Airports in Anchorage Municipality County, Alaska: Private, Municipal, Regional(All)

Airports Serving the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska

The Municipality of Anchorage is home to nearly 300,000 residents and serves as Alaska's largest population center, economic hub, and primary aviation gateway. Encompassing 1,706 square miles of territory along the upper Cook Inlet, Anchorage sits at the geographic and logistical crossroads of the state's transportation network. The municipality contains two major airports that together handle the vast majority of all passenger and cargo traffic in Alaska, making Anchorage one of the most aviation-dependent metropolitan areas in the United States. With approximately 1 in every 58 Anchorage residents holding a pilot's license compared to the national average of roughly 1 in 500, the city's relationship with aviation is deeply embedded in its culture and daily life. Float planes, bush planes, and private aircraft are a common sight throughout the municipality, with Lake Hood and Lake Spenard hosting the world's busiest seaplane base directly adjacent to the international airport.

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) — Alaska's Premier Gateway

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport operates under IATA code ANC and stands as the undisputed aviation hub of Alaska, handling approximately 5 million passengers annually and ranking among the top cargo airports in the world by freight tonnage. Located 5 miles southwest of downtown Anchorage, the airport features three runways, with the longest measuring 12,400 feet to accommodate fully loaded wide-body cargo aircraft. The North Terminal serves domestic operations while the South Terminal handles international flights and additional domestic carriers. Alaska Airlines dominates passenger operations with dozens of daily departures to in-state destinations including Fairbanks (FAI), Juneau (JNU), Kodiak (ADQ), Bethel (BET), Barrow (BRW), Nome (OME), and Kotzebue (OTZ), plus nonstop service to Seattle (SEA), Portland (PDX), Los Angeles (LAX), Phoenix (PHX), and other Lower 48 cities.

Delta Air Lines operates nonstop seasonal service from Anchorage to Minneapolis-Saint Paul (MSP) and Salt Lake City (SLC), while United Airlines serves Denver (DEN) and seasonal routes to Chicago O'Hare (ORD). Condor Airlines offers seasonal nonstop flights to Frankfurt, Germany, and Icelandair has operated seasonal Reykjavik service. The airport's cargo operations are among its most significant features globally, with FedEx, UPS, Atlas Air, Cathay Pacific Cargo, Korean Air Cargo, China Airlines Cargo, and numerous other freight carriers utilizing ANC as a refueling and transfer point on transpacific routes between North America and Asia. This strategic geographic position on great circle routes between major manufacturing centers in Asia and consumer markets in North America makes Anchorage the fifth-busiest cargo airport in the world, handling over 3 million metric tons of freight annually.

Merrill Field (MRI) — General Aviation Hub

Merrill Field operates under FAA identifier MRI and serves as Anchorage's primary general aviation airport, located just 1 mile east of downtown at an elevation of 137 feet above sea level. The airport features two paved runways, the longest at 4,000 feet, and handles over 80,000 aircraft operations annually, making it one of the busiest general aviation airports in the United States. Merrill Field is home to numerous flight schools including Rust's Flying Service, charter operators, air taxi companies, and private aircraft owners. The airport serves as a departure point for bush flights to remote communities, hunting and fishing lodges, and backcountry airstrips throughout Southcentral Alaska. Approximately 300 aircraft are based at Merrill Field, ranging from Piper Super Cubs to de Havilland Beavers and Cessna Caravans used in charter and bush operations.

Lake Hood Seaplane Base (LHD) — World's Busiest Floatplane Facility

Lake Hood Seaplane Base carries the FAA identifier LHD and holds the distinction of being the world's busiest seaplane base, logging over 50,000 float plane operations per year during ice-free months from approximately May through October. Located immediately adjacent to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Lake Hood and connected Lake Spenard together provide approximately 1.5 miles of water runway for float-equipped aircraft. Over 500 float planes are registered at the facility, and the base serves as the primary departure point for recreational flying, fishing lodge transfers, wilderness access, and bush pilot training in Southcentral Alaska. Rust's Flying Service and several other operators run scheduled and charter floatplane service to destinations throughout the Kenai Peninsula, Susitna Valley, Bristol Bay region, and Prince William Sound from Lake Hood docks.

Beyond the major facilities, the Municipality of Anchorage supports aviation through several additional infrastructure elements. Birchwood Airport (BCV) is a public-use general aviation airport located 18 miles north of downtown in the Chugiak-Eagle River area, featuring a 2,200-foot paved runway used primarily by recreational pilots and flight training operations. Campbell Lake and other smaller water bodies within the municipality support seasonal float plane operations. The Alaska Department of Transportation maintains an extensive network of navigational aids and weather reporting stations throughout the Anchorage Bowl and surrounding Chugach Mountain passes, critical for safe operations in the highly variable Southcentral Alaska weather environment. Anchorage approach control manages one of the most complex airspace configurations in Alaska, coordinating simultaneous operations at ANC, MRI, and LHD along with military traffic from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (EDF), which shares airspace and occasionally coordinates runway use with the international airport.

Ground transportation from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport includes the People Mover public bus system Route 40 connecting the airport to the Downtown Transit Center, taxi and rideshare services from prior-arranged providers, rental car agencies from Hertz, Avis, Budget, National, Enterprise, and Alamo located in the rental car center connected by shuttle, and hotel courtesy shuttles. The Alaska Railroad offers seasonal service from the downtown depot with connections to Denali National Park, Fairbanks, Seward, and Whittier, though there is no direct rail connection to the airport terminal. Long-term parking at ANC is available in the multi-level garage at rates of approximately 13 to 15 dollars per day, while cell phone lots allow free short-term waiting for arriving passengers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Airports in the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska