Hector International Airport
2006 USGS orthophoto
IATA:FAR ICAO:KFAR FAALID:FAR
Summary
Airport type	Public / military
Owner	Municipal Airport Authority of the City of Fargo
Operator	Municipal Airport Authority
Serves	Fargo, North Dakota andMoorhead, Minnesota (Fargo–Moorhead)
Location	Fargo, North Dakota
Opened	1927 (1927)
Hub for	Corporate Air[1] Bemidji Airlines[2]
Elevation AMSL	901 ft / 275 m
Coordinates	46°55′14″N096°48′56″W / 46.92056°N 96.81556°W /46.92056; -96.81556
Website	www.FargoAirport.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
Interactive map of Hector International Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 18/36 9,001 2,744 Concrete 9/27 6,302 1,921 Concrete 13/31 3,801 1,159 Concrete
Statistics (2024)
Total passengers 1,092,836 Aircraft operations 82,632 Based aircraft (2023) 217
Source: Hector International Airport[3][4][5]

Hector International Airport (IATA:FAR,ICAO:KFAR,FAALID:FAR) is a civil-military public airport three miles (5 km) northwest ofFargo, inCass County, North Dakota, United States. The busiest airport in North Dakota, it is owned by the City of Fargo Municipal Airport Authority.^[4]Fargo Air National Guard Base is located adjacent to the airport.

The airport was named afterMartin Hector, who first leased, and then donated the original 50 acres of land to the city.^[6] Customs service is available for arrivals from Canada and other countries. Hector International has no scheduled passenger airline flights out of the country but has its international title (like many other airports) because of this customs service.

The airport is home toFargo Air National Guard Base and theHappy Hooligans of the119th Wing (119 WG), a unit of the North DakotaAir National Guard that operates theMQ-9 Reaper.

The airport was the intended destination for the airplane carryingBuddy Holly,Ritchie Valens, andJ.P. Richardson on February 3, 1959. The airplanecrashed shortly after takeoff fromMason City, Iowa, killing the three musicians and the pilot.

Hector International Airport covers 2,500 acres (10 km²) and has threerunways: 18/36 is 9,001 x 150 ft (2,744 x 46 m), 9/27 is 6,302 x 100 ft (1,921 x 30 m), and 13/31 is 3,801 x 75 ft (1,159 x 46 m).^[4][7] Hector International has the longest public runway in North Dakota and can receiveBoeing 747s.

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2021, the airport had 92,980 aircraft operations, an average of 255 per day. In December 2021, there were 203 aircraft based at the airport: 124 single-engine, 52 multi-engine, 22 jet, and 5 helicopters.^[4]

The current terminal was built in 1986 and designed by Foss Associates with Thompson Consultants.^[8]

In 2008 the airport completed the passenger terminal expansion and update that had begun in October 2006. The $15.5 million project designed by TL Stroh Architects updated the terminal and added a fifth gate, an additional baggage claim and expanded the security checkpoint area. TSA PreCheck was added in 2014.^[9]

A large terminal expansion project began in 2024. The $156 million project will add four new gates on the east side of the existing building, bringing the terminal's total number of gates to nine, as well as renovate existing portions of the terminal.^[10] The project will also increase seating, add new post-security concession areas, and expand the facility's security checkpoint.^[11] The new gates are expected to open in 2026 with full project completion slated for 2027.^[10]

A four-story, 1,000 space parking garage opened in August 2025.^[12] The $47 million facility features a skyway connecting the garage to the terminal building, which is expected to open in 2026.^[10]

Passenger destinations map
Fargo Chicago–O'Hare Orlando/Sanford Minneapolis/St. Paul Las Vegas Phoenix/Mesa Denver Dallas/Fort Worth Phoenix–Sky Harbor Nashville St. Petersburg/Clearwater Orlando Atlanta class=notpageimage| All destinations from Hector International Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination Blue = Future destination

Cargo destinations map
Fargo BIS FSD TVF DVL DIK MOT XWA MEM BJI SDF YWG class=notpageimage| All cargo destinations from Hector International Airport   = Year-round destination   = Seasonal destination   = Future destination

As of 2022, there is no public transit service to Hector International Airport. The closestMATBUS bus stop is located over a mile away.

On October 1, 1948, theGorman dogfight, a widely publicized UFO encounter, took place over Hector International Airport.^[41]

• Fargo Air Museum

• Official airport website
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective October 30, 2025
• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNavairport information for KFAR
  • ASNaccident history for FAR
  • FlightAwareairport information andlive flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS weather observations:current,past three days
  • SkyVectoraeronautical chart for KFAR
  • FAAcurrent FAR delay information

• Fargo, North Dakota
• Airports in North Dakota
• Buildings and structures in Cass County, North Dakota

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