Spokane International Airport

Spokane International Airport (GEG) sits about five miles west of downtown Spokane, Washington, serving as the primary air gateway for the Inland Northwest region. With nonstop flights to over a dozen major US cities, it handles roughly 4 million passengers annually — a volume that places it firmly in the mid-size category. The airport operates on a single-terminal layout, dividing its traffic between two concourses (B and C) that are connected by a central atrium. This design keeps walking distances short, and most gates are reachable within ten minutes of the security checkpoint.

Getting There

Getting to Spokane International is straightforward from almost any point in the city. From downtown, take Interstate 90 west to exit 277, then follow Airport Drive north for about a mile. The drive normally takes 15 to 20 minutes, though it can stretch to 30 during peak ski season or when construction is active on I-90. If you're not driving, Spokane Transit Authority (STA) runs Route 60 from the Plaza Station downtown every 30 to 60 minutes depending on the time of day. The bus drops passengers directly at the terminal entrance for $2 each way. Ride-share services like Uber and Lyft are plentiful, and a typical fare from downtown runs between $15 and $20. Taxis wait at a designated stand outside baggage claim and charge a flat rate of $25 to most downtown hotels. For those coming from the east, State Route 290 (Trent Avenue) connects to Airport Drive via a series of well-signed intersections. Parking is available in a surface lot ($10 per day) and a multi-storey garage ($14 per day), with the garage located closest to the terminal entrance. Both options accept credit cards and are within a three-minute walk of the check-in hall.

Inside the Terminal

Passengers arriving at Spokane International enter a single terminal building that feels more like a modern shopping centre than an airport. High ceilings and large windows fill the main atrium with natural light, and the floor plan is linear enough to prevent confusion. The check-in counters are arranged along the left wall, with airline kiosks interspersed for quick bag tag printing. Security is located at the north end of the atrium, with a dedicated lane for TSA PreCheck and another for priority boarding. Wait times vary, but the airport’s busiest hours — typically Monday through Thursday around noon — can push security lines to 15–20 minutes. Outside those windows, most passengers clear in under ten.

Once through security, gates are split between Concourse B (to the left) and Concourse C (to the right). Both concourses offer the same facilities: restrooms with changing tables and wheelchair-accessible stalls, charging stations at most gate seating areas, and free Wi-Fi that works reliably throughout the building. Food options include a Starbucks in the central atrium, a Subway near Gate C1, and a small market selling snacks and local wines. For longer waits, the terminal provides a quiet room near Gate B5 and a children’s play area by Gate C3. The entire facility is wheelchair accessible, with automatic doors, ramps, and accessible parking in both the lot and the garage. A service animal relief area is available outside baggage claim. Baggage claim itself is on the ground floor directly below the atrium, with two carousels that serve all arriving flights. The airport’s on-site services — information desk, lost and found, and a small gift shop — are all clustered near the main entrance.

Spokane International Airport and Spokane

What makes Spokane worth visiting is its position as the commercial and cultural capital of a region that many Americans have never really explored. The city sits at the edge of the Columbia Plateau, where the Spokane River drops dramatically over a series of basalt falls in the middle of downtown. This waterfall is the centrepiece of Riverfront Park, the site of the 1974 World’s Fair, and it remains the most photographed feature in the city. But Spokane is more than a pretty river. It is a city of roughly 230,000 people with a robust food scene, a growing arts district, and a history shaped by the railroads and the timber industry. The Davenport Hotel, restored to its 1914 grandeur, still anchors downtown, and the Spokane Symphony performs in the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, a restored 1931 Art Deco movie palace.

Beyond the city limits, the airport becomes the launch point for some of the best outdoor recreation in the Pacific Northwest. Within a 90-minute drive, you can reach the ski slopes of Silver Mountain and Schweitzer, the hiking trails of the Selkirk Mountains, or the lakefront resorts of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The region draws summer visitors for the Spokane Hoopfest basketball tournament — the largest 3-on-3 street basketball event in the world — and winter visitors for the snow that blankets the nearby mountains. Wine enthusiasts come for the tasting rooms of the Columbia Valley AVA, particularly the reds from Walla Walla and the whites from the Yakima Valley, both reachable by road from Spokane. The airport itself reflects this dual identity: it handles business travellers heading to the area’s medical and logistics sectors, and leisure travellers bound for the ski lifts or the lake. The terminal’s art programme, which features works by regional artists, reinforces the sense that you have arrived somewhere distinct.

Practical Information

Spokane International Airport is open every day from 4:30 AM to 11:00 PM. The terminal closes overnight, so passengers arriving on late flights must depart the secure area before the last pickup. For flight status, parking reservations, and terminal maps, visit the official website at https://www.spokaneairports.net/ or call +1 509-455-6455. The busiest times for security pass through the checkpoint are weekdays around noon, particularly Monday through Thursday. If you are flying out during those hours, allow an extra 20 minutes for screening. Parking can reach capacity during major holidays and events like Hoopfest or the Bloomsday Run; booking a space online in advance guarantees a spot in the garage. One actionable piece of advice: If you are parking for more than three days, the surface lot is significantly cheaper than the garage, and the walk is only two minutes longer. Do not rely on ride-share availability after 10 PM — the number of drivers drops sharply. Instead, schedule a taxi or use the bus service, which runs until 11 PM on weekdays.