List of Airports in California

As of 2024, there are 145 airports throughout the state of California according to IATA and ICAO. Through the table below, you can find name of each airport, its abbreviation, city location, and size. Airports in California are listed in alphabetical order. Please note that some airports serve internationally, while the other only serve domestically.

Airports in California

List of All Airports in California

# Airport Abbreviation Location Size
1 Air Force 42 Base PMD Palmdale, CA Medium
2 Airport In The Sky CIB Catalina Island, CA Small
3 Anaheim Airport ANA Anaheim, CA Small
4 Apple Valley Airport APV Apple Valley, CA Medium
5 Arcata Airport ACV Arcata, CA Medium
6 Auburn Airport AUN Auburn, CA Medium
7 Avalon Bay Airport AVX Catalina Island, CA Small
8 Avalon Pebbly Beach Seaplane Base SXC Catalina Island, CA Small
9 Banning Airport BNG Banning, CA Small
10 Barstow-Daggett Airport DAG Daggett, CA Small
11 Berkeley Airport JBK Berkeley, CA Small
12 Bermuda Dunes Airport UDD Palm Springs, CA Medium
13 Big Bear City Airport RBF Big Bear, CA Small
14 Bishop Airport BIH Bishop, CA Small
15 Blue Canyon Airport BLU Blue Canyon, CA Small
16 Blythe Airport BLH Blythe, CA Small
17 Bob Hope Airport BUR Burbank, CA Large
18 Borrego Springs Airport BXS Borrego Springs, CA Small
19 Brackett Field POC La Verne, CA Medium
20 Brawley Airport BWC Brawley, CA Medium
21 Brown Field Municipal Airport SDM San Diego, CA Medium
22 Buchanan Field CCR Concord, CA Medium
23 Cable Airport CCB Upland, CA Medium
24 Calexico International Airport CXL Calexico, CA Small
25 Calipatria Airport CLR Calipatria, CA Small
26 Campo Airport CZZ Campo, CA Small
27 Carlsbad Airport CLD San Diego, CA Large
28 Catalina Seaplane Base SPQ San Pedro, CA Small
29 Century City Airport CCD Los Angeles, CA Small
30 Chico Airport CIC Chico, CA Medium
31 Chino Airport CNO Chino, CA Medium
32 Clear Lake Airport CKE Clear Lake, CA Small
33 Coalinga Airport CLG Coalinga, CA Small
34 Columbia Airport COA Columbia, CA Medium
35 Commerce Business Plaza JBP Los Angeles, CA Small
36 Compton Airport CPM Compton, CA Medium
37 Corcoran Airport CRO Corcoran, CA Small
38 Death Valley Airport DTH Death Valley, CA Small
39 Dolomi Airport DLO Dolomi, CA Small
40 El Cajon Airport CJN El Cajon, CA Small
41 El Monte Airport EMT El Monte, CA Medium
42 Embarcadero EMB San Francisco, CA Small
43 Executive Airport SAC Sacramento, CA Medium
44 Flabob Airport RIR Riverside, CA Small
45 Fort Bragg Airport FOB Fort Bragg, CA Small
46 French Valley Airport RBK Rancho, CA Medium
47 Fresno Yosemite International Airport FAT Fresno, CA Medium
48 Fresno-Chandler Airport FCH Fresno, CA Small
49 Gillespie Field SEE San Diego, CA Large
50 Glenn County Airport WLW Willows, CA Small
51 Half Moon Airport HAF Half Moon, CA Medium
52 Hamilton Field SRF San Rafael, CA Small
53 Hayward Air Terminal HWD Hayward, CA Medium
54 Hollister Airport HLI Hollister, CA Medium
55 Hughes Airport CVR Culver City, CA Small
56 Hunter Army Airfield HGT Big Sur, CA Small
57 Imperial County Airport IPL Imperial, CA Medium
58 Jahrom Airport JAR Jahrom, CA Small
59 John Wayne Airport SNA Santa Ana, CA Large
60 Kern County Airport IYK Inyokern, CA Medium
61 Kern County Airport MHV Mojave, CA Small
62 Kern County Airport MIT Shafter, CA Medium
63 Kern County Airport TSP Tehachapi, CA Small
64 Lindberg Field San Diego Airport SAN San Diego, CA Large
65 Livermore Airport LVK Livermore, CA Large
66 Lompoc Airport LPC Lompoc, CA Small
67 Long Beach Municipal Airport LGB Long Beach, CA Large
68 Los Angeles International Airport LAX Los Angeles, CA Huge
69 Los Banos Airport LSN Los Banos, CA Small
70 Madera Airport MAE Madera, CA Medium
71 Mammoth Lakes Airport MMH Mammoth Lakes, CA Small
72 Marin County Airport JMC Sausalito, CA Small
73 McNamara Field CEC Crescent City, CA Medium
74 Meadows Field Airport BFL Bakersfield, CA Large
75 Merced Municipal Airport MCE Merced, CA Small
76 Mesa Del Rey Airport KIC King City, CA Small
77 Moffett Field NUQ Mountain View, CA Small
78 Monterey Peninsula Airport MRY Monterey, CA Medium
79 Montgomery Field MYF San Diego, CA Large
80 Mount Wilson Airport MWS Mount Wilson, CA Small
81 Municipal Airport FUL Fullerton, CA Medium
82 Municipal Airport MOD Modesto, CA Medium
83 Municipal Airport OCN Oceanside, CA Medium
84 Municipal Airport PSP Palm Springs, CA Medium
85 Municipal Airport SBA Santa Barbara, CA Large
86 Murray Field EKA Eureka, CA Medium
87 Napa County Airport APC Napa, CA Medium
88 Needles Airport EED Needles, CA Small
89 Norman Mineta San Jose International Airport SJC San Jose, CA Large
90 Novato Airport NOT Novato, CA Medium
91 Oakland International Airport OAK Oakland, CA Large
92 Ontario International Airport ONT Ontario, CA Large
93 Oroville Airport OVE Oroville, CA Small
94 Palo Alto Airport PAO Palo Alto, CA Large
95 Paso Robles Airport PRB Paso Robles, CA Small
96 Placerville Airport PVF Placerville, CA Medium
97 Porterville Airport PTV Porterville, CA Medium
98 Quartz Hill Airport RZH Lancaster, CA Small
99 Red Bluff FSS Airport RBL Red Bluff, CA Small
100 Redding Airport RDD Redding, CA Medium
101 Reid-Hillview Airport RHV San Jose, CA Large
102 Rep Airport MHS Mount Shasta, CA Small
103 Riverside Municipal Airport RAL Riverside, CA Medium
104 Rotunda Airport RTD Rotunda, CA Small
105 Ryan Field HMT Hemet, CA Medium
106 Sacramento International Airport SMF Sacramento, CA Large
107 Salinas Airport SNS Salinas, CA Medium
108 Salton City Airport SAS Salton City, CA Small
109 San Carlos Airport SQL San Carlos, CA Medium
110 San Fernando Airport SFR San Fernando, CA Small
111 San Francisco International Airport SFO San Francisco, CA Huge
112 San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport SBP San Luis Obispo, CA Large
113 Santa Cruz Island Airport SZN Santa Barbara, CA Small
114 Santa Cruz Skypark SRU Santa Cruz, CA Small
115 Santa Maria Airport SMX Santa Maria, CA Medium
116 Santa Monica Airport SMO Santa Monica, CA Medium
117 Santa Paula Airport SZP Santa Paula, CA Medium
118 Santa Ynez Airport SQA Santa Ynez, CA Small
119 Siskiyou County Airport SIY Montague, CA Small
120 Sonoma County Airport STS Santa Rosa, CA Medium
121 South Lake Tahoe Airport TVL South Lake Tahoe, CA Small
122 Stockton Airport SCK Sacramento, CA Medium
123 Stolport Airport VLO Vallejo, CA Small
124 Sunset-Glendale Airport JGX Glendale, CA Small
125 Susanville Airport SVE Susanville, CA Small
126 Thermal Airport TRM Thermal, CA Medium
127 Torrance Airport TOA Torrance, CA Medium
128 Tri-City Airport SBT San Bernardino, CA Small
129 Trona Airport TRH Trona, CA Small
130 Truckee Airport TKF Truckee, CA Medium
131 Tulare Airport TLR Tulare, CA Small
132 Twentynine Palms Airport TNP Twentynine Palms, CA Small
133 Two Harbors Airport TWH Catalina Island, CA Small
134 Ukiah Airport UKI Ukiah, CA Medium
135 Van Nuys Airport VNY Los Angeles, CA Large
136 Ventura Airport OXR Ventura, CA Medium
137 View Cove Airport VCB View Cove, CA Medium
138 Visalia Airport VIS Visalia, CA Small
139 Warner Center Business Plaza JWC Los Angeles, CA Small
140 Watsonville Airport WVI Watsonville, CA Medium
141 Whiteman Airport WHP Los Angeles, CA Medium
142 William J Fox Airport WJF Lancaster, CA Medium
143 Yosemite National Park Airport OYS Yosemite National Park, CA Small
144 Yreka Airport RKC Yreka, CA Small
145 Yuba County Airport MYV Marysville, CA Small

Major Airports in California

California is home to some of the busiest and most well-known airports in the United States. These airports are essential hubs for both domestic and international travel, connecting the Golden State with the rest of the world. Below are some of the major airports in California:

1. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

Airport Code: LAX
Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST) / UTC-8
Address: 1 World Way, Los Angeles, CA 90045

Nearby Cities:

  • Los Angeles (0 miles)
  • Santa Monica (9 miles)
  • Long Beach (20 miles)
  • Beverly Hills (12 miles)

Major Airlines Served:

  • American Airlines
  • Delta Air Lines
  • United Airlines
  • Southwest Airlines
  • Alaska Airlines
  • Lufthansa
  • Emirates

Annual Passenger Traffic: Over 88 million (2023)

Airport Location and History

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is one of the busiest airports in the world and the primary international gateway to the United States from the Pacific Rim. It is located in Westchester, Los Angeles, and serves as a major hub for both domestic and international flights. The airport opened in 1930 as Mines Field, and it was later renamed Los Angeles International Airport in 1937.

LAX has expanded significantly over the years, transforming from a small airport serving local flights into a global transportation hub. The airport plays a critical role in the economy of Southern California, providing over 1.1 million jobs and generating billions of dollars annually. It serves as a gateway for travelers to and from major cities around the world, including Tokyo, London, Mexico City, and Paris.

LAX is also a major hub for the film, entertainment, and technology industries, which are essential to the Los Angeles economy. The airport is known for its iconic “Theme Building” and its unique design, making it one of the most recognized airports in the world.

Facilities and Infrastructure

LAX has 4 runways:

  • Runway 6/24: 12,000 feet
  • Runway 7/25: 12,091 feet
  • Runway 8/26: 12,091 feet
  • Runway 9/27: 7,500 feet

The airport is capable of handling wide-body aircraft like the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747, which are regularly used for long-haul international flights. LAX has multiple terminals, each serving different airlines and offering a wide range of services and amenities, including luxury lounges, shopping, dining, and entertainment options. The airport is undergoing a massive modernization project, including a new people mover system and expanded terminals.

2. San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Airport Code: SFO
Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST) / UTC-8
Address: San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, CA 94128

Nearby Cities:

  • San Francisco (14 miles)
  • Oakland (19 miles)
  • San Mateo (8 miles)
  • Burlingame (2 miles)

Major Airlines Served:

  • United Airlines
  • American Airlines
  • Delta Air Lines
  • Alaska Airlines
  • Cathay Pacific
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Japan Airlines

Annual Passenger Traffic: Over 50 million (2023)

Airport Location and History

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is one of the major international airports in the United States, located just south of downtown San Francisco. Opened in 1937, the airport has undergone extensive renovations and expansions, growing to become a critical hub for travel between the United States and Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

SFO is one of the leading airports for technology and innovation, with multiple technology-focused initiatives designed to streamline passenger services. It also serves as a gateway to Silicon Valley, which is home to major tech companies like Apple, Google, and Tesla. Over the years, SFO has garnered a reputation for its sustainability efforts, including its LEED-certified terminals and energy-efficient initiatives.

The airport is a vital part of the Bay Area’s economy, supporting thousands of jobs and serving as a significant economic driver for tourism, business, and international commerce. With its proximity to Silicon Valley, SFO also plays an important role in business travel for the tech industry.

Facilities and Infrastructure

SFO has 4 runways:

  • Runway 1/19: 11,870 feet
  • Runway 10/28: 10,000 feet
  • Runway 8/26: 11,870 feet
  • Runway 2/20: 8,650 feet

The airport can accommodate wide-body aircraft, including the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, thanks to its long runways and modern infrastructure. SFO has multiple terminals with state-of-the-art facilities, including high-end dining, shopping, lounges, and business services. Additionally, the airport features a robust ground transportation network, including BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), shuttles, and car rental services.

3. San Diego International Airport (SAN)

Airport Code: SAN
Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST) / UTC-8
Address: 3225 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101

Nearby Cities:

  • San Diego (0 miles)
  • Chula Vista (7 miles)
  • National City (5 miles)
  • Coronado (5 miles)

Major Airlines Served:

  • Southwest Airlines
  • American Airlines
  • Delta Air Lines
  • Alaska Airlines

Annual Passenger Traffic: Over 25 million (2023)

Airport Location and History

San Diego International Airport (SAN), also known as Lindbergh Field, is located in downtown San Diego, just minutes from the waterfront and key attractions like the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park. The airport opened in 1928 and has grown significantly over the decades to become one of the busiest airports in the U.S. for domestic flights.

SAN is especially known for its proximity to Mexico, with many flights to destinations in Baja California. It also serves as a hub for flights to major U.S. cities and international destinations, particularly in the Pacific. The airport is an important contributor to the tourism-driven economy of San Diego, a city famous for its beaches, military presence, and tech industries.

Over the years, San Diego International Airport has focused on modernization and sustainability. Its current terminal expansion project aims to enhance the passenger experience while reducing the environmental footprint of the airport.

Facilities and Infrastructure

SAN has 2 runways:

  • Runway 9/27: 9,400 feet
  • Runway 8/26: 4,000 feet

SAN’s main runway is capable of accommodating wide-body aircraft, though the airport is generally used by narrow-body aircraft for its primarily domestic flights. The airport has one main terminal with multiple concourses and a wide array of services, including shopping, dining, and a unique outdoor terrace that offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and the city.

4. John Wayne Airport (SNA)

Airport Code: SNA
Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST) / UTC-8
Address: 18601 Airport Way, Santa Ana, CA 92707

Nearby Cities:

  • Santa Ana (0 miles)
  • Irvine (7 miles)
  • Costa Mesa (5 miles)
  • Anaheim (13 miles)

Major Airlines Served:

  • Southwest Airlines
  • American Airlines
  • Delta Air Lines
  • Alaska Airlines

Annual Passenger Traffic: Approximately 10 million (2023)

Airport Location and History

John Wayne Airport (SNA) is located in Orange County, California, and serves as a major regional airport for both domestic and international flights. The airport is named after Hollywood actor John Wayne, who lived in the area. It officially opened in 1979 and has since become a critical transportation hub for the affluent and tourism-driven Orange County region.

SNA is known for its convenient location near Disneyland, the beaches of Southern California, and various business centers in Irvine and Anaheim. The airport is relatively small compared to other major Californian airports, but it is a popular choice for travelers due to its proximity to Orange County and lower congestion compared to Los Angeles International Airport.

John Wayne Airport has long been an essential component of the region’s tourism industry, with many international visitors flying in for leisure or business trips to Southern California.

Facilities and Infrastructure

SNA has 2 runways:

  • Runway 2/20: 5,700 feet
  • Runway 1/19: 5,701 feet

While SNA has runways capable of accommodating small and medium-sized aircraft, it is not designed to handle wide-body jets. The airport has one main terminal with multiple concourses and services such as dining, shopping, and lounges. It offers a streamlined experience for travelers, especially those flying to nearby leisure and business destinations in Southern California.

5. Sacramento International Airport (SMF)

Airport Code: SMF
Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST) / UTC-8
Address: 6900 Airport Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95837

Nearby Cities:

  • Sacramento (0 miles)
  • Elk Grove (12 miles)
  • Roseville (15 miles)
  • Folsom (20 miles)

Major Airlines Served:

  • Southwest Airlines
  • American Airlines
  • Delta Air Lines
  • Alaska Airlines

Annual Passenger Traffic: Over 12 million (2023)

Airport Location and History

Sacramento International Airport (SMF) is the primary airport serving California’s capital city, Sacramento. The airport opened in 1967 and has undergone several expansions to accommodate growing passenger demand. SMF serves as a key gateway to Northern California and the state capital, offering both domestic and international flights.

The airport is crucial for the local economy, supporting business, government, and leisure travel. It also serves the nearby Central Valley region, which is home to a growing population and industries related to agriculture, education, and government.

Facilities and Infrastructure

SMF has 2 runways:

  • Runway 16/34: 10,000 feet
  • Runway 17/35: 6,000 feet

SMF is capable of accommodating wide-body aircraft on its longer runway (Runway 16/34). The airport has a modern terminal with a range of services, including lounges, dining, and shopping. It is a key hub for flights to and from Northern California, providing connections to major U.S. cities and international destinations.

California Overview

California is the third largest state of the US, having the border with Oregon, north to the border with Mexico in the south. About 40% of the population speaks a language other than English at home.

It has lovely landscapes, with redwood forests on the north coast, granite peaks in Sierra Nevada and desert scenery to the south. In Los Angeles is Hollywood and Beverly Hills. In San Francisco there is the Golden Gate and Chinatown bridge.

San Francisco

San Francisco is a picturesque city in California. You can go down the San Francisco hills in old cable cars, watch sea lions and albatrosses in the port and think you are in China when walking through Chinatown. The city receives more than 15 million visitors annually.

Other highlights are the Golden Gate Bridge, the wooden houses in Victorian architecture, Market street, the Telegraph Hill from where you can see the whole city. The historic Fisherman´s Wharf is a lively dock with many options for pubs and restaurants.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles, the largest city in California, is one of the top tourist destinations in the United States. The City is home to a large number of art galleries, theaters, museums, dozens of annual events and many other attractions.