Closest Airport to Aspen: Which Airport to Use Before, During and After the 2027 Closure

Last updated: October 28, 2026

An airfield that Pitkin County named for a commissioner in 1958 is about to go dark for seven and a half months, which turns the closest airport to Aspen into a construction site. The shutdown starts at 11 p.m. on Sunday, April 4, 2027, and the airport reopens at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2027.

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport sits 3 miles from downtown, so nothing comes closer until that Sunday night. Afterward the closest airport that still works is Eagle County Regional, about 65 miles away.

Airports Near Aspen Compared

Five airports near Aspen matter in 2027, and only one of them is a 10 minute cab ride from town. The other four need a car and a big chunk of the day.

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE): 3 Miles from Town

Tom Sardy led the 1957 effort to fund a paved runway at the field that bears his name, Sardy Field. The Aspen Chamber measures it at 3 miles from downtown, so it’s the nearest airport to Aspen by far.

Winter flights to Aspen run through April 4, 2027, according to the Aspen flight schedule. American and United both offer nonstop flights from Chicago O’Hare, while Delta covers Atlanta and Los Angeles. From December 17, 2026 American also adds Austin and Charlotte.

Wind can delay or cancel flights at ASE, and a weather diversion sends the plane to another field, so the Eagle drive is worth knowing even before the closure.

Aspen Airport Closure 2027: Dates and What Changes

The Aspen airport closure 2027 runs from 11 p.m. on Sunday, April 4, 2027 to 7 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2027. Commercial and private flights are both barred, and the terminal stays shut to the public.

Pitkin County announced the plan on May 28, 2026, in its Pitkin County closure announcement. The reason is a full runway reconstruction to current FAA standards, and voters approved it. Flights return to the existing terminal in late 2027, while the new terminal isn’t due until 2029.

Planners in the Roaring Fork Valley have floated a shuttle between the upper valley and Eagle with several stops. The Aspen Chamber closure resource page lists that idea and a rental car move as recommendations that haven’t been confirmed. A direct Denver shuttle is still under study, and RFTA may link its buses with Bustang routes.

The Gant and Little Nell hotels close for the same months, while every other hotel in Aspen Snowmass stays open.

Eagle County Airport (EGE): The Closest Open Airport in 2027

A guest landing on Saturday, May 8, 2027 finds ASE closed and Eagle County Regional open. Eagle handles airline and private flights all year, and valley planners expect extra airline activity there. The Aspen Chamber lists an Eagle shuttle among its recommendations.

On the Eagle airport to Aspen route, a 5 p.m. departure reaches town by 6:45 p.m. on Google Maps. That’s 24 miles of I-70 West to Exit 116 at Glenwood Springs. Then Highway 82 adds 40 miles through Carbondale and Basalt.

Our Eagle Airport to Aspen car service puts a chauffeur at baggage claim for the meet and greet. The ride ends door-to-door, which beats hunting for a rental car in a snowstorm. A private jet landing at the FBO adds a $50 fee for driving out to the aircraft.

Denver International Airport (DEN): 220 Miles

Land in Denver at noon and you’ll reach Aspen around 4:15 p.m., if the bags come out first. A Denver airport to Aspen drive covers 220 miles of I-70 West to Glenwood Springs and then Highway 82.

A Denver rental pointed at Independence Pass in late October may find the gate already down. CDOT locks the pass every winter and did it on November 17 in 2025. Its habit is to reopen the pass the week before Memorial Day, so winter drivers stay on I-70.

Glenwood Canyon adds its own twist, since the 2020 Grizzly Creek fire left a burn scar above it. A flash flood warning over that scar closes I-70. Our Denver to Aspen car service takes that decision off the passenger’s plate.

Rifle and Grand Junction

Rifle Garfield County Airport is a general aviation field 61 miles from Aspen. Its own site calls it the preferred alternate for Eagle and Aspen, and its FBO serves business jets.

Grand Junction Regional is 128 miles from Aspen, about 2 hours and 10 minutes by road. The Aspen Chamber names it as an alternate for 2027.

Which Airport to Book by Travel Dates

A couple landing on Saturday, March 27, 2027 and a family landing on Friday, July 9, 2027 face different maps. Both can pre-book an Eagle Airport car service pickup, but only the family has to.

Airport Transfer Rates to Aspen and Snowmass

Rates start per vehicle, and every pickup is priced route by route.

A 20% gratuity goes on top, so the $575 Eagle SUV comes to $690 and the $1285 Denver SUV to $1542. Rides between 10:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. add 10%, which is $57.50 on that Eagle SUV.

Book a pickup for Saturday, January 16, 2027 and cancellation stays free until Thursday, January 14, 2027, when the 48 hour window closes. Guests heading to Snowmass Village have their own Eagle Airport to Snowmass page.