Taxi in Essendon,
fifteen minutes from Tullamarine.
Cabs across Essendon, Moonee Ponds, Ascot Vale and Niddrie — the shortest airport run of any established suburb, plus city trips, hospital appointments and race-day pickups at Moonee Valley. Check the fare before you book, then pay by card, Cabcharge or MPTP.
Tap or insert
All major credit & debit cards, Cabcharge accounts, FastCards, eTickets, MPTP subsidy cards, contactless wallets and cash — pay your way.
Metered fare with live tariff. Calculated using Victorian CPVV (Day Rate) tariffs plus live OpenStreetMap routing. Tolls passed through at cost.
Where we pick up around Essendon.
Essendon sits right beside the Tullamarine Freeway, which makes it the quickest airport run in the city. The catch is Keilor Road and Puckle Street kerbside parking at peak, and Moonee Valley race nights when the whole area fills at once — a booked pickup point solves both.
Puckle Street, Moonee Ponds
Shops, cafes and evening pickups
Essendon Station
Rose St rank, Craigieburn line
Keilor Road, Niddrie
Restaurant strip, late-night runs
Moonee Valley Racecourse
Race nights and functions, pre-book
Essendon Fields
Business park and DFO pickups
Highpoint Shopping Centre
Maribyrnong pickup bay
Ascot Vale
Union Rd shops and residential streets
Flemington Racecourse
Carnival transfers, book well ahead
Where Essendon passengers travel.
Short runs dominate here. These are the distances behind the most common Essendon bookings.
| Destination | Distance | Typical time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) | 12 km | 13–22 min | Straight up the Tullamarine Fwy; the shortest airport run in Melbourne |
| Melbourne CBD | 10 km | 18–30 min | Via Mt Alexander Rd or CityLink |
| Royal Melbourne Hospital | 8 km | 15–25 min | Parkville medical precinct |
| Footscray | 9 km | 15–22 min | Cross-west hop |
| Craigieburn | 20 km | 20–30 min | Via the Hume Fwy |
| Flemington Racecourse | 6 km | 10–18 min | Spring Carnival — book days ahead |
| Avalon Airport | 62 km | 50–70 min | Better booked as a fixed price |
| Melbourne Cricket Ground | 12 km | 20–35 min | Pre-book after big games |
Road distances via the usual route. For a dollar estimate at your pickup time, use the Melbourne taxi fare calculator.
Booking an Essendon taxi: what to know
At about 12 km, Essendon to Tullamarine is the shortest airport trip from any established Melbourne suburb — usually under 20 minutes outside peak, and normally toll-free if the driver stays on the Tullamarine Freeway.
Even so, allow a buffer for a morning flight. The freeway backs up inbound from around 7am and airport forecourt access slows during the school holiday peaks.
Moonee Valley race nights and Flemington carnival days clear every available cab in the north-west within minutes of the last race. Book your return leg at the same time as the trip out.
Early-morning pickups before 6am fall under the Victorian night tariff, so the same trip costs more than at midday. The fare calculator applies the correct tariff once you enter your real pickup time.