Mesquite is served by a publicly owned and operated airport,
Mesquite Metro Airport. The airport includes a lighted runway with
ILS. General aviation accounts for about 75% of daily operations, while commercial aviation accounts for the rest. Mesquite Metro Airport is popular among transient aircraft due to its location near Dallas and favorable fuel prices. Two other nearby airports,
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and
Dallas Love Field, provide regular commercial passenger service to the region. Dallas Love Field is around from Mesquite; DFW Airport is roughly from Mesquite. Mesquite is not a member of
Dallas Area Rapid Transit, but on April 12, 2011, the DART Board changed its policy to permit DART to contract with nonmember cities for services, such as passenger rail and express service. The city and DART staffs have developed a coordinated plan to have a weekday commuter service in operation between the Hanby Stadium visitor parking lot and the DART's Green Line Lawnview Station. This route opened March 12, 2012. The city also has an optional public transportation service where citizens can schedule specific pickup and drop off times and locations within Mesquite through the
STAR Transit service.
Union Pacific Railroad operates an
intermodal facility for its freight rail service as part of the Skyline
Industrial Park. The recent expansion of this intermodal facility won a Silver award in the Industrial Paving Category by the American Concrete Pavement Association.
Highways •
Interstate 20 is a major east–west interstate serving the south side of Mesquite passing through rural and residential areas including the
Lawson area. I-20 connects with
Balch Springs to the west and
Terrell to the east. •
Interstate 30 is a major east–west interstate that passes through the north side of Mesquite. I-30 connects with
Dallas,
Arlington, and
Fort Worth to the west;
Garland,
Lake Ray Hubbard, and
Rockwall to the east. •
Interstate 635 (Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway) is an
auxiliary interstate serving as a partial loop around Dallas and its suburbs. I-635 bisects the city of Mesquite and serves as the main freeway through the city as most of the local businesses and attractions (including Town East Mall and Mesquite Championship Rodeo) are built near or around I-635. The interstate connects with Garland to the north and Balch Springs to the south. I-635 also connects Mesquite with
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. •
U.S. Highway 80 is an east–west freeway passing through north Mesquite. US 80 connects with
Sunnyvale,
Forney, and Terrell to the east. To the west of Mesquite, the highway merges onto I-30. •
Texas Highway 352 (Military Parkway/Scyene Road) is an east–west highway passing through both west Mesquite and downtown Mesquite. In the downtown area, it is known locally as Main Street on the westbound section and Davis Street on the eastbound section. •
Belt Line Road also passes through Mesquite and serves as a major road. Belt Line Road serves as an outer loop around the Dallas suburbs. • Planning stages and environmental studies are being conducted to expand
President George Bush Turnpike to connect from its current terminus at I-30 in Garland to I-20. The new segment of the
toll road would pass through Sunnyvale and Mesquite in route to I-20 and would complete the loop around
Dallas County. ==Notable people==