Dongying has a railway station on the Jinan–Xingyuan rail line, connecting to Jinan in about two hours and to the broader national network. The city also has Dongying Shengli Airport (DOY), with flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and other major cities. High-speed rail does not yet directly serve Dongying; most travelers use the conventional rail connection to Jinan and then transfer to high-speed services for longer journeys.
By road, Dongying sits on the G18 Rongcheng–Wuhai Expressway and is about three hours from Jinan and four from Qingdao by car or long-distance bus. Direct bus services connect to Jinan, Zibo, and coastal Shandong cities.