Sacramento International Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | County of Sacramento | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Sacramento County Airport System | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Sacramento metropolitan area | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Sacramento,California,U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | October 21, 1967; 58 years ago (1967-10-21) | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 27 ft / 8 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 38°41′44″N121°35′27″W / 38.69556°N 121.59083°W /38.69556; -121.59083 | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||||||
.jpg) FAA airport diagram | |||||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Sacramento International Airport | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2024) | |||||||||||||||
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| Source:Federal Aviation Administration[1][2] | |||||||||||||||
Sacramento International Airport (IATA:SMF,ICAO:KSMF,FAALID:SMF) is aninternational airport located inSacramento, California, 10.5 mi (16.9 km) northwest ofDowntown Sacramento and in theSacramento County, United States and covers 6,000 acres (2,400 ha). It is the primary airport serving theSacramento Metropolitan Area, and it is run by the Sacramento County Airport System.
The airport is also a gateway to various attractions in Northern and Central California, such asHeavenly Mountain Resort,[3]Lake Tahoe,Yosemite National Park,[4]Old Sacramento State Historic Park,[5][6]California State Capitol,Wine Country,[7]Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area,[8]Cosumnes River Preserve,[9]Sutter's Mill andMarshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park[10] andSacramento–San Joaquin River Delta.[11][12]
Sacramento International Airport (SMF) opened on October 21, 1967, asSacramento Metropolitan Airport (the airfield itself was Sacramento Metropolitan Field), with one 8600-foot runway. The initial runway was on the west side of the airfield and is now named to the headings of 17R/35L. Previously, air service to Sacramento was handled by Sacramento Municipal Airport (SAC), now known asSacramento Executive Airport.[13] Sacramento Metropolitan was the first purpose-built public-use airport west of the Mississippi when it opened in 1967.[14] All airports under the Sacramento County Airport System (previously the Sacramento County Department of Airports), including SMF, are self-supporting through user fees and rentals. No local, state or federal tax funds are used for operating costs.[15]
The airport initially had five airlines:Pacific Air Lines,Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA),United Airlines,Western Airlines andWest Coast Airlines.[14]
In the 1980s, SMF added: the in-flight catering facility (1980), an FAA Flight Inspection Field Office (1985), a second air cargo facility (1985) and the east runway (1987). The east runway's opening was celebrated by the landing of aConcordeSST.America West Airlines,Continental Airlines,Morris Air,Northwest Airlines andAmerican Eagle Airlines joined the original carriers at Sacramento Metropolitan Airport during this time.[14]
In 1998, theconsolidated rental car facility and Terminal A (designed by Dreyfuss & Blackford Architects) opened.[16] The consolidated rental car terminal was the first of its kind in the nation and gave all rental car customers a single point of access that could be reached on a single shuttle. This innovation streamlined bus operations to reduce congestion at the terminal and improve air quality while enhancing customer service.[14]
With the opening of the new Terminal A, the airport was renamedSacramento International Airport, though it did not receive international flights until 2002 whenMexicana started nonstops toGuadalajara. The airport was designated aport of entry on October 5, 2006.[17]
The Sacramento County Airport System launched its website in April 1997.[14]
Southwest Airlines (1991),Alaska Airlines (1993),Horizon Air (1993) andTrans World Airlines (TWA) (1994) were added to the list of carriers at Sacramento. Southwest and Alaska Airlines grew quickly, offsetting the departure of airlines such as American Eagle, Continental andUSAir which had acquiredPSA.[14]
September 11 did not deter growth at Sacramento International Airport. Four airlines were soon added to Sacramento International: Continental returned (2000) and Frontier Airlines (2002),Mexicana Airlines (2002),Hawaiian Airlines (2002) andAloha Airlines (2003) initiated service. Mexicana's arrival initiated international nonstop flights and necessitated the completion of the International Arrivals Building for federal inspection services.[14]
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The Terminal A Parking Garage opened on September 23, 2004. The six-story structure had covered parking, a short walk to the terminal and public art ("Flying Gardens" byDennis Oppenheim) installed outside the garage,[18] and "Flying Carpet" by Seyed Alavi, installed in the connecting walkway.[14][19]
In 2006, Sacramento International Airport was one of the first airports in the nation to offer free wireless Internet service (WiFi).[14]
As the nation's economy was taking a hit in 2008, commercial aviation was challenged by reduced passenger numbers and increasing fuel and other costs.[14] The airport was a focus city forExpressJet which independently operatedEmbraer ERJ-145s on point-to-point, "hub bypass" routes.[citation needed] In 2008, ExpressJet ended all independent flying and refocused its business on codeshares for major airlines.[citation needed]
Prior to the downturn, new services began and several airlines merged. America West and US Airways merged, Northwest and Delta merged, and United and Continental initiated their merger by the end of 2011. Despite these challenges, Alaska added nonstop flights to Guadalajara, Mexico (now discontinued), and Hawaii (Maui) while Aeromexico's (2011) debut reestablished foreign-flag service with daily nonstops to Guadalajara, Mexico.[14] The new Terminal B opened on October 6, 2011, the largest airport terminal in the United States to achieveLEED Silver status.[20]
On June 5, 2008US Airways began seasonal flights toCharlotte andPhiladelphia. Sacramento was the origin for the last scheduledMD-80 flight on Alaska Airlines, Flight 363 from Sacramento to Seattle on August 24, 2008.[21] In the summer of 2010,Delta Air Lines began seasonal flights toDetroit.Continental Airlines, which later merged withUnited Airlines, previously had seasonal flights toNewark. Sacramento's seasonal route operated during the summer and fall. On January 6, 2013,Frontier Airlines ended service toDenver. US Airways previously flew toLas Vegas, but ended service after closing its Las Vegas hub.[citation needed]
Long dominated bySouthwest andUnited (United Express), the intra-California market was joined in 2011 byAmerican (American Eagle Airlines, April 2011) andDelta (Delta Connection) which provide service to and fromLAX.[citation needed]Frontier Airlines previously provided service between SMF andRedding.[citation needed]
Sacramento County tried (and failed) to enticeVirgin America into adding a flight between SMF and Los Angeles by offering the airline $400,000 to operate out of terminal A or $150,000 to operate in terminal B; other airports were also trying to entice the airline.[22]
On July 6, 2013, the airport was one of ten airports that hosted flights diverted fromSan Francisco International Airport afterAsiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed short of the runway.[23][24]
On December 17, 2013,Aeroméxico began seasonal service toDel Bajío International Airport.
On November 18, 2014,United Airlines announced it would suspend service to Washington D.C. from January 6, 2015, to April 6, 2015, citing seasonal demand. On May 4, 2015Delta Air Lines started service to Seattle–Tacoma with the flights operated bySkyWest Airlines. On December 3, 2014, United Express ended service to Arcata/Eureka and Crescent City. On February 9, 2015,SeaPort Airlines began service toVisalia. On June 18, 2015,JetBlue Airways started seasonal service to Boston. On April 8, 2015,Southwest Airlines started service toDallas–Love. They also announced (later in the year) service toBoise beginning January 6, 2016. On March 26, 2015, Aeroméxico started service to Mexico City. In the month of May, American Airlines added a fifth flight to Dallas Fort-Worth.
On April 23, 2015, the airport announced that it had posted twelve consecutive months of improved passenger traffic that started in April 2014, and 8.9 million passengers were served in 2014.[25] Passenger growth continued in 2015 and 2016, with 9.6 million passengers served in 2015 and 10.1 million in 2016.[26][27] In 2017, the airport surpassed its 2007 high of 10.7 million passengers, with 10.9 million passengers. Amongst the 35 largest metropolitan regions in the country, Sacramento has the fewest international flights.[28]
In 2016, American Airlines announced that it would begin flying between Sacramento and Chicago O'Hare beginning in June with twice daily flights for the summer season and a single nonstop the rest of the year.[29]
In 2017, Southwest added nonstop service to Long Beach and Spokane,[30]Air Canada resumed its nonstop service to Vancouver, and United added nonstop service to Newark.[31]
In 2018, Southwest added nonstop service to Austin, New Orleans, Orlando, San Jose del Cabo, and St. Louis.
By 2019, Southwest added much-awaited service to Honolulu and Kahului, exemplifying the evolution and growth of Sacramento International Airport as well as its burgeoning route network offerings, especially in the 2010s.
On June 1, 2023,Air Canada expanded its service at SMF by adding nonstop service to Toronto year-round.[citation needed]
On June 15, 2023, the Sacramento County Department of Airports announced funding had been secured for the construction of a new air traffic control tower to replace the original tower that had been in place since the airport opened in 1967. The new tower will be constructed at a site located on the north side of the Airport. It will stand 192-feet in height and the current cost estimate is between $60 million and $80 million. Construction is expected to finish by 2026.[32]
In January 2018, Sacramento International Airport's solar array was commissioned; it is rated at 7.9 MW and will supply around 30% of the airport's electricity needs. The electricity will be purchased by NRG Energy for an agreed period of 25 years. The project was built by Borrego Solar using LG solar panels at a cost of $15 million. The solar power costs 7 cents per kWh as opposed to 9 cents, so the airport expects to save nearly $1 million annually.[33]
On February 1, 2023, the airport announced a $1.3 Billion dollar expansion that would surpass the Big Build project as the largest expansion in the airport's history. Called SMForward, this expansion covers the first 5 years of expansion that will ultimately lead to the completion of the 20 year Master Plan envisioned in 2020. Over the next five years, the airport plans to build complete the following:[34][35][36][37][38]
The current version of the 2020 Master Plan calls for SMF to expand and add up to 18 more new gates to existing Terminals A and B, including the proposed six to eight gates proposed with SMForward, or to construct a new Terminal C that would contain 12 gates. At buildout, SMF is expected to have 50 gates over two or three Terminals. Future expansion plans include an extension of theGreen Line to the airport, connecting passengers to Downtown Sacramento and a long-standing proposal to extend one of the airport's runways to 11,000 feet (3,400 meters) to support long-haul international flights, as well as the relocation of certain key taxiways.[39][36][37]
In mid-2024, construction began on the pedestrian walkway connecting Terminal B to Concourse B. Preparation for the new parking garage to the west of Terminal B also started, with the current Daily B parking lot being closed to passengers.[40]
Sacramento International Airport covers 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) and has two parallel runways:[1][41]
The runways were redesignated 17/35 from 16/34 on May 20, 2020.
The west runway, 17R/35L, was closed from April 2019 to October 23, 2019, for a renovation which replaced theasphalt with concrete.
When winds are from the south (about 70% of the year), the airfield operates in "South Flow", with arrivals and departures on runways 17R and 17L. Arrivals from the south fly past the west side of the airport before turning 180 degrees and landing on 17L or 17R. This is done so that arriving aircraft clear departing aircraft, which generally turn southeast after departing.
During the other 30% of the year (typically between the fall and spring), the airfield operates in "North Flow", with arrivals and departures on runways 35L and 35R. As in South Flow, departing aircraft generally turn east to southeast immediately after taking off, so arrivals from the north pass west of the airport before turning north to land. Residences near SMF are typically south and east of the airport, so North Flow is preferred at night (between 2145 and 0745 local time), conditions permitting, to route flights over agricultural land.[43]
The airport has two terminals, Terminal A, with 13 gates; and Terminal B, with 19 gates; totaling 32 gates. The old Terminal B had 14 gates. 7 airlines operate out of Terminal B and 4 airlines operate out of Terminal A. All indoor public areas have free wi-fi (wireless Internet) provided by the Sacramento County Airport System.
Dreyfuss + Blackford Architecture has been the Architect of Record for SMF since its inception.[44] The original Terminal B (1967) and Terminal A (1998) were designed by Dreyfuss + Blackford,[44][16] and they served as the local architect for the new Central Terminal B (landside building, 2011) withCorgan Associates and Fentress Architects.[45]
A Hyatt Place hotel is planned to be built between the two current terminals.[46] Previously, the onsite Host Hotel was demolished in 2008 during Terminal B construction. An in-terminal hotel was proposed for Terminal B, but plans were temporarily dropped during the economic downturn of 2008,[47] although subsequent economic regeneration and aviation growth have since revitalized such plans.
Sacramento County Airport System has rolled out an advertising campaign dubbed "Easy as SMF" to tout the convenience of flying through SMF forresidentson theeastern edge of theSan Francisco Bay Area. Due to the Terminal B rebuild, until recently SMF charged some of the highest fees for airlines, which discouraged some carriers from operating through SMF,[needs update] although SMF has since regained its reputation as a relatively budget-friendly airport, with extensive service by low-cost carriers, such as Frontier. TheOakland andSan Francisco airports attract Sacramento-area residents seeking lower fares and more destinations.[48]
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Air Canada,American,Delta, andUnited operate out of the thirteen gates in Terminal A.
Terminal A opened in 1998 with 275,000 sq ft (25,500 m2) of floor space and 12 gates, able to accommodate expansion to 22 gates.[16] The food court in Terminal A was remodeled in 2014–15 in an effort to bring a similar customer experience with unique-to-Sacramento restaurants as provided in Terminal B.[49][50] Also, the airport re-added another gate back into its Terminal A and opened on March 18, 2021, the new gate A13 to a total back to 13 gates. Future expansion at Terminal A may include conversion to an airside concourse and the addition of a second automated people mover.[45]
In 2024, a pair of new escalators were added to Terminal A. They connect the second floor to baggage claim and are adjacent to the exit of the sterile area.
Aeromexico,Alaska,Frontier,Hawaiian,JetBlue,Southwest, andVolaris are located in the nineteen gates in Terminal B.[51]
The old Terminal B was built in 1967 as the main terminal building for the new Sacramento Metropolitan Airport with 14 gates before being demolished in 2012. The newer and bigger rebuilt Terminal B was completed and opened in 2011 with 19 gates, but the original plan was supposed to be 22 gates in total due to the high costs. Dreyfuss + Blackford, the original architects, also designed a renovation and expansion completed in 1999.[44] By that time, Terminal A was complete and frequent travelers described the 1967 Terminal B as "often overcrowded with waiting travelers."[52]
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On June 7, 2006, plans were announced to replace Terminal B with a brand new terminal by the year 2012. In 2008, the Sacramento County Airport System broke ground on the largest capital improvement project in the history of the County of Sacramento: "The Big Build."[14] The expanded Terminal B was designed byCorgan Associates, Inc. in association withFentress Architects. The landside (pre-security) portion of Terminal B was built by the joint venture of Austin Commercial, LP and Walsh Construction, and the glass and aluminum facade was constructed byAGA (Architectural Glass and Aluminum). The airside gates andpeople mover were built byTurner Construction. The $1.03 billion terminal modernization project replaced the airport's original, aging Terminal B to meet the rising demand for passenger services and improved the airport's ability to attract new carriers and routes.[53]
The Central Terminal B complex is three times the size of the original Terminal B with the two parts of the complex – airside and landside – connected by theSMF Automated People Mover.[14] The capacity of Terminal B is 16 million passengers per year, which is not expected to be reached until late in the 2020s. Approximately half of the $1 billion cost of the new terminal comes from a new ticket surcharge of $4.50 per passenger and parking fees.
Airport officials held a press conference on July 15, 2011, at theCalifornia State Fair, announcing the terminal would open on October 6, 2011. This was many months ahead of schedule compared to the original projected opening in 2012.[54]dThe new Central Terminal B became fully operational on October 6, 2011. Salvage and deconstruction of the International Arrivals Building and demolition of the original Terminal B was completed November 2012.[14]Travel + Leisure named Terminal B one of the "Coolest New Airport Terminals" in 2012.[55][56]
The airport's first waiter-serviced restaurants were introduced to the new Terminal B when it opened. These two restaurants are Esquire Grill by famous restaurateur Randy Paragary, a trendy and upscale option, and Cafeteria 15L, a low-cost and budget-inspired restaurant with fast food.[citation needed] Other Sacramento favorites held concession stands in the terminal, creating an entirely new Farm To Fork vibe in the airport which Northern California is so renowned for.[citation needed]
The Terminal B lobby prominently features the 2011 artwork "Leap" byLawrence Argent, consisting of a 56-foot (17 m) long red aluminum rabbit leaping into a large granite suitcase,[57] resulting in the unofficial nickname "the Hare-port."[58] In total, 14 artists were commissioned at a sum cost of $6 million to create artworks for the new Terminal B,[59] including the mixed media wood-and-crystal sculpture "Acorn Steam" byDonald Lipski (named as an anagram of "Sacramento"), the interactive "Your Words are Music to My Ears" by the collaboration Living Lenses, consisting of artists Po Shu Wang and Louise Bertelsen,[58] a large wooden sculpture portrait entitled "The Baggage Handlers" byChristian Moeller, and a painted steel-and-glass house entitled "The House Will Not Pass for Any Color but Its Own" byMildred Howard.[60][61][62]
| Destination maps |
|---|
  Sacramento Continental U.S. destinations (except California) from Sacramento International Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination Blue = Future destination |
 Sacramento California destinations from Sacramento International Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination Blue = Future destination |
Hawaii destinations from Sacramento International Airport |
 Sacramento Alaska and International destinations from Sacramento International Airport |
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Amazon Air | Baltimore,Chicago/Rockford,Lakeland |
| FedEx Express | Indianapolis,Memphis |
| FedEx Feeder | Chico,Crescent City,Eureka,Redding,Ukiah |
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Las Vegas, Nevada | 689,000 | Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit |
| 2 |  San Diego, California | 586,000 | Alaska, Southwest, Spirit |
| 3 |  Denver, Colorado | 536,000 | Frontier, Southwest, United |
| 4 |  Seattle–Tacoma, Washington | 433,000 | Alaska, Delta, Southwest |
| 5 |  Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona | 420,000 | American, Southwest |
| 6 | Los Angeles, California | 403,000 | American, Delta, Southwest, United |
| 7 |  Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas | 291,000 | American |
| 8 | Burbank, California | 254,000 | Southwest |
| 9 | Orange County, California | 232,000 | Southwest |
| 10 |  Salt Lake City, Utah | 217,000 | Delta, Southwest |
| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwest | 7,159,000 | 57.45% |
| 2 | United | 1,048,000 | 8.41% |
| 3 | American | 1,035,000 | 8.30% |
| 4 | SkyWest | 919,000 | 7.38% |
| 5 | Delta | 865,000 | 6.94% |
| Others | 1,435,000 | 11.51% |
| Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | 254,861 | 1975 | 1,932,461 | 1993 | 5,322,632 | 2011 | 8,547,977 |
| 1958 | 269,869 | 1976 | 2,173,294 | 1994 | 5,927,896 | 2012 | 8,909,658 |
| 1959 | 322,508 | 1977 | 2,497,751 | 1995 | 6,704,470 | 2013 | 8,686,530 |
| 1960 | 339,657 | 1978 | 2,789,380 | 1996 | 6,985,784 | 2014 | 8,972,756 |
| 1961 | 341,838 | 1979 | 2,901,509 | 1997 | 6,967,280 | 2015 | 9,612,447 |
| 1962 | 360,312 | 1980 | 2,266,612 | 1998 | 7,201,378 | 2016 | 10,118,794 |
| 1963 | 428,593 | 1981 | 2,271,862 | 1999 | 7,554,892 | 2017 | 10,912,080 |
| 1964 | 494,583 | 1982 | 2,449,564 | 2000 | 7,935,046 | 2018 | 12,050,763 |
| 1965 | 569,291 | 1983 | 2,587,376 | 2001 | 8,036,942 | 2019 | 13,172,840 |
| 1966 | 627,499 | 1984 | 2,625,399 | 2002 | 8,510,924 | 2020 | 5,583,052 |
| 1967 | 993,448 | 1985 | 2,892,005 | 2003 | 8,778,163 | 2021 | 9,702,030 |
| 1968 | 1,109,402 | 1986 | 3,468,235 | 2004 | 9,580,722 | 2022 | 12,313,370 |
| 1969 | 1,233,762 | 1987 | 3,826,583 | 2005 | 10,203,066 | 2023 | 12,976,092 |
| 1970 | 1,330,311 | 1988 | 3,761,217 | 2006 | 10,362,800 | 2024 | 13,635,818 |
| 1971 | 1,451,911 | 1989 | 3,733,594 | 2007 | 10,767,639 | 2025 | 10,425,980 Thru Sept. |
| 1972 | 1,641,831 | 1990 | 3,631,791 | 2008 | 9,844,307 | 2026 | |
| 1973 | 1,794,454 | 1991 | 4,351,964 | 2009 | 8,780,942 | 2027 | |
| 1974 | 1,903,258 | 1992 | 5,124,994 | 2010 | 8,667,338 | 2028 |
The airport is accessed via Airport Boulevard directly fromInterstate 5 at exit 528. The following can be reached via I-5 within 10 miles (16.09 km) of the airport:Interstate 80,CA-113,U.S. Route 50 andCA-99. A new entryway into the airport, which involves extending Elkhorn Boulevard from its former western terminus at Power Line Road to the Crossfield Drive/Airport Boulevard interchange, provides a direct connection from the airport to CA-99 at exit 307. The one-mile (1.6 km) extension project, which broke ground on April 29, 2023,[98] was expected to be completed by the end of 2023,[99] but was pushed back to 2024. Construction of the extension was eventually completed and was officially opened to traffic on May 21, 2024.[100]
Yolobus bus No. 42A connects the airport to Sacramento,Woodland andDavis.Sacramento Regional Transit bus Express No. 142 andYolobus bus No. 42B connect directly fromdowntown Sacramento to SMF.[101]
TheSacramento Regional Transit District will provide a futurelight rail link, an extension of theGreen Line, to the airport. Environmental evaluation, clearance and construction for the Green Line was projected to be complete by 2018, but the project was never completed and had been delayed for the past few years.[102][needs update]
BothAltamont Corridor Express andAmtrak CaliforniaGold Runner services are expected to terminate at a nearby plannedNatomas/Airport station wherebus bridges will complete the journey to the airport.[103]
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Transportation in the Sacramento metropolitan area
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