Flying in to visit Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge
Fly into Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS). It's the closest airport with airline flights.
From the airport it's about 55 minutes to Pigeon Forge and about 1 hr 10 min to Gatlinburg by car.
Getting there from the airport
- To Pigeon Forge
- 33.8 miles, about 55 minutesUsually 48 min to 1 hr 8 min, depending on traffic.
- To Gatlinburg
- 41 miles, about 1 hr 10 minUsually 1 hr 1 min to 1 hr 29 min, depending on traffic.
- Rental cars
- Lower level near baggage claimAlamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Dollar, Payless
- Uber and Lyft
- Lower level outside the terminal; pickup is directly to the right after exiting
Drive times from Google Maps, checked October 28, 2026. More on rental cars · Taxis and rideshare
Cities with a nonstop flight into Knoxville
You can fly straight to TYS from these cities. Days shown are the days the flight to Knoxville usually runs.
- From Atlanta
- From Austin
- From Baltimore
- From Boston
- From Charlotte
- From Chicago
- From Dallas
- From Denver
- From Destin / Fort Walton Beach
- From Detroit
- From Fort Lauderdale
- From Houston
- From Jacksonville
- From Key West
- From Las Vegas
- From Memphis
- From Miami
- From Minneapolis / St. Paul
- From Nashville
- From New Haven
- From New Orleans
- From New York
- From Orlando
- From Philadelphia
- From Phoenix
- From Punta Gorda
- From Sarasota / Bradenton
- From Tampa Bay
- From Washington, DC
Common questions
What airport do I fly into for Gatlinburg?
McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) near Knoxville. It's about 41 miles from Gatlinburg, about 1 hr 10 min by car.
How far is Pigeon Forge from the Knoxville airport?
About 33.8 miles, usually 48 min to 1 hr 8 min by car depending on traffic.
How do I get from the Knoxville airport to Gatlinburg?
Most visitors rent a car at the airport. The rental counters are on the lower level near baggage claim. Uber and Lyft pick up on the lower level outside the terminal.
What cities fly nonstop into Knoxville?
Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Destin / Fort Walton Beach, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Jacksonville, Key West, Las Vegas, Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis / St. Paul, Nashville, New Haven, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Punta Gorda, Sarasota / Bradenton, Tampa Bay and Washington, DC.
Flight days and times last checked Wednesday, October 28, 2026 using Google Flights. We check every week. The list of nonstop destinations comes from McGhee Tyson Airport's official nonstop list (checked October 26, 2026).Schedules can change, so always confirm your exact flight with the airline. How we check flights.