDF and live tracker disagree.
GRTC Richmond Customer Service, Lost & Found, and CARE Contact
Monday–Friday: 6:00 AM–7:00 PM
Saturday–Sunday: 8:30 AM–6:00 PM
webcustomerservice@ridegrtc.com301 East Belt Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23224
Lost & Found: 804-358-3871
Contact the department to arrange retrieval of a lost item.
Check eligibility, booking, and specialized transportation requirements with GRTC.
Text GRTC + stop number to 22827.
Use official Bus Tracker or the Transit app for additional vehicle predictions.
Official GRTC Richmond Schedule and Rider Resources
The following sources support the route, schedule, fare, map, arrival-tracking, and rider guidance provided above. Use the latest official pages for trips occurring after this article’s review date.
All current route names, scheduled stop lists, directions, and service information.
Official Route DirectoryNetwork orientation, frequency categories, local and express service connections.
Open System Map PDFWillow Lawn–Rocketts Landing stations and published service-frequency tables.
Pulse ScheduleRichmond–Petersburg Express direction-specific timetable and current stops.
95X ScheduleEstimated arrivals, text tracking, and GPS vehicle-location tools.
Bus TrackerRoutes 7A and 7B, upper departure deck, and early-morning travel options.
Airport GuideEvening changes for Routes 5 and 7A/7B plus 95X Brightpoint information.
Service Change NoticeCurrent reroutes, stop moves, cancellations, and disruption information.
Current Service AlertsHoliday rules for local buses, express, LINK, and CARE.
Holiday ScheduleZero-fare boarding, arrival guidance, stop requests, and rider instructions.
Rider InstructionsResearch review date: October 9, 2026. Route schedules, stop locations, service notices, and operating policies can change. BusSchedule.us is an independent information website, not the GRTC operator, and cannot guarantee bus arrival times.
GRTC Richmond VA Bus Schedule FAQs
How do I find the GRTC bus schedule in Richmond, VA?
Use GRTC’s official route directory, select the route number and direction, choose the correct weekday or weekend timetable, and check your stop ID with Bus Tracker before leaving.
Are GRTC buses free in Richmond in 2026?
Yes. GRTC operates regular local buses, express services, and Pulse under its zero-fare Open Access policy. LINK microtransit is also listed as fare-free, while specialized CARE arrangements may have distinct rules.
What time do GRTC buses start and stop running?
GRTC describes the overall local and express network as operating generally from 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM, but each route has its own first and last bus. Check the individual timetable.
How often does GRTC Pulse run?
Published weekday Pulse headways are generally 10 minutes during the morning and afternoon peaks, 15 minutes during other major daytime and evening periods, and 30 minutes late at night. Weekend patterns differ.
Which GRTC bus goes to Richmond International Airport?
Routes 7A and 7B serve Richmond International Airport and connect with the Downtown Transfer Station. GRTC lists the upper departure deck as the airport boarding area.
How can I track a GRTC bus by text?
Text the word GRTC followed by your numeric bus stop ID to 22827. For example, GRTC publishes the format “GRTC 3623.” The reply provides estimated next-bus arrival times for that stop.
Does GRTC have a bus from Richmond to Petersburg?
Yes. Route 95X is the Richmond/Petersburg Express. It operates a published commuter timetable with stops including Brightpoint Community College and Petersburg Transit Center.
How early should I arrive for a GRTC bus?
GRTC recommends arriving about five minutes before the scheduled bus departure. Allow extra time for unfamiliar stops, transfers, airport trips, weather, or road detours.
Does GRTC operate on Richmond holidays?
Yes, but service depends on the holiday. Some holidays use Sunday schedules, Martin Luther King Jr. Day uses Saturday service, and several weekday holidays operate without express service.
Where can I get the official GRTC Richmond bus map?
Use the GRTC route directory and official system map PDF. They show local and express routes, Pulse stations, service-frequency categories, and major transit connections. Use Bus Tracker for live arrivals.