Private Jet to Napa Valley: Flying Private into Napa County Airport (APC)

This is how we plan a Napa charter on the desk.

• Main airport: Napa County Airport (APC / KAPC), a county-owned general-aviation airport about 5 miles south of the city of Napa. There is no airline service.
• Runway: the main runway, 1L/19R, is 5,930 ft × 150 ft (FAA data). A second runway, 6/24, is 5,008 ft. Light, midsize and super-midsize jets use APC routinely. For large-cabin jets, the operator checks runway length and weight for the day, and we confirm ramp space first.
• Private terminals: two FBOs, Atlantic Aviation (published hours 06:00–21:00 daily) and Skyservice. The FAA tower is open 07:00–20:00. The airport itself is open 24 hours.
• Customs: APC is not a customs airport. Flights from abroad clear US Customs first, for example at Oakland (OAK), then continue to Napa.
• Alternative: Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport (STS) in Santa Rosa, with a 6,000 ft main runway. It's about 35 minutes from Calistoga and 17 minutes from Healdsburg.
• Drive times without traffic from APC: about 18 minutes to downtown Napa, 27 to Yountville, 37 to St. Helena and 47 to Calistoga.

Send us your dates, passengers, bags and the address you're staying at, and we come back with all-inclusive options by aircraft class, 24/7.

Where you're staying decides the airport.

Drive times are without traffic. Allow more on Friday afternoons and harvest weekends.

• APC is the default for Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Sonoma town (about 30 minutes west).
• STS makes sense if you're staying at the top of the valley or in Healdsburg and the Russian River area. It also has airline service, so some charters combine a jet arrival with an airline departure for part of the group.
• OAK is a customs airport with a 10,520 ft runway. Long-range flights from abroad stop here to clear, and very large cabins may stay here and finish with a car.

APC is owned and run by Napa County. In 2024 it recorded about 65,600 take-offs and landings, including 11,266 business-jet movements. The FAA control tower is staffed from 07:00 to 20:00; outside those hours pilots use the common traffic frequency, and the airport stays open around the clock. Jet A is available by truck 24 hours.

There are two FBOs. Atlantic Aviation lists 06:00–21:00 daily, with hangar space, a passenger lounge, conference room, rental cars and shuttle service. Skyservice is the second FBO. Arrivals outside the FBO's staffed hours need to be arranged in advance, which we do when we quote.

One practical point: the published strength of APC's aprons is modest, and ramp space fills on busy weekends. For large-cabin jets, and for any trip on a festival or harvest weekend, we confirm parking with the FBO before you book.

Approximate great-circle distances to APC:

Range on paper isn't the full story. A 5,930 ft runway near sea level suits most business jets, but a full cabin, a warm afternoon or a long sector can make the operator limit fuel or passengers on the departure. The operator signs off the performance figures for each flight. If a coast-to-coast trip works better out of Oakland or with a short fuel stop, we tell you before you book.

As a guide, a light jet from Los Angeles takes about an hour, Las Vegas about an hour and ten minutes, Dallas around three hours in a midsize jet, and New York about five to five and a half hours westbound in a super-midsize. Winds change these on the day, especially westbound.

On cost, our published retail rates are $3,500–$5,500 per flight hour for a light jet and $5,500–$7,500 for a midsize jet, with long-range cabins from about $9,500 an hour. A one-way may also include the aircraft's return positioning, and peak weekends cost more. Your quote shows each item, with no hidden fees. Our charter cost guide explains how hourly rates, positioning and fees combine, and the light jet cost-per-hour page lists rates by aircraft.

APC has no customs. A flight from outside the US lands first at an airport of entry, such as Oakland or San Francisco, clears US Customs and Border Protection, then continues to Napa as a short domestic leg or by car.

Two rules matter for international guests:

• Visa Waiver travellers (ESTA): citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries need an approved ESTA before boarding. They must also arrive on a carrier that has signed a Visa Waiver agreement with CBP. Many charter operators have, but not all. We check the operator's status before we confirm, and if it isn't signed, passengers need a B-1/B-2 visa instead.
• Arrival paperwork: the operator obtains CBP permission to land and files the passenger manifest before departure. You just bring your passports.

Harvest, roughly August to October, is the busiest period, with the most private traffic and the highest hotel rates. Late May brings the BottleRock Napa Valley festival, and summer weekends are busy. Winter and early spring are quieter, with easier ramp space and more availability. Whatever the season, book the outbound and the return together as early as you can.

Empty legs into APC do appear, mostly on Bay Area and Southern California routes, but not often and not for long. Set an empty-leg alert for your route and dates.

From APC we arrange a chauffeured car or van sized for the group and the cases you plan to take home. It waits at the FBO when you land. Many guests keep the same driver for winery visits, since tasting appointments run back to back and the valley roads, especially Highway 29, get busy on weekends.

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Send us your dates, number of passengers, bags (and how many cases of wine you expect to bring home) and the address you're staying at. We come back with an estimated price per aircraft class straight away, then two or three confirmed options with aircraft details within one to two hours, 24/7. Before you sign, we confirm the airport, FBO hours, ramp space and the car.