Tow operator helping a stranded driver on a Central Ohio highway shoulder
Events & Places

Columbus Airport Towing and Roadside Help at CMH

Back from a trip to a dead battery in the CMH garage or a shuttle lot? Call for a jump, lockout, tire change or tow at any hour.

Call (740) 812-9489

This is our Columbus airport towing page, written for travelers who land at John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) and find a car that won't cooperate. The airport sits at 4600 International Gateway on the east side of Columbus, and many drivers reach it by way of I-670. A week or two parked in a garage or shuttle lot is exactly when a tired battery gives out, a tire slowly loses air, or keys turn up missing. Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc runs 24/7 dispatch at (740) 812-9489, which matters when your flight lands close to midnight. We are an independent Columbus company, not part of the airport or its authority. We can jump the car, replace the battery, unlock it, change a flat, or tow it to your mechanic, all at our published prices.

Call (740) 812-9489 · Request a tow now (SOS) · Get an online quote

Know which CMH lot you parked in

The airport's parking page lists a garage connected to the terminal with short-term and long-term sections (long-term uses levels 1 through 6), plus two shuttle lots: the Red Lot at 3795 International Gateway and the Green Lot at 3256 East 17th Avenue. Shuttles for those lots run around the clock, leaving the terminal every 15 to 18 minutes. There is also curbside valet and a free cell phone waiting lot located between the control tower and the terminal. The former walking lot closed permanently in May 2026.

When you call, give the lot, the garage level and the row or column marker, and snap a photo of the nearest sign if you can. Garage calls may need a low-profile truck for parking-garage recovery, so level and clearance details help us send the right one.

  • Garage: short-term or long-term, and the level
  • Red Lot: 3795 International Gateway
  • Green Lot: 3256 E. 17th Ave.
  • Cell phone waiting lot: between the tower and terminal

Dead battery after a trip

A car that sat a week in the cold is the classic airport call. Our jump start includes a printed battery test, so you will know whether the battery just drained or is truly failing. If it is failing, mobile battery replacement puts a new one in right in the space, so you are not stuck again the next morning.

Electric cars bring their own wrinkle. If an EV's 12-volt battery is dead, we jump that first so the car can enter transport mode, and any tow keeps all four wheels off the ground. The airport notes free EV charging on garage level 1 and in the Red Lot, but a car that won't wake up can't use it; see EV towing.

Prices and late-night arrivals

Jump starts, lockouts and tire changes are each a flat $75 plus en-route at $4 per mile from our yard on our rate card. A tow is $4 a mile en-route, a $125 hook-up and $7 per loaded mile. The after-hours surcharge applies from 10 PM to 6 AM, and weekend, highway and large-vehicle surcharges apply when relevant.

Most metro calls are reached in 20 to 40 minutes; that is an estimate, not a guarantee. If you land late, you can call from the terminal or the shuttle so the truck is moving while you collect bags.

Pay the airport's parking fee at the exit as usual; if we tow the car out, have your ticket or ezPark card ready for the exit gate.

Before hanging up, confirm the callback number you gave us is the phone you are carrying.

Other things to know at CMH

The airport periodically closes parts of the garage for maintenance; for example, it announced that long-term Level 4 would be closed for several days in August while short-term stayed open. If you parked before a closure and cannot find your level, check the airport's parking page or ask staff before calling us. Airport parking fees are separate and are paid to the airport, not to us.

The garage offers free EV charging on Level 1 and an on-site car-care vendor for self-parkers, but neither is a roadside service. If your car won't start, is locked, or has a flat, call our dispatch line. We also cover nearby Gahanna and Whitehall, so a car that makes it home and dies the next morning gets the same help. If an officer ordered your car moved, see our Columbus impound lot page.

CMH Airport: common questions

Frequently asked questions

Do you offer Columbus airport towing from the CMH garage?

Yes. Call (740) 812-9489 with the garage section, level and row. Many garage calls end with a jump rather than a tow, but when a tow is needed it costs $4 a mile en-route, a $125 hook-up and $7 per loaded mile, plus any surcharge. Low-clearance levels may need a parking-garage truck, so share clearance details.

Are you the airport's official roadside service?

No. Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc is independent and is not affiliated with John Glenn Columbus International Airport or the Columbus Regional Airport Authority. We are not staged at the airport. Travelers call us directly, and we bill from our published rate card. Airport staff do not dispatch our trucks, so save our number before you travel.

My car won't start in the Red Lot after a week away. What now?

Tell dispatch you are in the Red Lot at 3795 International Gateway and give the row sign. A jump start is $75 plus en-route at $4 per mile from our yard and includes a printed battery test. If the battery fails, we can install a new one in the space so you can drive home without another no-start.

Can you help if I land after midnight?

Yes. Dispatch answers 24/7, and the airport's shuttles also run around the clock. Calls between 10 PM and 6 AM carry the after-hours surcharge on our rate card. Call while you wait for bags or the shuttle, then stay near the car in a lit area. Share your lot and level so the driver heads straight there.

I lost my keys on the trip. Can you open the car?

We can open a locked car for a flat $75 plus en-route at $4 per mile from our yard. If the keys themselves are gone, an unlock gets you inside, but the car may still need a new key before it runs. In that case we can tow it to a dealer or shop of your choice.

Can you tow an electric car from CMH?

Yes. EVs are always towed with all four wheels off the ground, on a flatbed or a wheel-lift with dollies. If the 12-volt battery is dead, we jump it first so the car can go into transport mode. Let dispatch know the make and model and which lot or level you are in.

Related help

Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc is an independent towing company and is not affiliated with John Glenn Columbus International Airport or the Columbus Regional Airport Authority.

Roadside Towing & Recovery Inc (dba Columbus Roadside Towing).
Corporate office (private, no walk-ins): 3879 Regatta Ct, Lewis Center, OH 43035
Tow yard & impound lot: 1620 Harrisburg Pike, Columbus, OH 43223
(740) 812-9489 · chris@columbusroadsidetowing.com

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