Also known as the Garden City for its plentiful, lush green landscapes, Missoula is the second-largest city in the state of Montana.
It is one of the most visited regions of the state due to its rich expression of culture, fascinating history, big-city amenities, unparalleled recreational destinations, and true wonders of natural beauty.
If you are planning a trip to Missoula, Montana; one thing that you need to take care of is deciding your traveling itinerary.
First thing first, you need to know the factors for choosing the perfect airport. To make things easier, we have compiled a list of airports near Missoula, Montana for your convenience!
Guide to Airports Near Missoula
The nearest airport to Missoula which is located 5.3 miles away is the Missoula (MSO) Airport. Depending on your itinerary you may want to consider another airport and taking a scenic drive or stopping at one of the many state parks along your travels to Missoula.
How to Pick the Right Airport?
If you are planning a trip to Missoula, you must be wondering how you can select the right airport when booking a flight to your destination.
People usually decide this based on the ticket price alone, which is not the correct approach. Just because a particular option seems to be the cheapest, doesn’t necessarily mean it is also the best. What you need to do is travel smart.
To do so, you need to consider transportation options, traveling time, and the services provided by each of the nearest airports to select the one that fits your needs.
Keeping all these aspects in mind, given below are the top five airports that are closest to Missoula, Montana.
Airports Near Missoula Top 5 Choices
Missoula International Airport
Approximately four miles northwest with a drive of just 8 minutes from the main city, you can reach Missoula Airport which is the nearest of all the airports. They have rental car and shuttle services to/from the airport and you can also opt for public transportation, which takes roughly twenty-seven minutes to reach the destination.
Missoula International Airport is an integral part of the transportation infrastructure of the region. In addition to providing international flights all across the globe, it also offers services of nonstop, direct flights to 16 major U.S markets including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Oakland, and Los Angeles.
You can book your ticket by reaching out to the airline services or contacting your local travel agents. Flight information is updated on the Missoula International Airport website at all times. The airlines serving this airport are Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines.
The airport and the surrounding areas offer a great first impression of the city for visitors traveling by air, by providing a warm and easy welcome.
Bert Mooney Airport
If you want to fly over to Salt Lake City from Missoula or vice versa, this airport is your quickest option. Located at the south end of the Buttle Valley in the heart of the Rockies, this is another airport near Missoula, Montana. Covering a distance of 95.5 miles, you can reach the Bert Mooney Airport in approximately one and a half-hour drive from the city of Missoula.
The options of on-site or off-site car rentals as per your requirements are available to get there. Reaching the destination by bus is a cheaper alternative and takes more or less two hours.
The Bert Mooney Airport provides a quick and convenient connection from Western Montana to Salt Lake City via the direct flight services of the airline called Delta Connections. As of 2022, the airport further plans to extend its services to Denver as well, in collaboration with United Airlines.
Helena Airport
Helena Airport is a public airport two miles northeast of Helena, in Lewis and Clark County. Located 97.1 miles further from Missoula, Montana, this is also one of the closest airports in the city limits. If you are traveling by bus, it would take around two hours to reach the destination while traveling by car will cut down the journey in half, making it a better alternative.
Alaska, Delta, and United Airlines are available at this airport extending their air services to Denver, Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Minneapolis.
Along with great transportation services of on and off-site rental cars, busses, and ride-sharing; there are good lodging options near the airport. This is convenient and you can easily get to your hotel using the hotel shuttle service available at the pick-up points on the airport premises.
To get further information regarding their flight schedules and baggage, you can visit their home page.
Glacier Park International Airport
This is another airport near Missoula, Montana. Considered as the gateway to northwest Montana, this airport is located in Flathead County, six miles northeast of Kalispell. It is for that reason this airport is also called Kalispell Airport. The airport has many amenities including rental gear services for outdoor adventures. Those departing can have a chance to buy Montana- themed souvenirs for themselves and their loved ones.
In addition to taxis, rental cars, shuttles, and buses; the transportation agencies also have limousine services. The traveling from Missoula to Glacier Park International Airport via car drive is around three and a half hours; however, bus journeys are rather elaborate, consisting of almost fifteen hours.
This airport serves as a connection to the majority of the states including Chicago, Seattle, Portland, and Houston, Dallas, New York, etc.
The airlines operating at this airport are Delta, United, Alaska, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, South Country, Frontier, and JetBlue. To learn more about their arrival and departure schedules, you can visit their website.
Great Falls Airport
This is a public/military airport, three miles southwest of the central Great Falls. It is around 200 miles away from Missoula, Montana, and takes almost four hours to reach the destination by car. This is the cheapest and the quickest means of travel. There are no direct bus routes; therefore, journeys usually consist of transfers taking more or less than seven hours.
The airlines operating at the Great Falls Airport include Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta, and Allegiant Air. They provide a direct flight connection to Denver, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Seattle schedules of which are readily available on their website.
The airport also has great options for ground transportation including taxi services, auto rentals, and bus and shuttle systems. Along with a bar and restaurant, the airport also has a gift shop for you to collect crafts and souvenirs from Montana.
This airport is situated on one of the most spectacular destinations of Montana, surrounded by wilderness and pristine water. If you have some extra time, we highly recommend exploring this unparalleled scenic beauty and making the most of your trip to Big Sky Country.
Final Thoughts
If you need further help, you can make use of your local travel agency or travel guides that will help you find the closest domestic or international airports.
They will also assist you in figuring out the shortest and the most convenient route from the airport to your final destination or vice versa. This way you can figure out whether to opt for a tourist group bus or rent-a-car facilities and also get the directions of the most easy-to-travel roads and highways.
The most important aim must be to cut down your traveling time as much as you can. This way, you can have more time to explore and discover Missoula, Montana, and all the other destinations on your itinerary!