St. Croix Arrivals and Roads

Reaching St. Croix as a U.S. citizen involves a straightforward process. The island is a U.S. territory, so a passport is not required for those travelling from the mainland or Puerto Rico; a REAL ID-compliant identification card is sufficient. The U.S. dollar is the currency, which simplifies all transactions. The one procedural difference occurs on the return journey: U.S. Customs and Border Protection is cleared at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport before flying back to the mainland, so allow additional time at the airport. This process includes completing a declaration and sometimes showing proof of citizenship. The duty-free allowance for purchases made in the U.S. Virgin Islands is $1,600 per person.

Flights land at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX), located on the south coast, about six miles south-west of Christiansted. The schedule of mainland nonstops changes with the season. American Airlines operates daily flights from Miami year-round, and adds daily service from Charlotte starting December 17. From December 5, American also flies from Chicago on Saturdays. Delta Air Lines provides daily flights from Atlanta, except for Mondays, beginning December 19. Notably, United’s new Saturday nonstop service from Newark commences on October 31, 2026, the first New York-area nonstop to St. Croix since 1994. Travellers otherwise connect through San Juan or St. Thomas, with airlines such as JetBlue and Cape Air offering routes.

Once on the ground, a rental car is a necessity. St. Croix does not have ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft, and taxi fares are fixed by destination and per person, meaning a week of relying on taxis can become costly. It is advisable to rent a car at the airport and to book well in advance for the winter months, when demand is higher. This decision shapes how easily one explores the island, as beaches, towns, and sights are spread across its edges.

The island’s most distinctive driving instruction is to keep left. Traffic flows on the left-hand side of the road, yet most rental vehicles are standard American left-hand-drive models, placing the driver near the kerb. Exercise caution on the first day, particularly when navigating turns and junctions, where ingrained habits might prompt a turn to the right. Speed limits on St. Croix are generally low: 20 miles per hour in towns, 35 miles per hour on most other roads, and only 55 miles per hour on the Melvin Evans Highway. Roads in the hills can be narrow and winding, so travel times may exceed what distances suggest. Familiarity with the two primary roads is beneficial for navigating the island: Centerline Road, also known as the Queen Mary Highway, traverses the island’s middle, while the Melvin Evans Highway, Route 66, offers a faster route along the southern side. Most journeys between the East End and Frederiksted will utilise one of these two main arteries.