Closest Airport to Monterey, CA [+ How to Get There]

Are you looking for the closest airport to Monterey, CA? Then you’ve come to the right place.

Finding the nearest airport to Monterey, CA may not necessarily be the best, as some offer cheaper airfare prices and others have better options for transportation. 

There are a lot of airports for Monterey, CA you can choose from, but each of them has its own pros and cons, depending on your preference and circumstances.

To help you make the best decision for your upcoming trip, we created this comprehensive guide on the closest airports to Monterey, CA.

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6 Closest Airports to Monterey, CA

There are a lot of airports close to Monterey, but the best one depends on whether or not you’re traveling on a budget or if you need to get there as quickly as possible.

The closest airport to Monterey is Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), which is only an eight-minute drive from downtown. 

San Jose International Airport (SJC) is the second nearest airport to Monterey, and it would take about 1:25 hours to get there. 

The closest major airport to Monterey is San Francisco International Airport (SFO) for those doing a cross-country flight or flying in from international destinations. 

This drive typically takes two hours, depending on traffic.

Another major airport near Monterey, CA, is Oakland International Airport (OAK), which takes about 2:20 hours to get there by car. 

If you’re planning on having multiple stops before getting to Monterey, Sacramento International Airport (SMF) and Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) are great options to consider, as both take around 3 hours to get to Monterey.

Airports near Monterey, CA

Airport	Distance to Monterey	Drive Time to Monterey
Monterey Regional Airport	3.5 miles	6-8 minutes
San Jose International Airport	75 miles	1:25 hours
San Francisco International Airport	101 miles	1:40 hours
Oakland International Airport	117 miles	1:50 hours
Fresno Yosemite International Airport	158 miles	2:50 hours
Sacramento International Airport	191 miles	3 hours

Local Tip: Looking for the closest airport to Carmel, CA? Use this guide to find the best airports to fly into for Carmel-by-the-Sea.

1. Monterey Regional Airport (MRY)

• Distance to Monterey: 3.5 miles
• Drive Time to Monterey: 6-8 minutes
• Ground Transportation: Monterey Airbus, Taxi, Uber/Lyft, Monterey Salinas Transit

Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) is the closest airport to Monterey, with only a short six to eight-minute drive to downtown. 

While it is the quickest way to get there, it’s not necessarily the best one, as the airfare is more expensive here compared to other airports near Monterey, CA.

Monterey airport is a regional airport that is quite small, with limited direct flights, making it a bit inaccessible for international and other domestic travelers. 

If you’re in a rush to get to Monterey and you are not strapped for cash, MRY is the best airport for you.

To have easy access to all the best things to do in Monterey, you should base yourself in the downtown area.

You can get to downtown Monterey without driving by taking the Monterey Salinas Transit (MST) at MRY to most destinations in the city.

🚘 Rental Cars: Rental car companies are located on the first floor of the terminal building next to the baggage claim. For the best rates, see RentalCars.com. Find out the legal age to rent a car in California here.

• Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National

What Airlines Fly to Monterey (MRY)?

Airlines	Destinations
Alaska Airlines	San Diego, Seattle
Allegiant Air	Las Vegas
American Airlines	Dallas, Phoenix
United Airlines	Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco
JSX	Burbank, Orange County

2. San Jose International Airport (SJC)

• Distance to Monterey: 75 miles
• Drive Time to Monterey: 1:25 hours
• Airlines: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Volaris, Zipair  

San Jose International Airport (SJC) is the closest Southwest airport to Monterey. 

Because of its proximity to Monterey, cheaper airfare, and access to a direct shuttle, San Jose airport (SJC) is the best airport for Monterey, CA.

It only takes about an hour and a half to drive into downtown Monterey, and the airfare is not as expensive as flying into MRY. 

Even though this is a smaller airport compared to SFO, there are over 42 nonstop destinations serviced by 11 airlines.

Southwest Airlines has amazing deals for this airport, depending on the departure city. 

If you want to get to Monterey on a budget, you should definitely consider flying into SJC. 

Getting from San Jose Airport to Monterey 

The best way to get from San Jose airport to Monterey is by renting a car.

This gives you the most flexibility with your time and travel plans.

There are two routes that you can take to get to Monterey from SJC. For a scenic drive, Highway 17-S to Hwy 1 is the best choice, but some sections are pretty windy. 

Highway 101 is a more straightforward route, which may be easier, especially for those driving to Monterey for the first time. 

If you don’t want to drive, you can also take the Monterey Airbus shuttle, which drops passengers off at selected hotels in Monterey.  

From SJC, the fare for a one-way ticket to Monterey is $48. You can find their pick-up and drop-off locations at SJC here. 

🚘 Rental Cars: The rental car center is located directly across from Terminal B. Passengers at Terminal A can take any airport blue shuttle bus to the Rental Car Center. For the best rates, check Rentalcars.com. Read this for under 25 car rentals.

• Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt, Thrifty

Direct Flights to SJC Airport inside the US

There are 42 direct flights to this airport, 34 of which are domestic and seven international. See the full list here.

3. San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

• Distance to Monterey: 101 miles
• Drive Time to Monterey: 1:40 hours

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is the closest major airport to Monterey, CA.

It’s one of the best airports to fly into for Monterey, and it will only take an hour and 40 minutes to two hours to get to downtown Monterey.

There’s also a shuttle service that will take you directly to Monterey if you prefer not to drive.

With over 75 nonstop destinations within the US, there’s no doubt that SFO is the largest airport in the Bay Area. 

There are also 45+ airlines and flights to more than 120 destinations worldwide, making this the best option if you are traveling internationally.

As this is one of the busiest airports in California, keep in mind the rush hour traffic as it can get really congested in the Bay Area. 

Arrival times in the early morning, mid-day, and late evening are best if you want to avoid spending a significant amount of time making the transit.

Getting from SFO Airport to Monterey

From SFO, you can choose between renting a car or hopping on a shuttle to get to Monterey. 

The best way to get there is by renting a car to give you the flexibility to travel at your own pace.

Rental cars at SFO airport are slightly cheaper than the rental car companies at SJC, but the drive time between the two cities is not that much different. You can check the rates here.

The drive to Monterey from San Francisco is a scenic one that you shouldn’t miss.

Another option is to take the Monterey Airbus, but this will definitely take much longer than driving yourself.

The shuttle costs $59 for a one-way ticket to Monterey, which will take around 2:45 hours, depending on traffic. You can find their pick-up locations at SFO here. 

🚘 Rental Cars: Take the AirTrain Blue Line from the airport terminals, which will take you directly to the rental car center. A free shuttle service from the rental car center is available upon customer request for the off-airport rental car agencies.

• On-Airport: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, National, Thrifty; Off-Airport: NU, Payless, Fox

👉 For the best rates, check Rentalcars.com.

4. Oakland International Airport (OAK)

• Distance to Monterey: 117 miles
• Drive Time to Monterey: 1 hour and 50 minutes
• Airlines: Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, Azores Airlines, Contour Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian Airlines, JSX, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Volaris

Another airport you can fly into for Monterey is Oakland International Airport.

Traveling from the airport to downtown Monterey takes about an hour and 50 minutes.

There are eleven airlines that fly through here, with 41 nonstop destinations within the US. 

Depending on where you’ll be flying from, Southwest Airlines has some great deals on select routes from time to time, so keep an eye out for them. 

While it is more convenient and faster to fly into SJC, the airfare usually costs a bit more than in OAK. 

Also, if you plan on renting a car for your trip to Monterey, Oakland Airport has the cheapest rental car options compared to SJC and SFO.

Rush hour traffic usually starts from 7:00 to 9:00 in the morning and 4:00-6:00 in the evening, so make sure to keep that in mind while booking your flight. 

Getting from Oakland Airport to Monterey

There are different options that you can take to get to Monterey from OAK. 

The most convenient way is to rent a car, especially with the affordable options available from this airport.

There is no direct shuttle from OAK to Monterey. However, you can travel to SFO airport by BART, which takes about 1:20 to 1:50 hours, to catch the Monterey airbus shuttle.

To do this, take the BART from OAK to Coliseum Station, then hop on the Blue Line to 24th Street Mission Station. From there, you have to transfer to the Yellow Line to SFO, where you can catch the Monterey Airbus. 

🚘 Rental Cars: Take the rental car shuttle buses that operate between terminals and the rental car center every ten minutes or less, 24 hours a day.

• Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National, Payless, Thrifty

👉 For the best rates, check Rentalcars.com

5. Sacramento International Airport (SMF)

• Distance to Monterey: 191 miles
• Drive Time to Monterey: 3 hours
• Airlines: Aeromexico, Air Canada,  Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian Airlines, Horizon, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, Volaris

Another international airport near Monterey Bay is Sacramento International Airport (SMF).

One of the best things about this airport is that it doesn’t get too busy, and it’s very easy to get in and out. 

There are also a lot of rental car companies that you can choose from and 38 non-stop destinations within the US.

The only downside is that among all of the airports close to Monterey on this list, SMF is the farthest option and will take about three hours to get to Monterey. 

However, if you’re planning on doing multiple stops, this airport is the best one to fly into. 

If you’re not in a rush, you can visit other places like Napa Valley, San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, and Santa Cruz on your way to Monterey.

🚘 Rental Cars: Take the rental car shuttle that arrives at designated stops on ground-level curbs outside both terminals every ten minutes.

• On-Airport: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Thrifty, Zipcar

👉 For the best rates, check Rentalcars.com

6. Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT)

• Distance to Monterey: 158 miles
• Drive Time to Monterey: 2 hours and 40 minutes
• Airlines: Aeromexico, Aha! Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Volaris

Driving from Fresno Yosemite Airport (FAT) is not the quickest and most convenient way to get to Monterey as it is 158 miles away and will take about 2 hours and 40 minutes to drive there. 

However, this is the best airport for Monterey if you are planning on stopping by Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Park. 

One disadvantage of this airport is that there are only twelve nonstop destinations within the US, and there are not a lot of international flights. 

As it is a small airport, dining options are limited, and the check-in process could take a long time, especially during peak season.

🚘 Rental Cars: The in-terminal car rental centers are conveniently located across from baggage claim. Get the best rates at RentalCars.com.

• Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Thrifty

• Best Coffee Shops in Monterey
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• Carmel-by-the-Sea Coffee Shops

FAQs

What airport do you fly into for Monterey?

Although Monterey Regional Airport is the closest, the best airport to fly into for Monterey is either San Jose Airport (SJC) or San Francisco (SFO).

Both airports have access to the Monterey Airbus, a shuttle service that will take you directly to Monterey.

For international passengers, San Francisco (SFO) is a great option, but San Jose (SJC) or Oakland (OAK) is the best choice for domestic travelers.

Is there an airport in Monterey Bay?

Yes. Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) is only 3.5 miles and an eight-minute drive from the city, which makes this the closest airport to Monterey.

Five airlines operate at Monterey Regional Airport with direct flights to San Diego, Seattle, Las Vegas, Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Burbank, and Orange County.

What airlines fly out of Monterey California airport?

There are five airlines that fly out of Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) with direct flights to ten destinations in the United States.

The carrier options include Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, United Airlines, and JSX, which offer flights to different cities in California, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Washington. 

Is Monterey close to San Francisco?

Monterey, CA is 116 miles away from San Francisco, which is about a 2-hour drive. This beautiful coastal town makes for an easy day trip from the city.

If you want to explore further, you can visit Big Sur, which is only an hour’s drive from here. The drive from Carmel to Big Sur is one of the best coastal drives in California.

Wrap-Up: Closest Airports to Monterey 

The closest airport to Monterey is Monterey Regional Airport, but the best one to take will depend on where you are coming from and your travel plans. 

Now that you’ve figured out the pros and cons of each airport, all that’s left to do is to book your flight and pack your bags for your adventure to beautiful Monterey.

Related:

• Closest Airports to Lake Tahoe
• Closest Airports to Napa Valley
• Closest Airports to Yosemite