Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport guide

Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport sits inside Eglin Air Force Base in Okaloosa County, next to the town of Valparaiso. It is a joint-use field: military and commercial traffic share the airfield, and the site covers about 6,500 acres. The drive to Destin is just under 16 miles and takes about 25 minutes. Okaloosa County Airport Administration runs the commercial side.

Passenger service began in 1957 with Southern Airways. The current terminal opened in November 2004. Traffic reached about 2.5 million passengers in 2025, up from 1.2 million in 2017, and the airfield handled 21,640 aircraft operations that year. The airport has used several names, including Okaloosa Regional and Northwest Florida Regional, and took its present name in 2015.

Two long runways serve the field: 12/30 at 12,004 ft and 02/20 at 10,012 ft. Allegiant runs a base here, and Delta, American and Southwest carry a large share of the seats. Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth and Charlotte are the busiest routes. Only commercial flights may use VPS. General aviation and business aircraft go to Destin Executive Airport.