St Marys Airport - KSM in St Marys, Alaska

St. Mary's Airport (KSM): Lower Yukon Regional Aviation Hub

St. Mary's Airport (IATA: KSM) serves the community of St. Mary's at the confluence of the Andreafsky and Yukon rivers in Western Alaska, functioning as a sub-regional hub for communities along the lower Yukon River corridor. With approximately 550 residents, St. Mary's is one of the larger Yup'ik communities in the lower Yukon region and serves as a regional service center for surrounding villages — hosting a high school (the Andreafsky High School regional boarding school), a health clinic, and commercial services that draw residents from surrounding smaller villages. Alaska Airlines/Ravn service and regional carriers connect St. Mary's to Bethel and Anchorage, making KSM the aviation gateway for the lower Yukon area.

The Andreafsky River, which enters the Yukon at St. Mary's, is one of Western Alaska's exceptional wilderness river systems, flowing through the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge — the largest unit in the US National Wildlife Refuge system, encompassing 19.6 million acres. KSM serves as a departure point for wilderness access to the refuge, which is home to extraordinary shorebird, waterfowl, and raptor populations as well as salmon streams of global importance. Alaska DOT&PF maintains St. Mary's Airport with the investment appropriate for a regional sub-hub, including runway pavement and instrument approach infrastructure that enables all-weather operations critical for the hub's role in regional transportation.

Frequently Asked Questions About St. Mary's Airport

What regional services does St. Mary's provide?

St. Mary's hosts the Andreafsky High School regional boarding school, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation clinic serving the lower Yukon region, and commercial services that make it a destination for residents of surrounding smaller villages.

What is the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge?

The refuge is the largest in the US National Wildlife Refuge system at 19.6 million acres, encompassing most of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and hosting globally important populations of migratory shorebirds, waterfowl, and salmon.

What airlines serve St. Mary's Airport?

Regional carriers connecting to Bethel and Anchorage serve KSM. The route provides the community's link to hospital-level medical care, commercial flights, and the broader Alaska air transportation system.

Who maintains St. Mary's Airport?

Alaska DOT&PF Division of Statewide Aviation owns and operates St. Mary's Airport as a state-owned public-use airport serving the lower Yukon region.

Visiting St. Mary's Airport and the Lower Yukon Region

St. Mary's Airport offers connections to one of the most remarkable wildlife landscapes in North America. The Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, accessible via charter flight or guided tour from St. Mary's, hosts millions of migratory shorebirds and waterfowl during spring and fall — a spectacle that draws ornithologists, wildlife photographers, and nature travelers from around the world. The lower Yukon River itself offers outstanding king and chum salmon fishing for those seeking a remote Alaska fishing experience in the Y-K Delta's world-class waters.

The FAA Alaskan Region provides instrument approach procedures and weather services for St. Mary's Airport, reflecting its importance as a regional hub. The community of St. Mary's has limited but adequate visitor services — the regional school and clinic attract professional staff from around Alaska who can provide informal guidance for visitors. Alaska DOT&PF's continued investment in KSM's runway and instrument approach infrastructure reflects the airport's critical role as a sub-hub in the lower Yukon aviation network. For those traveling to understand the scale and significance of Western Alaska's wildlife refuges, or to experience the Yup'ik communities that call this extraordinary delta home, St. Mary's is the airport that makes the lower Yukon accessible to the wider world.