Which Florida Airport Should You Fly Into For Your Vacation in the Sunshine State?

As one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, Florida has a truly incredible number of local, national, and international airports spread across the peninsula.

With that said, which Florida airport is suitable for your vacation? The answer isn’t always “whichever is closest,” but this guide will help you pick the correct airport to fly into.

Which Airports Are Closest to Orlando?

The closest airport to Orlando is Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB). This option is a two-terminal airport that serves several domestic and international airlines, including some budget-focused services. It’s about 30 minutes away from Orlando proper.

However, despite its proximity, SFB isn’t a good choice for most flyers because there’s a good chance it doesn’t serve your airline. More likely, you’d need to make a transfer somewhere else, and that’s usually slower than just getting a flight to the best option for the area.

The top choice for most people is Orlando International Airport (MCO), the city’s largest airport despite being a little further away than SFB. This airport serves about 37 airlines and has direct flights to many major cities worldwide. Like SFB, it features two main terminals, but it’s also much more extensive. MCO is about 40 minutes away.

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The last option for this area is Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB). Despite the name, the international part is mostly England via the airline TUI. It also has several other flights covering a decent portion of the east coast of the United States. MCO is a better option than MLB, but this is a valid choice for some visitors.

Why not check out our guides to:

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• How To Get From Sanford Airport (SFB) To Walt Disney World
• How To Get From Orlando Airport (MCO) To Universal Studios

Which Airports Are Closest to Walt Disney World Resort?

Disney themselves recommend going through Orlando International Airport (MCO), the primary airport serving the Disney resort area. In this case, “serve” is more literal than usual because the resort offers some special services to passengers coming through this airport. You may also find third-party services offering trips straight to Disney’s resort and nearby hotels.

MCO is clearly the best option for most people thanks to its vast number of flights and general accessibility among most airlines. You probably won’t need more than one transfer at most to get to MCO from domestic flights, and many international flights will be the same (if somewhat longer).

Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) is a backup choice for getting to the Disney resort region, but it may not have the same variety of dedicated services that MCO does. The difference in ride times is negligible between the two airports, but SFB isn’t nearly as busy as MCO. That can make it a good choice if you want to avoid any crowds.

Which Airports Are Closest to Miami?

The best airport for visiting Miami is the aptly named Miami International Airport (MIA). This airport is about 11 minutes away from the city by car or shuttle, or 20 minutes away by bus. There are also some train and tram options for getting into the city, but these aren’t ideal for most vacations.

MIA serves several dozen airlines across three main terminals, with most of its international flights coming from Europe and the Middle East. These are alongside the numerous domestic flights. Between its proximity to the city and accessibility, MIA is the obvious choice for most visitors.

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The next option for a flight to Miami is Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL). This route is considerably slower than going into MI, with the trip into the city taking about 30 minutes by car or about two hours by bus and train. FLL serves about 20 airlines over four terminals and has good coverage from the eastern half of the United States.

Which Airports Are Closest to Jacksonville?

Which Florida airport is closest to Jacksonville? That’s the conveniently named Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), which is about 11 miles away from the city. Despite the name, most flights to this airport are domestic, though it’s generally accessible from most of the country.

JAX features two main concourses for its terminals and extensive lodging opportunities within two miles of the airport. This location isn’t a particularly large airport, but you can usually reach it through a transfer from major hubs like Dallas/Ft. Worth or Chicago-O ‘Hare airports.

Jacksonville has several smaller airports in the vicinity, but these mostly don’t have enough flights to be viable options for most travelers. The best alternative is usually Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB), a little less than 90 miles to the south with a nearly straight trip up the freeway to reach the Jacksonville area.

Which Airports Are Closest to Key West?

The best airport for traveling into the Key West area is Key West International Airport (EYW), with nonstop domestic flights through several major airlines. While this airport isn’t nearly as large as some other locations in Florida, its moderate ease of use and presence mere minutes away from the Florida Keys makes it a top choice for direct arrivals.

There are no other good options for flying directly into the Florida Keys due to the disconnect from the mainland. Frankly, it’s probably better to get a transfer to a flight going to EYW if you can’t go there directly. If you need a backup, though, Miami International Airport (MIA) is the best option.

MIA will take several hours by car or bus to get to the Florida Keys proper, while a transfer flight will probably take half the time and get you much closer to island transportation. There’s a good chance you’ll go through MIA either way, so the real question here is how you want to make the last leg of your trip.

Which Airports Are Closest to Tampa?

The best option for most people is going through Tampa International Airport (TPA), which is about 12 minutes away by car or 40 minutes by bus. Although not a genuinely huge airport, TPA still serves about 20 airlines and is generally accessible for flights, making it the most viable choice for many visitors.

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is a decent alternative for people in the eastern part of the United States. PIE mainly serves Allegiant airlines, which operates flights from several dozen cities to this airport. This location isn’t quite as good for international travelers, but PIE does take a few planes from Canada.

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Which Airports Are Closest to Clearwater?

The closest airport to Clearwater is St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE). However, while it does share the city’s name, it remains true that PIE is mainly viable for people flying in from the eastern part of the United States. It’s not very good for most international travelers or anyone coming from other parts of the country.

The best option for most people is flying into Tampa International Airport (TPA), despite its greater distance. There’s a good chance you’d need to get a connecting flight to get to PIE, so rather than doing that, it’s easier to just rent a car and drive the 25 minutes or so to get to Clearwater.

TPA is considerably larger and has frequent flights from all over, and half an hour by car is reasonable for almost any trip. 

PIE and TPA should cover practically any need between them. However, if you’re traveling internationally and neither quite works, Orlando International Airport (MCO) is a backup option. It’s about two hours away by car, which is longer than most people prefer, but it also has a truly impressive number of flights, and it may be cheaper to drive than transfer planes.

Which Airports Are Closest to St. Petersburg?

The top choice for many people in this area is St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE). PIE is more of a local airport since it mainly serves flights from the eastern United States, but it’s not as crowded as the major airports, and you can usually get a transfer in. It’s also a good choice for several flights from Canada.

However, while PIE is accessible for some, the closest major airport is Tampa International Airport (TPA), about 16 miles away from St. Petersburg. This is easily within casual travel distance by car or taxi, and TPA serves far more domestic and international flights than PIE.

TPA also has more amenities, services, and rental opportunities, so it’s probably worth going there unless you’re trying to save money with a shorter domestic flight.

Which Airports Are Closest to Hialeah?

Less than five miles away, the best option for flying into Hialeah is Miami International Airport (MIA). Hialeah is functionally a part of the Miami area, so it’s no real surprise that Miami’s massive international airport is a good choice for flying into this area.

MIA takes quite a few international and domestic flights, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to reach it with no more than one transfer from most parts of the world.

While you probably don’t need any backup options, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is an acceptable alternative for some flyers. This airport is about 16 miles away from Hialeah. That’s not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but since it doesn’t have as many flights, it’s rarely a better choice than MIA.

Which Airports Are Closest to Tallahassee?

The best airport for visiting Tallahassee, Florida is Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH), which is conveniently located about 5 miles from the city. Unfortunately, while TLH is ostensibly a major airport, it only has four airlines, and most of its flights come through major hubs like Dallas-Ft. Worth, Miami International Airport, and Tampa International Airport.

Functionally, this means you’ll probably need to take at least one connecting flight to get to TLH unless you’re starting from a hub. That’s not fundamentally bad, but it does mean travel is a little slower no matter what.

Several regional airports also service the area, but the next-closest major airport is Destin-Ft. Walton Beach Airport (VPS), about 133 miles away. That’s a tolerable distance if you’re renting a car, and it might be cheaper than getting a connecting flight from somewhere else, but most people would rather save the time and fly into TLH.

Which Airports Are Closest to Port St. Lucie?

The closest airport for Port St. Lucie is Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), which is about 45 miles away from the area. PBI doesn’t have particularly good connectivity, so if you decide to fly in through there, you can expect a transfer flight from one of the area’s larger airports.

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The next-best option is Orlando International Airport (MCO), which is about 98 miles away. MCO features excellent connectivity for global flights, which means you can probably get there much easier than you can get to PBI.

As an alternative, Miami International Airport (MIA) is about 103 miles away from Port St. Lucie. MIA has exceptional connectivity, and just over a hundred miles of driving is still reasonable for a vacation to the area.

Which Airports Are Closest to Cape Coral?

Cape Coral has no truly excellent airports nearby. The best option for people who want to fly in as close as possible is Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers, about 12 miles away from the city. However, RSW has low connectivity so you’ll almost certainly need a transfer flight to get in.

The best option for most people is Miami International Airport (MIA), which is about 116 miles away from Cape Coral. That’s not a great distance, but it’s the best option. Tampa International Airport (TPA) is a little closer but has far fewer connections, so MIA is a better candidate for most vacationers.

Which Airports Are Closest to Fort Lauderdale?

Which Florida airport is best for Fort Lauderdale? The closest airport is Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), which has decent connectivity for the region. It’s just 3 miles away from the city, too, which means it has outstanding access for visitors.

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However, FLL’s connectivity still isn’t the best, so many travelers may prefer to go through Miami International Airport (MIA). Miami’s airport is only about 24 miles away, easily within comfortable driving or taxi distance. It’s also one of the best-connected airports in the region for both domestic and international flights. As such, it’s easy to get there from almost anywhere.