Shenandoah National Park Airport Options - Find the Closest Airports to the Park

Find the closest airport to Shenandoah National Park here at Parkcation. There are five Shenandoah National Park airports within 100 miles of the park. There is also another option for cheap airline tickets within a two hour drive of Front Royal, VA (the northern entrance to the national park).

Shenandoah’s proximity to the Washington DC metropolitan airport offers the choice of three major airports within 120 miles of the park. That includes BWI airport, which is known for its cheap flights.

Given the number of flight options to and from the DC airports, there is a lot more competition for your airline ticket dollars than if you were going to a more remote park. You should be able to find a cheap Shenandoah flight almost no matter which city you are departing at the start of your vacation – as long as you are not trying to buy a last minute ticket. Even then, with three major DC airports to choose from, you may still be able to find a cheap flight from among your airline options.

Here are some of the Shenandoah National Park airport options to consider:

Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport – 24 Miles to Swift Run Gap

The Charlottesville airport (CHO) in Central Virginia offers nonstop flights by Delta, United and American Airlines. Destinations include Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, New York City (LaGuardia), Philadelphia and Washington DC (Dulles).

Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport – 30 Miles to Swift Run Gap

The Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport is conveniently located to serve Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro. United provides regional jet service to Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD) and SkyWest Airlines provides service to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Passengers with tickets via the Shenandoah airport can enter the park at either Rockfish Gap (~ 40 miles) or Swift Run Gap (~ 30 miles).

Dulles Airport – 60 Miles to Front Royal

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) for many years was the top Washington airport. It is a hub for United Airlines. Around 24 million passengers still fly through Dulles airport every year.

Reagan National Airport – 70 Miles to Front Royal

Reagan National Airport is the closest DC airport to the White House and Congress. There are three runways on the airfield and the airport serves around 23 million passengers a year from 44 gates – 9 in Terminal A and 35 in Terminal B/C.

Lynchburg Regional Airport – 70 Miles to Rockfish Gap

American Airlines provides service to Lynchburg, VA via Charlotte. Charlotte Douglas International Airport typically has hundreds of departures to destinations around the country from its location in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Richmond Airport – 100 Miles to Rockfish Gap

Richmond International Airport (RIC) in Richmond, Virginia is served by Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta, jetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United. The Richmond airport served more than 4 million passengers in 2019.

BWI Marshall Airport – 105 Miles to Front Royal

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is the closest airport to Baltimore, Maryland and serves the Washington DC metropolitan area. This Baltimore airport serves more than 25 million passengers a year. The airport has a large number of flights for Southwest and Spirit.