Find the closest airport to Murrieta, CA – Flying Guide
Murrieta is a great place to visit for a variety of reasons. The weather is perfect for outdoor activities year-round and the wine is some of the best in the world. When visiting the city, one must consider which airport to use. So let’s see what are the closest airports to Murrieta.
The location of the airport is important because it will determine how convenient it is to get to and from your destination. Technically, the Ontario International Airport is the closest one to Murrieta, but there are also other options you should consider.
The beautiful town of Murrieta is located in a convenient spot with multiple big airports nearby. We recommend that you pick the one that offers the best value and convenience for you.
The list of airports near Murrieta
First things first, we’ll give you a full rundown on what airports you should consider near Murrieta. This list is for those who don’t want to get into the nitty-gritty details of why each airport is a good option over another. The list is ordered by distance (road distance) and we’ve bolded the airports that we think are the best choices.
| Airport Name | IATA | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario International Airport | ONT | 50 miles |
| John Wayne Airport | SNA | 60 miles |
| Palm Springs International Airport | PSP | 70 miles |
| Los Angeles International Airport | LAX | 90 miles |
The closest airport to Murrieta: Ontario International Airport
There are some reasons to choose Ontario International Airport over other airports near Murrieta, California. For one, Ontario International Airport is the closest airport to Murrieta at 50 miles of road distance. This means you can get to and from the airport pretty quickly.
The roads and highways around Ontario International can get pretty busy during rush hour so you should expect increased travel times during these times.
Ontario International Airport is actually among the smaller airports near Murrieta. With big players like LAX and SNA getting most of the traffic in the area, this airport is a perfect choice if you want to fly somewhere less busy.
Unfortunately, less traffic also means, that many people won’t find direct flights from their home airport to Ontario International in Canada. In this case, you should look at our other recommendations for airports nearby.
Ontario International Airport, CA, handles around 4 to 5 million travelers each year. In many US states, this would make the airport a major hub, however, in the Los Angeles area, it’s actually quite a low number.
Some of the busiest routes to ONT include Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Las Vegas, Nevada; Sacramento International Airport, California.
Other airports near Murrieta
There are actually even more great airport choices in Murrieta, California. In addition to the main airport, here are some other great picks.
Palm Springs International Airport
Palm Springs International Airport is one of our favorite picks among the airports near Murrieta. Although this one is the smallest airport out of the four it’s very conveniently located.
The distance from Palm Springs International Airport to Murrieta is 70 miles but you can usually do these 70 miles quicker than you can do the distance from any other airport in the area. Why you might ask? It’s simple, the traffic near Palm Springs is so much better than the traffic closer to Los Angeles.
This is why Palm Springs is our choice whenever we are flying to Murrieta. It has reasonable connections to the rest of the nation. Most airlines fly here from the bigger cities, so it should not be an issue to find a cheap ticket.
You can rent a car at Palm Springs International Airport and easily get to Murrieta. The average drive time from the airport to Murrieta is about an hour, depending on traffic conditions.
John Wayne Airport
John Wayne Airport is another airport you can pick when flying to Murrieta, California. The airport is located in Santa Ana and is a great option if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to get to your destination.
This airport is pretty busy, but it’s still smaller and less busy than LAX, so you’ll be able to get in and out much faster. Almost all US cities have a direct flight to SNA so it’s very easy to recommend this airport.
Of course, the downside of flying to SNA is the actual traffic. Santa Ana is busy and it’s especially busy in rush hour type of traffic. The road distance is only 60 miles but expect long travel time due to heavy traffic.
Los Angeles International Airport
There is also the option of Los Angeles International Airport when booking a flight to Murrieta, California. Of course, the legendary LAX has connections to every significant airport in the US and even to many international airports.
When it comes to airports close to Murrieta, Los Angeles International Airport is the furthest away. Although it may take a bit longer to get there, LAX is a great option for its wide range of flights and amenities.
We recommend you look at LAX flights purely to save money. If you manage to find great deals then go for it. If not, then we highly recommend skipping over this airport. Getting out of LAX is usually bad due to heavy traffic. And then you got to get yourself to the other side of the LA area in order to actually reach Murrieta. Not fun.
In short, LAX is, of course, a great airport but unless you have some great deals flying to LAX, do yourself a favor and pick a different airport near Murrieta.
Flying to Murrieta – FAQ
The closest airport is Ontario International Airport. The actual road distance from this airport to Murrieta is 50 miles. Travel times can increase due to traffic.
In our opinion, Palm Springs International Airport is the best airport when you are flying to Murrieta. You can dodge LA traffic if you fly into Palm Springs.
