How to Fly to Napa Sonoma Wine Country: Santa Rosa Airport

Most people who visit us here in Sonoma County and Napa Valley Wine Country fly into San Francisco or Oakland, then make the nearly two-hour drive up Highway 101. But did you know that you can fly directly into Wine Country from many U.S. cities via Santa Rosa Airport? It’s true! Instead of fighting traffic for hours during peak times, you could land at the charming (and recently renovated) Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (airport code STS)—named for the famous “Peanuts” creator who called the city home—and be just a 15-minute Uber/Lyft ride from downtown Healdsburg or 45 minutes to Napa Valley. If you don’t want to Uber, you can also easily pick-up a rental car from Sonoma County Airport. So why drive to Wine Country when you can fly?

Commercial Airlines That Fly to Napa Sonoma Wine Country

The following airlines offer service to Santa Rosa Airport, Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS).

Alaska Airlines

Beginning in 2007, Alaska was the first commercial airline to serve Santa Rosa Airport. Direct flights on Alaska Airlines are available to Santa Rosa, the largest city in Sonoma Wine Country, from the following cities:

• Burbank, CA
• Orange County, CA
• Portland, OR
• Los Angeles, CA
• San Diego, CA
• Seattle, WA

As a bonus, Alaska Airlines’ “Wine Flies Free” program lets you take home up to one case (12 bottles) of wine as part of your free luggage allowance—as long as it’s packed in a protective shipping container. (Wine shippers are available at many local wineries and mailbox/shipping stores.) Just enter your mileage program number when you make your flight reservation, and the program activates automatically. Learn more on Alaska Airlines’ website.

American Airlines

American Airlines now offers nonstop flights between Santa Rosa Airport and two major cities out-of-state. As of winter 2024, American nonstop flights to and from Sonoma Wine Country include:

• Dallas, TX
• Phoenix, AZ

American’s Dallas to Sonoma Wine Country direct flight means that now you can fly from the many other U.S. cities with just one stop at DFW Airport in Dallas. If you’re flying from MIA Airport in Miami to Napa Sonoma Wine Country, simply connect in Dallas or Phoenix and arrive directly into Santa Rosa Airport. To fly from JFK airport in New York or ORD in Chicago to Napa Sonoma, you can also connect in Dallas and Phoenix, which might seem out of the way, but the connecting flight layovers are reasonable at 1-2 hours. That’s shorter than the drive time from San Francisco.

Avelo Airlines

Founded in 2021, Avelo Airlines has recently taken flight to Sonoma County Airport and now offers nonstop flights to and from Santa Rosa. (Its first-ever flight was actually a direct flight from Burbank to Santa Rosa Airport.) As a more economically-friendly airline, Avelo flies into smaller airports that are easier to navigate. If you’re flying on a budget (and with minimal luggage), we recommend this airline for a direct flight into Sonoma Wine Country.

• Bend/Redmond, OR (seasonal)
• Boise, ID (starts May 2024)
• Burbank, CA
• Kalispell, MT (starts May 2024)
• Las Vegas, NV
• Palm Springs, CA (seasonal)
• Pasco Tri-Cities, WA (starts May 2024)
• Portland/Salem, OR (starts May 2024)

With more flights arriving and departing from Santa Rosa Airport, the hub has been busy updating its terminals, airline gates, restaurants and baggage claim since 2019. Be sure to check out Flying Ace Kitchen + Taproom (replaced the Sky Lounge Restaurant), Costeaux On The Go, and Crush (new wine bar that also serves cocktails, beer and small bites).