10 Excellent Airports To Use Near Yellowstone (By Distance)

Yellowstone is the second largest national park in the lower 48 states of America. It has 5 entrances spanning the compass points, hundreds of amazing geothermal features and a handful of resort towns all connected by its Grand Loop Road. But what if you’ll be flying into the area? Which airports near Yellowstone should you use for domestic or international travel? Well, the good news is you have plenty of excellent options.

In this guide we show you the 10 closest airports to Yellowstone National Park ordered by distance, with our tips and helpful information for each airport, as well as driving times to the nearest park entrance. Read more about us.

Split between visits in October 2019 and April 2021, we’ve spent a total of 7 full days in Yellowstone National Park. Both times we drove across from South Dakota’s Black Hills as part of much longer road trip routes, which included exploring Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Utah. So we have a lot of experience in this part of the country! Here’s our comprehensive first time visitor guide to Yellowstone to help with planning your trip.

We haven’t flown into an airport close to Yellowstone specifically to visit the park, but we have flown into both Salt Lake City and Denver airports on different trips. They’re the two major international airports closest to the park, so if we were to fly to Yellowstone we’d either use SLC or Denver and hire a car to visit other places on the same trip. Or we’d fly into Bozeman and hire a car if we only wanted to visit Yellowstone, but we’ll cover all your options in this guide.

Travel Tip: Remember, you don’t necessarily have to fly into and out from the same airport. You can hire a car at one airport and drop it off at another airport, which can increase your efficiency and give you added flexibility with your travel itinerary.

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Closest Airports To Yellowstone

Let’s get right into it, here are Yellowstone’s closest regional and international airports:

• Regional – West Yellowstone Regional Airport (3 miles from west entrance).
• International – Salt Lake City International Airport (325 miles from west entrance).

Both are definitely worth considering, but merely being the closest doesn’t always mean they’re the best options for your trip. You need to consider things like direct flights from your origin airport to the destination, which airlines fly the route, your travel plans and of course flight ticket prices.

Here’s the full list of Yellowstone’s 10 closest airports (in order of distance from nearest park entrance):

1. West Yellowstone Airport, Montana (WYS) – 3 miles
2. Jackson Hole Airport, Wyoming (JAC) – 50 miles
3. Cody-Yellowstone Regional Airport, Wyoming (COD) – 70 miles
4. Bozeman-Yellowstone International Airport, Montana (BZN) – 88 miles
5. Idaho Falls Regional Airport, Idaho (IDA) – 108 miles
6. Billings Logan International Airport, Montana (BIL) – 130 miles
7. Salt Lake City International Airport, Utah (SLC) – 323 miles
8. Boise Airport, Idaho (BOI) – 387 miles
9. Rapid City Regional Airport, South Dakota (RAP) – 475 miles
10. Denver International Airport, Colorado (DEN) – 515 miles

Okay, let’s take a look at each airport to see which works best for your Yellowstone itinerary, starting with the closest and ending with the furthest out.

1. West Yellowstone, Montana (WYS)

West Yellowstone is the closest airport to Yellowstone National Park. It’s located slightly to the north of the resort town of West Yellowstone and it’s just 3 miles from the west entrance kiosks. So it’s incredibly convenient, but of course it’s not that simple.

Only Salt Lake City with Delta and Denver with United fly direct into West Yellowstone airport, they only fly between late spring and late fall, and ticket prices are very high.

We think West Yellowstone airport works best if you only have a few days available and you want to spend less time driving from a further away airport, so you have more time enjoying Yellowstone’s top attractions.

But whether you’re traveling from somewhere else in the US or internationally, you’ll have to fly through Salt Lake City or Denver first (unless you live in one of those two cities). See more information on the Montana state website for West Yellowstone airport.

Getting To The Park

West Yellowstone airport to west entrance:

• Distance: 3 miles
• Time: 5 minutes
• Route: US-191 S

2. Jackson Hole, Wyoming (JAC)

Jackson Hole regional airport is the only airport located inside a national park in America. But it’s not in Yellowstone, it’s in Grand Teton just a few hours drive south.

We’ve counted 13 major US airports flying direct routes into Jackson Hole, but flight frequency is relatively low (especially outside of the summer months) and prices are usually inflated. You won’t find many low budget flights into Jackson Hole throughout the year.

We think Jackson Hole airport works best if you want to visit Grand Teton at the beginning or end of your visit to the region. But it’s also a great airport to use if you only plan to visit Yellowstone because it’s so close.

You should expect to pay for the convenience, but it’s definitely one you should check prices for. And you can hire a car at the airport upon arrival. See more information about Jackson Hole airport.

Getting To The Park

Jackson Hole airport to south entrance:

• Distance: 50 miles
• Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Route: US-191 N

3. Cody Yellowstone, Wyoming (COD)

Cody airport is less than 2 hours from Yellowstone’s east entrance but very few flight options and times mean it’s rarely used as an entry point to the park.

Only Denver year round and Salt Lake City in summer fly direct into Cody. It’s a shame because we really like Cody and the east entrance road is incredibly scenic. It’s also one of the most underrated places to see wildlife in Yellowstone, so entering from Cody is a great idea if you’re in a car.

We think Cody-Yellowstone regional airport works best if you want to begin or end your itinerary around the Yellowstone Lake area. But it’s only convenient if you live in Denver, or you plan to connect in Denver. Otherwise, we think you’re better off choosing a different airport. See more information about Cody airport.

Getting To The Park

Cody-Yellowstone airport to east entrance:

• Distance: 55 miles
• Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Route: US-14 (N Fork Hwy)

4. Bozeman Yellowstone, Montana (BZN)

Bozeman airport is ideally located to serve Yellowstone’s north and west entrances in under 2 hours drive. It has non-stop flight routes from over 20 major US airports, and you’ll find a few low budget airlines operating alongside the typical major airlines so you might be able to snag cheaper flights.

We think Bozeman is the best airport to use for domestic travel to Yellowstone because it’s easy to reach from around America, it has plenty of flight routes, and it gives you flexibility for both north and west entrances.

Bozeman is also the most convenient major airport to use if you plan to do a Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Glacier loop. This is the airport we’d use if we were flying in from a major US city.

• See more information about Bozeman airport.

Getting To The Park

Bozeman airport to north entrance:

• Distance: 88 miles
• Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Route: I-90 and US-89 S

Bozeman airport to west entrance:

• Distance: 91 miles
• Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
• Route: US-191 S

Travel Tip: We always book our hire cars with Rental Cars. Take a look at prices for hiring a car for your trip and then see if you can beat it.

5. Idaho Falls, Idaho (IDA)

Idaho Falls airport is served with non-stop flights from 10 airports in the western United States. It’s close to both west entrance and south entrance by going through Grand Teton, which makes it a great option if you can find cheaper flights than West Yellowstone airport or Jackson Hole airport.

We think Idaho Falls is one of the most underrated airports near Yellowstone and it should definitely be considered if your origin airport is on the west coast. It’s much closer to the south side of Yellowstone and Grand Teton than Salt Lake City, and you can hire a car at Idaho Falls airport.

We drove to Idaho Falls after leaving Yellowstone in April 2021 and enjoyed spending a night in town. See more information about Idaho Falls airport.

Getting To The Park

Idaho Falls airport to west entrance:

• Distance: 108 miles
• Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Route: US-20 E

Idaho Falls airport to Grand Teton:

• Distance: 102 miles
• Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
• Route: US-26 E, ID-31 and WY-22

6. Billings, Montana (BIL)

Billings-Logan is the largest major airport serving the northeast side of Yellowstone. Fewer than 10 major US airports fly non-stop routes in Billings, but it might be worth considering if you can find good value and flight times because northeast Yellowstone is where you’ll find Lamar Valley which is widely regarded as the best place for wildlife spotting in the park.

We think Billings airport is a good option if your flight times work out so that you’ll either enter or leave Yellowstone via northeast entrance around dawn or dusk.

For instance your flight lands at 1:00pm so you’ll arrive into Lamar Valley around 6:00pm at dusk, or your flight leaves at 11:00am so you’ll drive through Lamar Valley at dawn to get to the airport a few hours before it leaves. See more information about Billings-Logan airport.

Getting To The Park

Billings-Logan airport to northeast entrance:

• Distance: 130 miles
• Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
• Route: I-90 and US-212 W

7. Salt Lake City, Utah (SLC)

Salt Lake City is the closest major international airport to Yellowstone National Park. In addition to almost all major US airports, a handful of European, Canadian and Mexican cities also fly direct non-stop flights into SLC. So it’s a fantastic option for both domestic flights and flights from abroad.

You can then decide if you want to hire a car and drive directly to the park, or take a connecting flight to West Yellowstone or Jackson Hole and then hire a car.

We think Salt Lake City is the best airport near Yellowstone for international travelers because it’s much closer to the park than Denver. If flight prices and times are similar from your origin airport, the only reason to choose Denver over SLC is if you want to explore Rocky Mountain National Park on the same trip.

Salt Lake City to Yellowstone is a popular road trip route, and it also has a central location between national parks in Wyoming and Utah if you’re planning a longer trip in the region. See more information about Salt Lake City airport.

Getting To The Park

Salt Lake City airport to west entrance:

• Distance: 323 miles
• Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
• Route: I-15 N and US-20 E

Salt Lake City airport to Grand Teton:

• Distance: 274 miles
• Time: 5 hours 00 minutes
• Route: I-15 N and US-89 N

8. Boise, Idaho (BOI)

Boise is likely one of least used airports for Yellowstone but it’s actually a pretty good option if you have lots of time available or you want to see more of Idaho. The major airlines fly non-stop into Boise from more than 20 US airports, and that includes low budget airlines so you can get cheap flights.

We think Boise airport is a fantastic option if you want to see the Sawtooth Mountains or Craters of the Moon on your way in or out of Yellowstone. With that said, we recommend you only use Boise airport for one leg of your journey, it’s too far to do a roundtrip loop.

We enjoyed walking around Craters of the Moon and relaxing in outdoor hot springs in the Sawtooth Mountains, so this is a route to consider if you can find cheap flights and want to see more of Idaho. See more information about Boise airport.

Getting To The Park

Boise airport to west entrance:

• Distance: 387 miles
• Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
• Route: I-84 E and US-20 E

9. Rapid City, South Dakota (RAP)

Rapid City airport is almost exclusively used as a gateway to South Dakota’s popular Black Hills region. But fewer than 10 airports around the US fly direct non-stop into Rapid City and it’s a long way from Yellowstone so why would you consider it? Well, because you can visit both the Black Hills and the two Wyoming parks in one amazing trip by starting or ending in Rapid City.

We think Rapid City airport is the perfect beginning or finishing point if you plan to double up on the best of South Dakota and Wyoming on a road trip lasting at least 10 days.

Both times we’ve visited Yellowstone we drove this exact route across from the Black Hills, visiting places like Mt Rushmore, Custer, Wind Cave, Devils Tower before arriving to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. It’s awesome, so give it a go! See more information about Rapid City airport.

Getting To The Park

Rapid City airport to east entrance:

• Distance: 442 miles
• Time: 7 hours 20 minutes
• Route: I-90 W and US-16 W

10. Denver, Colorado (DEN)

Denver is the second closest major international airport near Yellowstone, but it’s a much bigger hub than Salt Lake City and it offers far more non-stop domestic and international flight routes from around the world.

You’re more likely to find direct long-haul flights into Denver than you are SLC, but the drive is also 3 hours longer to reach Yellowstone. You can enter the park through south or east entrance from Denver, but either way you’re looking at over 8 hours drive.

We think Denver airport works best for long-haul travel because it has more options. It’s also a good option for domestic US flights because so many low budget flights go through Denver.

So you might want to consider booking a cheap flight to Denver, then connecting to West Yellowstone or Jackson Hole. If you plan to visit Rocky Mountain on the same trip as Yellowstone, we recommend you only book one leg into or out from Denver because it’s a heck of a way to drive in-between. See more information about Denver airport.

Getting To The Park

Denver airport to east entrance:

• Distance: 546 miles
• Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
• Route: I-25 N and US-20 W

Denver airport to Grand Teton:

• Distance: 484 miles
• Time: 7 hours 45 minutes
• Route: I-25 N, US-287, I-80 W, US-287 N and US-26 W

Yellowstone Airports Map

Click or touch the map below to activate, zoom in and out, and scroll around. If you’d like to see a bigger version, click the “view larger map” icon in the top right, and if you’d like to see any specific airport, click the arrow and square icon in the top left.

Map key:

• Blue – Park entrances
• Red – Airports

The Morgan Conclusion

We think any of the 10 closest airports to Yellowstone in this guide can work for your trip. But it all depends on which flight routes are available to you, the costs of those flights and what else you want to do once you arrive into the region. Remember, depending on your flight times you might have to also consider Yellowstone lodging options near the airports you choose which can add extra cost to your trip.

If you only want to visit Yellowstone, we recommend you check prices for West Yellowstone and Jackson Hole to see if they’re affordable options. After that, you should look at Bozeman as the nearest major domestic airport with low cost airlines and lots of non-stop routes. If you’re traveling from abroad look at Salt Lake City and Denver, then see if flight connections are affordable to get you closer to the park.

On the other hand, if you want to visit more places along with Yellowstone we think you should consider flying into and out from different airports. Your hire car will cost more for different pick-up and drop-off points, but you can save so much time and effort doing it this way. This is especially true if you’re visiting from abroad with a longer road trip itinerary.

Our best advice for you is to take advantage of the fact there are so many flight options. For each of the airports we’ve covered above, try using different airports on the way in and out, and be flexible with your dates. Make a note of the prices and flight times, then pick a winner!

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We hope our guide on airports close to Yellowstone helps with planning your visit to the US northwest!

Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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