First, let’s talk in general about the Grand Junction airport (GJT). It opened in 1930 as Walker Field. It’s the largest on the western slope and the third largest in the state after Denver (DEN) and Colorado Springs (COS). You get a beautiful view sitting in the gate area because you can see the planes take-off and land with the Book Cliff Mountains in the backdrop. There are only 6 gates, so it’s cozy and you can hear all the flight announcements. Flights through GJT are not cheap, so do your research and book far in advance if you can.

Alternate Airports

To save money getting to Grand Junction, you can fly to Denver or Salt Lake City (each within about 4 hours) and drive to Grand Junction. However, when it comes time to fly back, I highly recommend you drive there one day and take a flight out the next day. Don’t drive and fly on the same day, especially to Denver as I-70 traffic is quite unpredictable any time of the year with accidents, avalanche closures, forest fires and mud slide closures. Yes, we’ve been delayed or diverted because of all these events. You can fly into Montrose (MTJ) sometimes for less, and that’s just about an hour south. They have on-site parking for departures and have recently expanded their terminal and services.

Grand Junction Airport (GJT) Top 10% in World

Grand Junction Regional Airport is one of only three airports in the U.S. to receive a five-star rating. Three U.S. airports in Hawaii received a five-star rating along with Salt Lake City, Utah; Boise, Idaho; and Grand Junction, Colorado. The star ratings range from one to five stars. Airlines and airports, in the top 10%, offer the best on-time performance to receive a five-star rating. Nearly 85% of Grand Junction Airport’s flights arrived and departed on-time.

In addition to the on-time performance, Grand Junction Regional Airport ranked number eight among North America’s small airports in “Turnaround Kings”. This rating accredits airports that receive late arrivals and turn the aircraft around for an on-time departure.

Airlines serving Grand Junction Airport

Allegiant Airlines, American Airlines, Breeze (new in 2023/2024), and United Airlines. These carriers can bring you to Grand Junction from the following major cities for connecting flights: Denver (DEN), Dallas/Fort Worth (SFW), Phoenix (PHX), Los Angeles (LAX), and Las Vegas (LAS). Breeze is adding new flights to San Francisco (SFO) in May 2024 and now flies to John Wayne Orange County/Santa Ana (SNA).

Food, Drinks and Gifts at Grand Junction Airport

For your departure from GJT, there is a grill and concessions available at the airport. You can order a meal to be prepared fresh or grab a premade sandwich, get your coffee, or other food items. There’s a gift shop if you need postcards to send to your loved ones or a magazine or book for the flight. Or, plan ahead and get a free book from The Christi Reece Group’s Little Free Library location! Typical Grand Junction souvenirs and gifts as well as snacks for on the plane. Plus, right in the gate area is a full-service bar serving passengers 21 and older.

Parking at the Airport

Here’s the link to parking at the Grand Junction airport so you have the most up-to-date rates and availability. Did you know that you can park in the lot for up to 20 minutes for FREE? As of this writing (January 2024) parking is just $12 a day. Now they don’t offer covered parking, just an open lot, but that’s reasonable considering what you’d pay to park at a large international airport. Departures from the Grand Junction airport are very convenient.

Easy Pick-Up and Drop-Off

Every time we have picked up friends or relatives at the airport, there hasn’t been more than 5 cars out front at the curb. It’s very easy to get up close to the doors for arrivals or departures. I know the standard is to arrive 2 hours before your flight for check-in, but when flying out of the Grand Junction airport, you probably can get by with arriving 1-1.5 hours ahead of time. There’s just one security checkpoint, one conveyor to scan your bags. The line moves fast, unless the TSA agent gets chatty, then it takes longer.

Budget Car Rental in Grand Junction, CO

There are several options for ground transportation when you arrive at the Grand Junction airport. You can rent a car from companies like Alamo, Avis, Enterprise, Hertz or National. You can choose to take a bus to your destination via Grand Valley Transit or Bustang (transportation throughout Colorado). There are special shuttles to other areas in western Colorado like Aspen, Telluride and to Moab, Utah. Check out all the ground transportation options. And, of course, there are other options for budget car rental in Grand Junction like renting someone’s personal vehicle using an app like Turo. Since Grand Junction is a small community, it’s easy to ask a friend or neighbor to give you a ride to the airport or pick you up. It shouldn’t take them more than 10-20 minutes to get to the airport, and there most likely won’t be any traffic to slow them down like other larger congested cities.

Ready to Go?

Read my post Two Day Itinerary for Grand Junction Visit or Top Day Trips from Grand Junction – see you soon!

Living in Grand Junction

We’ve flown into both Salt Lake City and Denver and driven the rest of the way to Grand Junction. And many times, we have taken a flight right into the Grand Junction airport. Our daughter flew out of Montrose once to Detroit (via Chicago) because it offered a much lower rate than flying out of Grand Junction. We appreciate the convenient service of a small local airport and are thankful it’s here. It has everything you need as a traveler and not much more! We love living in Grand Junction.

If you are planning a trip to Grand Junction, please let me know. I’d love to show you around the area if this is your first visit. As a licensed REALTOR® in Colorado, I can even show you some properties during your visit to Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade and our surrounding communities in Mesa County if you are considering living in Grand Junction. Check out my post with the average monthly temperatures in Grand Junction.

I’ve been in real estate since 2001 and would love to help you buy a property in Grand Junction! Learn more about why I chose the Christi Reece Group and my post that shares what I learned in the first three months of living in Grand Junction.

Let me help you… Move to Grand Junction!

We’ve been waiting for you!

Text/Call 612-306-9558 with your questions.

Paul Aspelin, Realtor®
GRI, SRES®, CNE
The Christi Reece Group
Hot Property Listings and MLS Search: paul.christireece.com

© 2024 Paul Aspelin, Realtor® MovetoGrandJunction.com. Copyright protected. All Rights Reserved.