Your Complete Guide to 30A Airports

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Chances are that if you landed here, you are looking for the closest airport to 30A, and I am here to help!  Not only do we own vacation rentals on 30A and visit VERY often, but we also don’t live far away and use these airports for our personal family travel very frequently.   So, whether you are searching for the closest airport to Seaside, Florida, or want to plan a trip to Rosemary Beach, Florida, you have come to the right place.  Today, I am sharing everything you need to know about 30A airports!

And spoiler alert – there aren’t actually any airports on 30A.  But there are a number of nearby options that can get you there in as little as 30 minutes!

There is a chance that you landed here by mistake and are scratching your head, wondering, “What is 30A?”  I would recommend that you start by reading that general post.

If you want to learn more, check out the 30A section of my blog.  But, in a nutshell, 30A is a county road in Florida. When people talk about 30A, they are referring to the 14 charming communities (Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Grayton Beach, etc) and their white sand beaches located along this 20+ mile stretch of road nestled between Destin and Panama City Beach.

Flights to 30A

The Florida panhandle has proved to be a pretty convenient vacation destination for visitors in the midwest and southeast, and for this reason, many 30A visitors choose to drive.  For some, it’s tradition and how their family vacations were back way back when they were a kid, and for others, it’s simply a way to save money.  But, you may be surprised how affordable and convenient it is to fly to 30A, especially from the southeast and midwest.

In this blog post, I am going to focus on the two airports closest to 30A – Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport [ECP] in Panama City Beach and Destin – Ft Walton Beach Airport [VPS].  You will learn which airlines fly nonstop to 30A airports and get some helpful information on schedules and seasonal routes!

So, before we get into route maps and specific details on both of these airports, I’d like to share some more general information, as many airlines and routes overlap quite a bit between the two closest airports to 30A.

What Airlines Fly Direct to 30A Airports?

You can find flights that will get you within 30-60 minutes of your 30A vacation rentals via American, Southwest, Delta, United, Allegiant, and Sun County (new in 2023). I do want to point out that many of these airlines run these routes seasonally, and you may not be able to find direct flights on all of them in the off-season.  Later in this post, I will share the exact routes to both airports on each airline.

What Cities Fly Direct to 30A Airports?

The following cities offer direct flights to 30A at some point in the year:  Asheville, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Belleville, Bentonville, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Clarksburg, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Des Moines, Evansville, Grand Rapids, Houston, Huntington, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Lexington, Louisville, Little Rock, Memphis, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York City, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Peoria, Pittsburgh, Shreveport, Springfield / Branson, St. Louis, Tulsa, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Wichita.

That is a lot!  As I mentioned above, it’s fairly easy to get to 30A from the Midwest, Southeast, and East Coast.  What you’ll notice missing are most West Coast destinations and the Pacific Northwest, but travelers in those destinations should still be able to get to 30A fairly quickly with one stop along the way.

Next comes the bad news.  Many of these routes are seasonal and/or run only one or two days a week.

30A Airports Flight Schedules

Since Panama City Beach and Destin are considered vacation destinations, most airlines offer significantly more routes in the summer, and many nix their direct flights altogether for many months each year.   For this reason, if you are flying in the shoulder seasons and having trouble finding direct flights from your city,

I would recommend taking a minute and searching different arrival/departure days or even a month before or after to see what is available.  And if you are wondering if it’s a good time to visit, make sure to read my When is the Best Time To Visit 30A blog post for a month-by-month guide.

Further, many direct flights to 30A are limited to particular days of the week.  Most of the vacation rentals in the panhandle rent weekly from Saturday to Saturday.   Coincidently, many airlines offer nonstop flights on Saturdays only.  Maybe this is a what came first, the chicken or the egg moment, but nonetheless, it’s clear as day when looking at the number of arrivals and departures at these airports on Saturdays.

There are many vacation rental options, especially condos like ours, that do not require a weekly rental, allowing you to travel on other days.  Why should you if there are so many flights on Saturday?   Well, let’s look at the other side of that coin.

Traffic on 30A and in the surrounding areas is pretty terrible on Saturdays in peak seasons as tens of thousands of visitors check out mid-morning just as a whole new set is making their way into town.

On top of that, the airports are typically packed on Saturdays.  It’s not uncommon for airports to recommend that you arrive 3+ hours prior to your flight on Saturdays in peak season.  For these smaller airports, that is pretty early.   For instance, we fly out of ECP in Panama City Beach quite often and typically can park our car and be at the gate in 15 minutes flat.  So, it’s just something to consider when planning to trip to 30A.

30A Airports

At this point, I would like to talk more in-depth about the two most convenient 30A airports, and later I will share some alternate options that may also work for you.  Both Northwest Florida Beaches Airport [ECP] in Panama City Beach and Destin – Ft Walton Beach Airport [VPS]  will get you to the 30A area in approximately 30-60 minutes on a good day with little traffic.   You don’t usually have to worry too much about traffic when flying in and out of Panama City Beach.  There is a much larger potential heading east to Destin-Ft Walton Beach as you encounter multiple bottlenecks and neverending road construction.

When discussing proximity, I am going to refer to 4 anchor points:  Rosemary Beach at the east end of 30A, Seaside in the middle, Blue Mountain Beach, and then Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, which is at the west end of 30A.

Here is a map of 30A to help you get a better feel for the area.  You may encounter some people calling the area Santa Rosa Beach.  That really encompasses most of 30A and is the zip code for the majority of these small communities shown below.

Northwest Florida Beaches Airport [ECP] in Panama City Beach, Florida

Located in Panama City Beach, Florida, Northwest Florida Beaches Airport, ECP, is overall the best airport to fly into when visiting 30A.  It’s even undergoing improvement to better serve more people.  We use this airport several times a year when traveling, most often on Southwest Airlines.   Parking is fairly inexpensive, and we can usually breeze right through security.   There are only 7 gates, and this airport is served by American, Southwest, Delta, and United.  If you are looking for a Rosemary Beach airport, this is where you want to be!

From ECP, you can get to:

• Rosemary Beach in  30 minutes
• Seaside in 45 minutes
• Blue Mountain Beach in 45 minutes
• Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in 50 minutes

Airlines That Fly to ECP

American, Southwest, Delta, and United are all airlines that fly in and out of Panama City Beach, Florida.  Of the four, Southwest does carry the most cities and Delta the least, but Delta runs many flights to and from Atlanta each day and probably brings the most visitors through a connection in Atlanta.

This is definitely the best option if you are looking for an airport close to Seaside or anywhere else on the east end of 30A.  And obviously, it is the closest airport to Panama City Beach, Florida, if you are looking to travel there.  You can have your sand in the toes within 20 minutes of leaving the airport.

Non-stop Flights to 30A via ECP in Panama City Beach

Here is a breakdown of which routes fly directly into Panama City Beach, along with a short summary of when you’ll have the best chance to find those direct flights.  Please note that these summaries are based on my looking at flight schedules and doing airline searches and are not concrete.  Airline schedules are always subject to change.

If I don’t leave a summary for a specific route, it’s because while the airport’s website says that route is flown, I am not 100% sure when to find the direct flights or can’t seem to find them myself.  I do know some routes were put on hold in the past couple of years, so they may not be back up and flying those quite yet.

Southwest Airlines: Direct Flights to ECP

We love booking with Southwest for several reasons.  First, bags fly free.  And second, you can change your flight if the price goes lower and get the money back in credit for future flights.  They also frequently run sales making flights pretty affordable for most people.

• Atlanta [ATL]
• Austin [AUS] – nonstops most days in the summer
• Baltimore / Washington DC [BWI] – weekend nonstops most of the year
• Chicago [MDW] – weekend nonstops Spring, Summer, and Fall
• Dallas [DAL] – all year, most days
• Denver [DEN] – Saturdays in the Summer
• Houston [HOU] – all year, only some days in the off-season
• Nashville [BNA] – all year, most days
• St. Louis [STL] – most of the summer, occasional nonstops throughout the year

Delta Airlines: Direct Flights to ECP

Delta’s major hub is in Atlanta, Georgia, making it very easy for most people to get from their hometown to Atlanta and then take a quick nonstop from Atlanta to Panama City Beach.

• Atlanta [ATL] – all day, every day

United Airlines: Direct Flights to ECP

United offers nonstop flights to Houston, Texas, all year and usually at least a couple of options each day.  And while Southwest flies to and from Houston Hobby [HOU], United flies in and out of George Bush Intercontinental Airport [IAH].

• Houston [IAH] –  twice a day, year-round

American Airlines: Direct Flights to ECP

American Airlines offers a way to get to another major hub – Charlotte, North Carolina. I am personally not seeing any direct flights at this time to Chicago or Philadelphia, so they are possibly on hold for the time being.  They do offer a flight to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as an alternative to BWI, which is served by Southwest.

• Charlotte [CLT] –  twice a day, year-round
• Chicago
• Philadelphia
• Washington, DC [DCA]  – once per day, most of the year

Tips For Flying In and Out of ECP

If flying into Northwest Florida Beaches airport, you should expect to find a rideshare (Uber, Lyft) or a taxi fairly easily.   You may not have as much luck on the way back, as 30A has very little rideshare service.  You may want to consider pre-arranging your return through one of the transportation providers listed on their website.

Prefer to rent a car?  You have the option to book from most major rental car providers.

You usually won’t encounter much extra traffic to and from this airport, and security is typically pretty quick.  Make sure to give yourself extra time if you are checking bags just to be safe.

Destin – Ft Walton Beach Airport [VPS]

The Destin Fort Walton Beach Airport is slightly larger than Panama City Beach’s but is going to be further away from 30A in most instances.  And while the name leads you to believe it’s in Destin or Fort Walton Beach, it’s actually a bit more inland and in the Valparaiso area (technically Eglin Air Force Base).  It is roughly the same size but does offer seasonal service with low-cost carrier Allegiant that hits a bunch of additional cities.

From VPS, you can get to:

• Rosemary Beach in 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Seaside in 1 hour
• Blue Mountain Beach in 55 minutes
• Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in 45 minutes

However, I will note that there is quite a high potential for traffic, and these times can pretty easily be doubled in peak season.  These times are what I see today (a Thursday morning in December), so please take that into consideration.  Be happy if you can get to these places in the above times, but give yourself a pretty big buffer, especially when heading back to the airport to return home.

Airlines That Fly to VPS

Allegiant, American, Southwest, Delta, and Sun County (new in 2023) are all airlines that fly in and out of Destin – Fort Walton Beach, Florida, at some point in the year.  You will notice that you have some of the same options here, with a few more seasonal choices added, but both airports actually have approximately the same number of arrivals and departures daily.

Non-stop Flights to 30A via VPS  in Destin – Fort Walton Beach

Below is a breakdown of which airlines/cities fly directly into the Destin-Ft Walton Beach Airport, along with a short summary of when you’ll have the best chance to find those direct flights.  Please remember that these summaries are based on my research (looking at flight schedules and doing airline searches) and are always subject to change.  If I don’t leave a summary for a specific route, it’s because while the airport’s website says that route is offered, I am not able to find the direct flights myself.  I will note that some routes were put on hold, and there is a possibility that they are temporarily not being offered.

Southwest Airlines: Direct Flights to VPS

We love booking with Southwest for several reasons.  First, bags fly free.  And second, you can change your flight if the price goes lower and get the money back in credit for future flights.  They also frequently run sales making flights pretty affordable for most people.   This list came directly from the airport’s website. However, I am not having much luck finding flights out of Kansas City at this point.

• Austin [AUS] – nonstops Saturdays in the Spring, daily in the summer
• Baltimore / Washington DC [BWI] – some Wednesdays and Saturdays in Spring, early Summer
• Dallas [DAL] – once per day, most of the year
• Houston [HOU] – once per day, most often in Summer
• Kansas City [MCI]
• Nashville [BNA] – multiple flights a day, year-round
• St. Louis [STL] – Saturday and Sundays, most often in Summer

Delta Airlines: Direct Flights to VPS

Delta’s Minneapolis to Destin flight runs much of the year and provides a great opportunity for travelers up north!

• Atlanta [ATL] – all day, every day, with sometimes 10 per day in the summer
• Minneapolis [MSP] – Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from Spring – Fall

American Airlines: Direct Flights to VPS

American Airlines offers a way to get to another major hub – Charlotte, North Carolina. These are very similar to the options that American provides over in Panama City Beach.  Most of the flights will be in and out of Charlotte, with the other cities being quite limited.

• Austin [AUS] – Saturday only for much of the off-season, daily in the Summer
• Charlotte [CLT] –  multiple daily flights year-round
• Chicago [ORD] – Saturday only, most of the year
• Philadelphia [PHL] – Saturday only, most of the year
• Washington, DC [DCA]  – once per day, most of the year

Sun Country Airlines: Direct Flights to VPS

This new Minneapolis to Destin-Ft Walton Beach route with Sun Country kicks off in the Spring of 2023.  This low-cost carrier actually has quite a few deals that I am currently seeing!

• Minneapolis [MSP] – Sunday and Thursday flights in the Summer, some Wednesday and Saturday in April and May 2023

Allegiant Airlines: Direct Flights to VPS

Low-cost carrier Allegiant recently added a whole lot of routes to Destin – Fort Walton Beach. However, they are fairly limited, and you will need to do some digging if you are located near one of the cities served.  Many are literally only 4 or 5 flights per year and on Saturdays.

So, I am going to highlight the ones that have decent availability and recommend you run your own searches for the remaining airports.   Allegiant does open their calendar 6-9 months in advance, so there is a high likelihood that I am not seeing all of their summer availability at the time of this post.  I will go back and update it down the road if needed.   That is also why you will see Spring mentioned but not as much Fall, as I am unable to see the Fall schedules at this point.

I want to point out that many of these routes are once per day and only two or three days a week, and with that, there is always a potential for issues if your flight is canceled.  Typically 30A is booked to 100% occupancy in the summer, and if you can’t get on another flight for two or three days, you may have a very hard time finding accommodations.  This is not as much of a risk in the off-season or if your schedule is flexible.

• Belleville, Illinois [BLV] – most of the year
• Bentonville/NW Arkansas [XNA] – Monday and Friday in Spring, up to 5 days a week in Summer
• Boston, Massachusetts [BOS] – most Mondays and Fridays
• Chicago, Illinois [MDW] – typically 2 days a week, varying month to month
• Cincinnati, Ohio [CVG] – most days of the week Spring through Fall
• Columbus, Ohio [LCK] – 2 or 3 days a week, Wednesday and Saturday in Spring, Thursday + weekends in summer
• Des Moines, Iowa [DSM] – Saturday and Sunday in the Summer
• Evansville, Indiana [EVV] – Monday and Friday in the Summer
• Grand Rapids, Michigan [GRR] – Monday and Friday in Spring, possibly Summer as well
• Huntington, West Virginia [HTS] – Monday, Friday, and Saturday in Summer
• Indianapolis, Indiana [IND] – usually 2days a week, varying month to month
• Kansas City, Missouri [MCI] – Monday and Friday in Spring, adds Saturday in the Summer
• Knoxville, Tennessee [TYS] – Sunday and Thursday in Spring, adds Saturday in the Summer
• Las Vegas, Nevada [LAS] – Sunday and Thursday most of the year
• Little Rock, AR [LIT] – Monday and Friday in Summer
• Louisville, Kentucky [SDF] – Sunday and Thursday in the Spring, adds Saturday in the Summer
• Memphis, Tennessee [MEM] – Monday and Friday in Summer
• Minneapolis, Minnesota [MSP] – 2 to 3 days a week most of the year, varying month to month
• New York City / Newark, New Jersey [EWR] – Sunday and Thursday most of the year, with additional days added in various months
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma [OKC] – 2 to 3 days a week Spring and Summer, varying month to month
• Omaha, Nebraska [OMA] – Monday and Friday in Summer
• Peoria, Illinois [PIA] – Sunday and Thursday in Summer
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania [PIT] – 2 to 3 days a week, Spring and Summer, varying month to month
• Shreveport, Louisiana [SHV] – Monday and Friday in Summer
• Springfield / Branson, Missouri [SGF] – Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday in Summer
• Tulsa, Oklahoma [TUL] – Monday, Friday, and Saturday in Summer
• Washington D.C. / Baltimore, Maryland [BWI] – typically Wednesday and Saturday in Spring, Saturday only in Summer
• Wichita, Kansas [ICT] – Thursday and Sunday in Spring, add Saturday in the Summer

Also, check the following airports as they are listed as servicing this airport.  Some don’t show me any availability, or they only show me Saturdays in June, July, and August only: Asheville, North Carolina [AVL], Clarksburg, West Virginia [CKB], and Lexington, Kentucky [LEX].

Tips For Flying In and Out of VPS

VPS is by far the best airport for Destin, Florida, and can work for your 30A trip as well. As I mentioned above, you need to be aware of what your options are in the situation that a flight is canceled.  You can often find deals with low-cost carriers, but they typically will be unable to put you on another flight in that situation.  Airlines like American and Delta will typically be able to route you through one of their hubs and at least get you home if you were to run into that problem.

If flying into Destin – Fort Walton Beach airport, you should expect to find a rideshare (Uber, Lyft) or a taxi fairly easily.   You will most likely not have as much luck on the way back as 30A has very little rideshare service, and this is a longer drive.  I would highly recommend that you pre-arrange a 30A airport shuttle or car through one of the transportation providers listed on their website.

Prefer to rent a car?  You have the option to book from most major rental car providers.

The estimated time that it takes you to get to 30A from this airport can really vary.  You have quite the potential for traffic on 98 through Sandestin, and there are very few alternate routes if you were to encounter an accident or road closure.  I highly recommend that you give yourself at least one extra hour to get to the airport when flying out of VPS.

Further, as you see above, there are quite a lot of flights going in and out Thursday through Sunday.  If you are checking bags, you will need to allow quite a bit of extra time as a buffer, especially when flying Allegiant, where people are paying for bags and extras at the counter, and lines are often the longest.

Alternate 30A Airports

There are a few other options that are within a 2-and-a-half-hour drive from Seaside, Florida, which is located right in the middle of 30A.   I would not recommend using these in your initial search unless you are really keen on getting a rental car and really exploring the surrounding areas.  With the exception of Tallahassee and Mobile, which are the farthest, you will find many of the same routes and airlines that you can utilize flying in and out of ECP and VPS.  However, it is good to know about these, especially in the instance that a flight is canceled and you need to make alternate plans!

Destin Executive Airport with JSX

I didn’t even know this was an option until my sister flew it with her son back in August.  The Destin Executive Airport is actually in Destin and much closer to 30A than the Destin Fort Walton Beach Airport.  It is only 45 minutes to Rosemary Beach, 38 minutes to Seaside, and 22 minutes to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.  It is super small and serviced by semi-private airline JSX which is actually way more affordable than you may think! I believe that this route from Dallas to Destin is seasonal since I am not seeing it available right now.  But it may be a viable option in the summer!

Pensacola

Pensacola International Airport [PNS] is located approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes from Seaside, Florida.   This airport provides service to most of the same places as above but does have options for Tampa, Orlando, and Miami, which is something that the other airports lack.

The drive from Pensacola to 30A can be uninteresting if you cover most of those miles on Interstate 10, but if you have the time, it can be quite enjoyable if you want to hug the coastline and spend the day checking out all of the towns in this part of the Florida panhandle.

Dothan

Dothan Regional Airport [DHN] is located here where I live, and it takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes to get to Seaside.  This regional airport only offers twice-daily connections to Atlanta but does have a rental car desk if you want to drive the rest of the way down. If you have to connect anyway and your only options are into one of the alternate airports, this may not be a terrible option.

Tallahassee

Tallahassee International Airport is roughly 2 hours and 20 minutes away from Seaside, Florida.   It does offer Silver Airways to and from Ft. Lauderdale.  If you want to visit other panhandle beaches, including Gulf County, Florida, this is a great option.

Mobile

From the Mobile airport, you can basically get to some of the same cities that were offered by much closer airports, such as Charlotte, Dallas, Atlanta, and Houston.  The distance to Seaside is 2 hours and 20 minutes (on a good day), so I don’t see a real reason to consider flying into Mobile if you want to visit the communities along Highway 30A.

However, it’s a nice option if you want to visit the Alabama beaches or anywhere else along the Emerald Coast.

How To Book Your Flights to 30A

I know that was a LOT of information to digest!  My favorite way to book air travel is to start with Google Flights.

1. Pick your city and either ECP or VPS.
2. Select your dates and click search.
3. Click STOPS and change it to nonstop only.
4. Click back on the dates and click reset right there in the date calendar.  This allows you to see all dates.  If you originally had a 7-day trip, it will show you prices for 7-day trips, but if you have a 4-day trip, then it will show you rates for 4-day trips.  So, feel free to click around to change the duration.
5. Or click on any departure date that works for you or has a great fare and then select your return based on the prices that you see.

By doing this, you will be able to filter out the flights with stops and find the best fit for you!  Note that step 4 won’t work for Southwest flights.  It’s best to use their low-fare calendar instead.

Rent our 30A Condos

So, now that you know how to get there, I would love for you to check out our 30A Florida Airbnb vacation rentals!  We have 2 studios and 2 one-bedrooms in Seacrest Beach, Florida.  We are right on the border of Rosemary Beach and a 5 minutes walk to all of the great shops and restaurants there.   I provide a concierge level of recommendations to my guests and am very knowledgeable about the area.

READ: Your Complete 30A Packing List

You can click here to view all 4 of our Seacrest Beach vacation rentals and also check for 2024 dates/availability and rates.   All four of our condos are best suited for couples and families with up to 2 kids (plus a baby in our one-bedroom condos).   We would love the opportunity to host you on 30A!

If you have a larger group, there are so many beautiful 30A vacation homes to consider!

PIN this 30A Airports Guide for Later