The following is a list of all light rail systems in North America, ranked by ridership. Daily figures for American and Canadian light rail systems are "average weekday unlinked passenger trips" (where transfers between lines are counted as two separate passenger "boardings" or "trips"), unless otherwise indicated. For light rail systems in the United States and Canada, these figures come from the American Public Transit Association (APTA) Ridership Reports statistics. For Mexico, the figures are obtained from Banco de Información Económica's Instituto Nacional de Estadísitica y Geografía (INEGI), and the daily figures represent daily passenger trips averaged from the monthly and quarterly ridership figures. "Daily boardings per mile" figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 or 10.
The question of which systems would qualify as "light rail transit systems" is debatable, so this table includes some systems (such as Toronto's) which are technically streetcars rather than "true" light rail.
More information System, Country ...
System |
Country |
City/Area served |
Annual ridership (2023)[1][2] |
Avg. daily weekday boardings (Q4 2023)[1][2] |
System length |
Avg. daily boardings per mile (Q4 2019) |
Year opened |
Stations |
Lines |
Year last expanded |
Guadalajara light rail (Tren ligero de Guadalajara) |
MEX |
Guadalajara |
157,704,000 |
|
47.0 km (29.2 mi)[3][4] |
19,800 |
1989[3] |
48[4] |
3[4] |
2020[5] |
CTrain |
CAN |
Calgary |
85,320,400 |
264,200 |
59.9 km (37.2 mi)[6] |
8,395 |
1981[7] |
45[6] |
2[8] |
2014[citation needed] |
Toronto streetcar system |
CAN |
Toronto |
69,106,000 |
221,700 |
82 km (51 mi)[9] |
3,915 |
1861[10] |
708 streetcar stops[9] |
11[9] |
2016[citation needed] |
San Diego Trolley (incl. Silver Line[11][note 1]) |
USA |
San Diego |
38,438,000 |
130,500 |
105 km (65 mi)[12] |
2,155 |
1981[12] |
62[12] |
4[11][12] |
2021[13][12] |
Metro Rail light rail:[note 2] A, C, E, & K lines |
USA |
Los Angeles |
36,082,100 |
120,100 |
141.8 km (88.1 mi)[14] |
2,390 |
1990[14] |
72[14] |
5[14] |
2022[14] |
MBTA light rail:[note 2] Green Line & Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line[note 1] |
USA |
Boston |
34,581,000 |
80,300 |
42 km (26 mi)[15] |
6,265 |
1897;[16] 1929[citation needed] |
74[15] |
2[15] |
2022[17] |
Link light rail: 1 Line, 2 Line, and T Line |
USA |
Seattle and Tacoma |
27,338,200 |
78,600 |
58.90 km (36.6 mi) |
3,820 |
2003[18] |
39[19] |
3[20] |
2024[21] |
Xochimilco Light Rail[note 2] |
MEX |
Mexico City |
23,741,000 |
65,043[note 3] |
12.9 km (8.0 mi)[citation needed] |
11,010 |
1986[citation needed] |
18[22] |
1[22] |
2008[citation needed] |
MAX Light Rail |
USA |
Portland, Oregon |
23,446,700 |
74,800 |
97 km (60 mi)[citation needed] |
1,995 |
1986[citation needed] |
97[citation needed] |
5[citation needed] |
2015[citation needed] |
Edmonton LRT |
CAN |
Edmonton |
24,143,200 |
85,100 |
28.2 km (17.5 mi)[23] |
7,335 |
1978[23] |
29[23] |
3[23] |
2023[23] |
DART light rail |
USA |
Dallas |
21,380,900 |
71,700 |
150 km (93 mi)[24] |
1,030 |
1996[25] |
64[24] |
4[26] |
2016[25] |
Muni Metro[note 2] (incl. F Market[27][28][note 1]) |
USA |
San Francisco |
24,324,600 |
75,500 |
57.5 km (35.7 mi)[29] |
4,480 |
1980[29] |
152[28][29] |
8[27][29] |
2023[30] |
NJ Transit Light Rail |
USA |
Newark, New Jersey, as well as Hudson, Mercer, Burlington, and Camden Counties. |
20,827,300 |
|
174.0 km (108.1 mi)[31] |
2,985 |
1935[32] |
86[31] |
3[31] |
2011[33] |
O-Train |
CAN |
Ottawa |
19,451,800 |
74,700 |
12.5 km
(7.8 mi)
[34] |
n/a |
2019 |
13[34] |
1[34] |
n/a |
RTD Light Rail |
USA |
Denver |
12,740,600 |
|
94.1 km (58.5 mi)[35] |
1,740 |
1994[36] |
46[35] |
6[35] |
2017[36] |
METRO Light Rail |
USA |
Minneapolis |
14,755,900 |
46,500 |
35.1 km (21.8 mi)[37][38] |
3,515 |
2004[37] |
37[37][38] |
2[37][38] |
2014[38] |
METRORail |
USA |
Houston |
13,883,700 |
42,900 |
36.9 km (22.9 mi)[39] |
2,651 |
2004[39] |
37[40] |
3[39] |
2015[39] |
SEPTA Metro light rail:[41][note 2] Subway–Surface Trolleys (T), Media–Sharon Hill Line (D), & Route 15 Trolley (G)[note 1] |
USA |
Philadelphia |
13,248,600 |
|
110.1 km (68.4 mi)[42][43] |
1,330 |
1858[44] |
>100[42] |
8[42][43] |
2005[citation needed] |
TRAX (light rail) |
USA |
Salt Lake City |
11,043,800 |
37,700 |
72.1 km (44.8 mi)[45] |
1,288 |
1999[46] |
50[47] |
3[47] |
2013[citation needed] |
Valley Metro Rail |
USA |
Phoenix |
10,797,600 |
33,000 |
48 km (29.8 mi)[48] |
1,800 |
2008[49] |
41[48] |
1[citation needed] |
2024[50] |
St. Louis MetroLink |
USA |
St. Louis |
6,717,900 |
19,400 |
74.0 km (46.0 mi)[51] |
857 |
1993[52] |
37[51] |
2[53] |
2006[54] |
Lynx Rapid Transit Services |
USA |
Charlotte, North Carolina |
6,118,300 |
18,200 |
30.4 km (18.9 mi)[55] |
1,228 |
2007[56] |
15[57] |
1[57] |
2018[citation needed] |
SacRT light rail |
USA |
Sacramento, California |
6,580,000 |
22,200 |
69.0 km (42.9 mi)[58] |
858 |
1987[58] |
53[58] |
3[58] |
2015[58] |
Streetcars in New Orleans[note 1] |
USA |
New Orleans |
3,884,800 |
9,700 |
35.9 km (22.3 mi)[59][60] |
843 |
1835[citation needed] |
streetcar-like surface stops[citation needed] |
4[59] |
2013[59] |
VTA light rail |
USA |
San Jose, California |
4,464,500 |
13,800 |
67.9 km (42.2 mi)[61] |
1,121 |
1987[61] |
62[61] |
3[61] |
2005[61] |
Baltimore Light RailLink[note 2] |
USA |
Baltimore |
3,546,300 |
12,500 |
53.1 km (33.0 mi)[62] |
558 |
1992[citation needed] |
33[62] |
3[62] |
1997[citation needed] |
Ion rapid transit |
CAN |
Kitchener and Waterloo |
5,654,810[63] |
|
19.3 km (12.0 mi)[64] |
n/a |
2019 |
19[64] |
1[64] |
n/a |
The T: Pittsburgh Light Rail |
USA |
Pittsburgh |
3,417,100 |
|
42.2 km (26.2 mi)[65] |
1,057 |
1984[citation needed] |
53[65] |
3[65] |
2012[65] |
San Francisco cable car system[note 4][note 1] |
USA |
San Francisco |
5,719,900 |
14,900 |
8.4 km (5.2 mi)[citation needed] |
3,021 |
1878[66] |
streetcar-like surface stops[citation needed] |
3[28][67] |
1952[citation needed] |
Portland Streetcar[note 5] |
USA |
Portland |
2,373,341[68] |
8,339 |
11.83 km (7.35 mi)[69] |
2,723 |
2001[69] |
76[69] |
2[69] |
2012[69] |
Buffalo Metro Rail |
USA |
Buffalo, New York |
2,433,300 |
6,600 |
10.3 km (6.4 mi)[citation needed] |
2,500 |
1985[citation needed] |
14[70] |
1[70] |
n/a |
SPRINTER |
USA |
Oceanside, California |
1,362,600 |
5,600 |
35 km (22 mi)[71] |
341 |
2008[71] |
15[71] |
1[71] |
n/a |
Seattle Streetcar |
USA |
Seattle |
1,326,500 |
4,200 |
6.1 km (3.8 mi)[citation needed] |
1,447 |
2007[72] |
17[73] |
2[73] |
2016[74] |
RTA Rapid Transit:[note 2] Blue, Green, and Waterfront Lines |
USA |
Cleveland |
661,500 |
2,500 |
24.6 km (15.3 mi)[75] |
327 |
1913[76] |
34[75] |
2[75] |
1996[76] |
Tide Light Rail |
USA |
Norfolk, Virginia |
771,500 |
2,500 |
11.9 km (7.4 mi)[77] |
622 |
2011[78] |
11[77] |
1[77] |
n/a |
DC Streetcar |
USA |
Washington, D.C. |
721,700 |
2,200 |
3.9 km (2.4 mi)[79] |
|
2016[80] |
8 |
1 |
2016 |
TECO Line Streetcars[note 1] |
USA |
Tampa, Florida |
1,428,700 |
|
4.3 km (2.7 mi)[81] |
630 |
2002[citation needed] |
11[82] |
1[82] |
2010[citation needed] |
Sun Link |
USA |
Tucson, Arizona |
1,724,900 |
5,800 |
6.3 km (3.9 mi)[83] |
1,026 |
2014[citation needed] |
22[83] |
1[83] |
n/a |
The Hop |
USA |
Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
760,321 |
– |
3.4 km (2.1 mi)[84] |
|
2018[84] |
18 |
1 |
2018 |
El Paso Streetcar |
USA |
El Paso, Texas |
130,600 |
600 |
7.7 km (4.8 mi)[85] |
|
2018[86] |
27 |
2 |
2018 |
Atlanta Streetcar |
USA |
Atlanta, Georgia |
184,500 |
600 |
4.3 km (2.7 mi)[citation needed] |
111 |
2014[citation needed] |
12[citation needed] |
1[citation needed] |
n/a |
MATA Trolleys[note 1] |
USA |
Memphis, Tennessee |
365,400 |
800 |
10.1 km (6.3 mi)[citation needed] |
0[note 6] |
1993[87] |
25[88] |
3[88] |
2004[87] |
Close
The following systems have been excluded from the ridership table above (generally because the system's ridership statistics are not tracked by APTA):
This is the Average Daily Ridership figure, not an "Average Weekday Ridership" figure – it is averaged from the 2022 Total Ridership figure for this system.
It is debatable whether this system truly qualifies as "light rail" (or as a true "transit" system either), but it is included in the table anyway for comparison purposes (and due to its ridership statistics being tracked by APTA).
This system is owned by the City of Portland, which is not a member of APTA, and its ridership figures are not included in the APTA statistics for Portland.
The MATA Trolley system completely suspended operations for a significant portion of 2014 (including all of Q4 2014) due to maintenance issues.
"Vintage Trolley". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. May 22, 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
"About MTS". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. November 2021. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
"Metro – Facts at a Glance". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). November 18, 2016. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
"DART History". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
"METRO About Us". Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, Texas. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
Hepp, John. "Streetcars". Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Rutgers University Camden. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
"LYNX Home". Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). Retrieved 2013-08-07.
"NCTD SPRINTER". North County Transit District (San Diego). 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-30.