Yes, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) has designated outdoor smoking areas on the ground/arrivals level outside both the McNamara Terminal and the North Terminal. Exit through baggage claim toward ground transportation and head to the marked zones along the curb, set back from the doors.
DTW is smoke-free inside both terminal buildings, including all concourses and gate areas. Smoking, vaping and e-cigarettes are not permitted anywhere indoors, so the outdoor ground-level zones at each terminal are your options.
McNamara Terminal (Edward H. McNamara Terminal)
The McNamara Terminal is DTW’s flagship building and the Delta/SkyTeam hub, home to Concourses A, B and C — including the mile-long Concourse A connected to the smaller B and C concourses by an underground tunnel and the ExpressTram. It is one of the largest airport terminals in the world.
Every gate and concourse here is smoke-free. To light up, ride back to the main terminal level, exit through the baggage claim doors on the ground (arrivals) level, and use the designated outdoor smoking area along the curb near the ground transportation center and the attached ground-level parking deck. Stand well away from the entrances at the marked spots with ash receptacles.
Because Concourse A alone stretches roughly a mile, getting from a far gate out to the curb and back through TSA is a long trip. There is no smoking area inside the concourses or in the tunnel between them.
North Terminal
The North Terminal handles the non-SkyTeam carriers — airlines such as Spirit, Southwest, American, United and Frontier among others — across a single linear concourse. Like McNamara, the entire building is smoke-free indoors.
The designated outdoor smoking areas are on the lower (arrivals) level. After collecting your bags, step outside toward the curbside arrivals lane and ground transportation pickup, then look for the marked smoking area set back from the doors. This is the quickest spot to smoke right after you land at the North Terminal.
Between the Terminals
There is no airside or secure connection between the McNamara and North terminals, and no shared smoking area. Each terminal has its own ground-level outdoor zone near its own ground transportation curb. If you change terminals, you will exit, travel between buildings, and re-clear security — plan a smoke break around that rather than expecting a connected indoor route.
Summary
| Terminal | Smoking area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| McNamara Terminal | Outdoor, ground/arrivals level near ground transportation center | Delta/SkyTeam hub; Concourses A/B/C all smoke-free; long walk from far gates |
| North Terminal | Outdoor, lower (arrivals) level near curbside pickup | Spirit, Southwest, American and other non-SkyTeam carriers; single concourse, all smoke-free |
| Concourses (A, B, C, North) | None — smoke-free | No post-security smoking; must exit and re-clear TSA |
For USA airport smoking rules, state vape rules, lighter rules at TSA, and other federal/state info, see our USA smoking guide.