Bismarck Municipal Airport Guide

Bismarck Municipal Airport sits three miles southeast of downtown Bismarck, in Burleigh County, North Dakota. It is the main commercial airport for central North Dakota and sits close to the Missouri River crossing into Mandan. Airline service began in June 1931, when Northwest Airlines flew a Stinson Detroiter into the field.

The airport handled about 586,000 passengers in 2024, up from about 513,000 the year before. That year it also logged 27,791 aircraft operations, with around 90 aircraft based on the field. Allegiant, American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express serve the airport, with nonstop flights to hubs such as Minneapolis/St. Paul, Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago O'Hare. Allegiant adds leisure routes to Las Vegas and Phoenix/Mesa. Cargo carriers include FedEx Feeder, Alpine Air Express and Encore Air Cargo.

The present terminal opened in May 2005 and cost about $15 million. It replaced a 1963 building that was demolished in 2003. Land for the airport came partly from the former Fort Lincoln, which was given to the city in 1946, and the 7th Ferry Command of the U.S. Army Air Corps used the field from 1943 to 1946. Two paved runways handle passenger jets and general aviation traffic.