The first step in planning any visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is deciding how you are going to get there. There are two main methods for getting to the Smokies – flying or driving. Here are the airports near the Smoky Mountains.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is centrally located in the eastern United States on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. There are several Smokies airport options depending on your time and budget and what you are planning to do in the park.
Make your Great Smoky Mountains trip planning super easy with one of our expertly designed Smoky Mountain itineraries.
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Flying to the Great Smoky Mountains
Map of Great Smoky Mountains Airports
Closest Airport to the Smoky Mountains National Park
Knoxville McGee Tyson Airport
McGee Tyson Airport is a medium-sized airport located in Alcoa, TN. Alcoa is a little south of Knoxville. Knoxville McGee Tyson Airport is the closest airport to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Knoxville McGee Tyson Airport’s code is TYS and the airport is located at 2055 Alcoa Hwy, Alcoa, TN 37701.
This airport is best for visitors looking to primary stay on the Tennessee side of the Smokies including Cades Cove, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Townsend.
The airport is served by all 3 major airlines: Delta, United, and American along with 2 smaller airlines: Allegiant and Frontier.
There are eight car rental options at McGee: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Dollar and Payless.
Entrance | Distance | Drive Time |
Gatlinburg | 39.9 Miles | 1 hour |
Townsend | 23.6 Miles | 30 minutes |
Cherokee | 70.3 Miles | 2 hours |
Learn more about Knoxville McGee Tyson Airport.

Airports Near the Smoky Mountains
Asheville Regional Airport
Asheville Regional Airport is a small airport located in Ashville, North Carolina. Asheville Regional Airport is the closest airport in North Carolina to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Asheville Regional Airport’s code is AVL and the airport is located at 61 Terminal Drive, Fletcher, NC 28732.
This airport is best for visitors looking to primary stay on the North Carolina side of the Smokies including Cherokee, Maggie Valley, Cataloochee, Oconaluftee.
The airport is served by all 3 major airlines: Delta, United, and American along with 3 smaller airlines: Allegiant, Sprint, and Elite (seasonal).
There are eight car rental options at Ashville: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty.
Entrance | Distance | Drive Time |
Gatlinburg | 88.7 Miles | 1 hour and 50 minutes |
Townsend | 108 Miles | 2 hours and 20 minutes |
Cherokee | 58.9 Miles | 1 hour and 10 minutes |
Learn more about Asheville Regional Airport.

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is a medium-sized airport located in Greer, South Carolina. Greer located near Greenville and Spartanburg.
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport’s code is GSP and the airport is located at 2000 GSP Drive, Greer, SC 29651.
This airport is best for visitors looking to stay on the North Carolina side of the Smokies, but Ashville doesn’t provide the best flight options.
The airport is served by all 3 major airlines: Delta, United, and American along with 3 smaller airlines: Allegiant, Frontier, and Southwest.
There are six car rental options at Greenville-Spartanburg: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National.
Entrance | Distance | Drive Time |
Gatlinburg | 151 Miles | 2 hours and 45 minutes |
Townsend | 170 Miles | 3 hours and 15 minutes |
Cherokee | 111 Miles | 2 hours and 15 minutes |
Learn more about Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.

Major Airports within driving distance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a large airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. This airport is American Airlines’ second-largest hub.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s code is CLT and the airport is located at 5501 Josh Birmingham Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28208.
This airport is best for visitors looking to stay on the North Carolina side of the Smokies and who are flying American or visiting from an international or west coast destination.
The airport is served by all 3 major domestic airlines: American, Delta, and United. Along with international airlines of Air Canada and Lufthansa and four smaller airlines: Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Sprint, and the small regional airlines of Contour, Ultimate Air, and Volaris.
There are eight car rental options at Greenville-Spartanburg: Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, and National.
Entrance | Distance | Drive Time |
Gatlinburg | 192 Miles | 3 hours and 40 minutes |
Townsend | 211 Miles | 4 hours and 10 minutes |
Cherokee | 163 Miles | 3 hours |
Learn more about Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Nashville International Airport
Nashville International Airport is a large airport located in Nashville, Tennessee.
Nashville International Airport’s code is BNA and the airport is located at 1 Terminal Dr, Nashville, TN 37214.
This airport is best for visitors looking to stay on the Tennessee side of the Smokies and who are flying Southwest, visiting from a west coast destination or select international destinations.
The airport is served by all 3 major domestic airlines: American, Delta, and United. Along with international airlines of Air Canada, British, WestJet and six smaller airlines: Alaska, Allegiant, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and the small regional airlines of Cape Air, Contour, Southern Airways, Sun Country, Ultimate Air.
There are eight car rental options at Greenville-Spartanburg: Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, and Thrifty.
Entrance | Distance | Drive Time |
Gatlinburg | 192 Miles | 3 hours and 30 hours |
Townsend | 196 Miles | 3 hours and 10 minutes |
Cherokee | 257 Miles | 5 hours |
Learn more about Nashville International Airport.

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a large airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. This airport is Delta’s primary hub and a focus city for Frontier and Southwest.
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s code is ATL and the airport is located at 6000 N Terminal Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30320.
This airport is best for visitors who are flying Delta, Frontier, or Southwest and/or visiting from an international or west coast destination.
The airport is served by all 3 major domestic airlines: American, Delta, and United. Along with international airlines of Air Canada, British, WestJet, and six smaller airlines: Alaska, Allegiant, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and the small regional airlines of Cape Air, Contour, Southern Airways, Sun Country, Ultimate Air.
There are eight car rental options at Greenville-Spartanburg: Advantage, Airport Rent a Car, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, EZ Rent a Car, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt, and Thrifty.
Entrance | Distance | Drive Time |
Gatlinburg | 202 Miles | 3 hours and 50 minutes |
Townsend | 203 Miles | 3 hours and 50 minutes |
Cherokee | 175 Miles | 3 hours |
Learn more about Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.


