Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport

Great airport. Short lines and friendly people. The Lounge is a awesome deal at $10 with drinks, snacks and a quiet plane to wait for your flight. It's up by gate 5.

Updated March 2025. Nice regional airport. It was clean and people were friendly. Was able to get a Lyft right from the front of the airport. Everything went smoothly. Walking from the airplane to the terminal was a little bit of a surprise. I had good weather so it wasn't a problem but you would need to prepare for rain if it's in the forecast.

Great airport. Very efficient from parking, ticketing, security and you’re in. So much less stress than Dulles. Just don’t like changing planes and would rather drive to Dulles. Flown out several times and if it’s convenient for getting to your destination then I would encourage. They have a nice outdoor patio overlooking the valley and runways. Fresh air was great before boarding

This must be one of the friendliest, cleanest, brightest, and most comfortable airports in the United States. What a lovely experience, from polite TSA to rocking chairs to relax in during your wait, to friendly staff and servers, to an outdoor deck and sunroom, all while awaiting your flight. Plentiful parking nearby and affordable! FLY CHO, you won't be disappointed!

The airport is clean easy to navigate and best of all I have never had to wait more than 15 minutes to processes through security. There are extremely comfortable rocking chairs to sit in and the view across the tarmac is appealing. The only pitfalls are expected for an airport it's size smaller planes and one restaurant bar. The airport is located 20 minutes from downtown Charlottesville.

This is a tiny airport. Only 5 gates total. Friendly staff. Short lines, quick security checks. If you have to show up at the last minute before your flights - this is your airport. What is also important to know is that often you can get airfares comparable to Richmond flights if you time you ticket purchasing well.

Nice place with a nice view. The fog was an issue with me flying out at night, so I was booked on a flight the next day 18 hours later. I had to get a hotel room at the Double Tree and arrived at the airport real early for my flight. Their is a private lounge that has recliners, drinks, and coffee for it’s customers. There is a cost associated with the Lounge, $5 for early morning flights and $10 for mid morning and later. It is an all day access, but you have to take your bags with you if you leave the Lounge. It worked out perfect for me and gave me a nice place to relax and catch up on work in a pleasurable environment.

Small airport. Only 5 gates. People are friendly and it is nice a clean. Oh, I love the sliding chairs!!

it's been 9 years since I updated my review and I gotta say--as someone who will frequently travel from ATL to CHO--the Charlottesville airport is exceptionally well run. from end-to-end (with a few rare exceptions) the check-in/TSA/snacks/boarding experience is seamless and supremely easy. for real, I wish it were that breezy traveling out of the Atlanta airport. it's not. in order to enjoy the Atlanta airport one must *be inside* first, which itself is a monumental task. All in all, I'm very impressed with how CHO has improved. keep up the great work.

For an extremely small airport, CHO is very efficient and clean. I was literally the only person at the TSA area for a good few minutes, and I was there on a Friday at 10 a.m. I would not want to be stuck there for more than an hour, though, because there's only one small restaurant/bar, and a sundry store, and that's about it. This airport does have a balcony that you can step out onto to get some fresh air, but there's no smoking. But there are tables and chairs, so you can eat outside and watch the planes come in. The Charlottesville airport also has a nursing room, and a lounge (but I'm not sure who it's for), and lots of chairs with outlets. They have more outlets here than people, probably, so you'll find somewhere to plus your stuff into. It's an easy get-in-get-out airport.

Small airport, packs an efficiency punch. Inbound or outbound, this small airport has all the necessities. It's Free WiFi works as well as plenty of plug-ins to charge your devices. Clean bathrooms. Smoothie Bar, serves wraps and pizza...and adult beverages (with a 10% discount on foods and drinks for those arriving). The pizza smell enticed our gate agent. Friendly staff when my bags didn't get there on the way in, but they delivered it to my hotel that night after identifying its location. I enjoyed Charlottesville more because of the bookends of the CHO Airport.

I have not had a good experience in this airport. Always crowded inside and this last visit my flight sat outside for 30 minutes waiting for a new gate due to other delays. This caused my plane to relocate to a gate much further from my connection. I literally ran for 17 minutes and was the last person let on my connecting flight before the doors closed. My return flight through Charlotte was okay, just bad airport food, crowded everywhere and ongoing terminal construction will make me avoid this airport in the future if possible.

Small but mighty; I'm super happy this airport exists. A short hop to major hubs that take you to national and international destinations, CHO now holds a super special place in my heart. I'll admit that the planes that fly out of here are rather uncomfortable (ex: ERJ145 on AA to CLT) and I almost always get stopped at the gate for stowing my cabin bag as checked luggage (because it looks bigger than what it is, but will fit into ERJ overhead bin,) but if that's the only bad thing about CHO airport, I'll take it. Limited food options available late in the evening. Delta, United, and American Airlines operate out of CHO, and a few car rental companies are also available (Hertz, Avis, Budget, and Enterprise.) TSA was surprisingly busy departing during the first week of December on a week night, but that may just be because it was the start of the holiday season. I'm told there are 5 gates, but on arrival and departure, only one was in operation. Happy flying!

This place is operating on a set of double standards. it is OK to arrive from another airport with a pocket knife in your pocket and in your carry on luggage, But leaving is another story. You are not even allowed to carry a corkscrew, or nail clippers because they may contain a "blade". The blade may be an inch or even shorter, but regardless, no blade is allowed to leave, only enter. Not to mention the 8 or 9 TSA people standing around playing pocket pool and or trying to discover new ways to harass the travellers. I ended up going through the security check twice in abour a 5 minute span with the exact same people on duty, and each time they had to check my Stoma Appliance with a pat down and an explosives swab. If my stoma presents such a major problem for TSA, perhaps they ought to have a different approach for treating HC people.

Impressively unorganized dealing with a delayed flight, coupled with very rude employees, lead to an absolute disaster of a boarding procedure. A geriatric man who possibly hasn't used a computer before caused severe delays. They lied about how long it would take to board, causing many to prematurely cancel their flights, ruining flight plans for many. Once we were on the plane, there was an additional 17 minutes delay on top of the 1 hour one. Truly gross mismanagement of a federal institution. Also according to the pilot the additional delay was because "air traffic control was working with us", isn't that the only thing they are supposed to do? DO NOT BOOK A FLIGHT HERE IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER FLIGHT TO CATCH!!!! URGENT!!! Seriously just drive to DC. End note: When sh*t hits the fan at this airport it is straight out of an elephant and into a jet turbine.

Nice, small airport. Cute bar area where you can see the planes. Has an observation deck with chairs to watch the view.

This is probably the smallest airport I've been to in the US. There's only a few gates and its so tiny- like the size of a college building. Everything is very modern and clean which I appreciate.

This is a great small airport that you can get through very quickly. We arrived a fairly short time before our flight and were still able to get through security and our flight on time. There isn't much in the way of shops or restaurants, but with it being so efficient and small, do you really need them? I do wish a few more airlines flew here, but they only have so many gates so I can understand why it is limited to just a few airlines.

There are certain parts of the Charlottesville Airport that are uniquely designed with a rotunda terminal and I very much appreciated the design. This an obviously small airport and conveniences such as a jet way are not to be found. There is also not much in the food department either. But it does look nice and parking is relatively cheap.

This is a Tiny little airport and the staff is very polite. Very laid back relaxed atmosphere and super easy in and out. No need to get here hours early, you will be through security in 2 min.

Not a whole lot to say or critique as we had an early morning flight before many of the amenities were open, but have to give a shout-out to the check in counter and TSA for quick efficient service that gave us a lot of downtime. As someone whose airport experience is largely Dulles and O'Hare, this was a nice change of pace.

What's not to love about a small airport? They don't have too many gates so it's hard to get lost. They don't have too many restaurants so you don't have to make too many decisions. And they have just the one baggage carousel so you don't have to wonder about which one you bag is going to be on. CHO has free wifi and the rental car desks are right there in the baggage claim area.

Nice and warm airport. Not really big, but everything that necessary is organized to everyone well! See you till next time

I love regional airports you can get in and out without hesitation. TSA pre check makes life that much easier too. Just like Charlotte this airport has rocking chairs for you to sit in and wait for your flight. After the back to back snow the runways are clear for takeoff. From ease to getting to, security, gate locations I have to this lil gem five stars. On my next visit I'll have to check out the amenities.

My experience of this airport is limited to a 20 minute layover in which I got off the plane and then 20 minutes later got back on the same plane. During our 20 minutes, I found the airport to be quite nice. It seemed to be very small, although I didn't explore it much. The best part was that there were enough seats at the gate and every single seat had an outlet at it. This is pretty uncommon at airports and I appreciated it. This led me to believe that in my limited time here, this is one of the nicest airports I've been to.

Really good airport except for luggage delivery after you depart the plane. I truly believe they have snails working. It takes over 30 minutes to get luggage which is terrible after a long day of flying.

An easy airport to fly out of, relatively speaking. Getting from your car, through security and to the gate is straightforward and generally fast.

Small airport. Easy peasy lemon squeezie! Quick ride share pickup and ride to your final destination.

CHO is another small regional airport, serving Charlottesville, Virginia, and the surrounding cities. I usually get here by way of Charlotte or Philly; however, they also have flights to New York City, Chicago, Atlanta and DC. There are five gates total, with the fifth being on a separate level. There are a couple of convenience stores, as well as a restaurant/bar area. It opens as early as 4:30 am for the couple of flights that leave at the crack of dawn. They have two different security lines, one regular and one for TSA Precheck. Besides that, you'll find a few rental car companies, as well as taxis and Uber/Lyft servicing the airport. It's about twenty minutes from downtown. All in all, it's a pretty nice airport for what it's worth! Pretty view too coming in and seeing the lush, rolling landscape.

Usually very fast to get through TSA and the airport is small so it's very easy to get around. I have noticed the staff is sometimes pretty irritated which is kinda ridiculous since there's never anyone in here, but the guy working TSA was super rude to my boyfriend today who has never flown and let him know he wasn't sure what to put on the conveyor line. There was no one behind him so I don't understand why he had such a ridiculous attitude even when it seriously took 5 minutes for us to get through the empty TSA check. If they clean up their staffs attitude it would be much more enjoyable to come through here but they consistently acts like they are inconvenienced. Food at the one restaurant is decent and the people who work there are nicer.

GREAT place and easy peasy to get in and out of! Food and service in the grab and go area is fantastic also. Opens early. Gates are comfy and have nice seating.

Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport has never disappointed as an institution itself. While there are issues with every airport and the situations regarding flight delays/connections/cancellations, the fact that this is a clean, simple, well-run airport can not be disputed. Every single time I have flown through CHO regardless of the airline, I have been greeted by friendly employees all the way down to the ground control workers outside on the tarmac. It is nice to see a small regional airport like CHO hold a high standard for itself as I definitely choose to fly here when it is not convenient to go through either DC or Richmond. The location is also very convenient for the Charlottesville community generally, as it is just about 15 minutes outside of downtown and the University of Virginia. 9/10 would recommend, looking forward to my next trip through CHO.

On a scale from one to ten, your stress level (the latter being the highest) will likely hover under three. You can easily arrive 30-45 minutes before your flight and get through in no time. Things to know: - I've been a few times and never encountered a line. TSA be chillin'! - Food options are meh aka they basically have only one restaurant. - The seats are nothing special. - Flights go to major destination cities on the East Coast, South, and Midwest. - They have five gates total.

Super easy airport. There was absolutely NO line at security. It was like the old days when you could show up to the airport an hour before your flight and still have plenty of time to get to your plane. They also have this really cool water fountain where you can fill up your water bottle or container...so bring an empty water bottle and fill'er up! First one I've seen. Hopefully, it'll become the norm. Way to go CHO!! I posted the picture of it on Yelp. Hopefully, we'll be seeing a lot of these kinds of water fountains everywhere real soon! Thank you CHO for being a trendsetter! You want more? OK, here it is: they have a bunch a rocking chairs you can sit in while you're waiting for your plane.You won't even mind if your plane is a little late!

Waited an hour for bags to come through. Expectation was 20 minutes as they say "guaranteed" by then. Plane was parked like 50 feet from baggage claim! Quit playing Clash of Clans and get me my bag!

Always a good experience! Small airport, easy to navigate, staff are friendly. Thank you!

It's like airport heaven! Rarely is there anymore than like 30 patrons in this place. You literally can roll in here like 10 minutes before they close the doors on the plane with little fear of missing a flight (take a look at my pic of the TSA line if there is any doubt). I've flown in & out of here numerous times and it's by far my favorite airport to get in and out of. Even if you live in Richmond, it's worth he drive to fly out of here to avoid the aggravation... but even better, usually flights anywhere to/from CHO are 30-50% cheaper than same flights in/out of Richmond, Newport News or Norfolk. And with all the great topography, UVA campus, hip little downtown area, history, golf and awesome winery, Brewery and ciders scene surround Charlottesville, it's well worth spending the day here before continuing on to your final destination elsewhere in the state.

Times change, and so do airports. Thankfully, CHO has as well. Since my last review, CHO has vastly overhauled the airport. There's now a dedicated precheck line. The seats have been updated, and many, if not must, seats have dedicated power outlets. A lot of larger airports could take a hint. There are more jetbridges, so there's less gallivanting outside in the cold. Finally, the old bodega-style store--which, for a long while, was the only place to get a beverage or food--has been replaced by a bar-style restaurant. (I can't vouch for how good it is, but a real food outlet is a welcome change.) In all, the changes have been pretty universally great.

I really enjoyed flying into and out of Charlottesville. Because the airport is extremely small, the luggage comes out very quickly. typically in smaller airports I get my rental car and still have a little time before my luggage comes out, but not here. I got my car, which was fairly quick, and everyone else had gotten their bag and mine was still circling the belt. Last, but not least, a rarity, the airport staff across the board, including TSA (surprise), was extremely friendly.

Love this little airport. Free bag cart out front. TSA precheck is fast but compared to superlatge MCO rarely a line for anything. Filter water to fill your bottke for free. Free wifi, tons of outlets & USB plugs. You'll be spoiled flying out of CHO. Parking is $9 a day. Shuttles to your car. Only one baggage area, comfy waiting chairs in and out of airport.

CHO Airport has a very nice eating space. Recently renovated. Breakfast-Lunch- Dinner. Reasonable selection. Nice sitting area. Very well done for a small airport.

If all airports were this easy and nice we would all be 1000x happier on planes. It is a breeze to walk in, grab a snack and board a plane all in under 10 mins. I love that there are chargers at each (very comfortable) chair. I love, love the bathrooms. They're so clean. They have the Dyson hand dryers attached to the faucet so less paper waste. The food here is good and there is never a line at their restaurants. Because this is a tiny airport, be prepared to board some teeny tiny aircrafts (American Eagle) and know that you will not have many direct flight options. Rental car services are pretty easy. Walk to the rental car counter on your way out and pick out a car at a nearby lot. Returns are just as simple, made easy by returning to the same lot.

The world's most relaxing airport. Too tiny to get lost. So small everything is easily accessible. After more than 10 trips in an out of this airport still yet to see a line with more than 3 people or experienced any kind of wait. It's like it's some secret airport that no one knows is there.

CHO is a smaller airport. There are three gate areas and you ground board here. There is a bar after passing through security and they do have a United Sky Club. Unique for a small airport.

I have had good experiences with This airport. It is very clean and small. Out of the 6 times I've flown in and out of this airport my flights have all been on time. CHO is very well marked and easy to navigate. Checked luggage arrives very shortly after landing. The restrooms are very clean. The pick up area is well marked which makes for an easy pick up experience.

Quick security check lines and friendly staff. Small airport and you Don't have to arrive earlier than 60-45 mins before your flight scheduled time. Winters or any weather situations will impact flight cancellations.

So, this is a regional airport close to my home. They have daily flights to Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago, and some others. First, the economy lot has only stairs. Where's the handicap accessible access? Or heck a single woman with a laptop bag, giant purse and 45.2 pound suitcase. Getting up those two flights of stairs is hard. Secondly, the customer service, even at 3 am is NOT friendly. I assume these are CHO employees and not American Airline employees. Due to this lack, it makes traveling through my home airport a dreaded experience. I admit to being a pain in the ass when I travel, but having traveled all over the world, and having experienced world class customer service, I am fully aware that the folks that work baggage intake and the gate need a lot of work. So while I prefer to travel from my home airport and appreciate the ease of use, the customer service seriously needs work.

This is an uncomplicated little airport where you can probably get there 30 minutes prior to departure and be okay (though I wouldn't recommend it). I usually aim for an hour ahead of departure and get checked in and through security with time to spare. Free Wi-Fi. Not a lot of airlines or flights, only one concourse, and I've never been there when the gift shop was open, but it does the trick when in the area.

American Airlines....what a nightmare!!! But the ground crew at CHO were helpful. Our return reservation somehow got cancelled and it was terrible ordeal but I was lucky they got us on board. Apparently it's not always horrible!!

Tons of outlets, TSA takes their job a little too seriously, but you can go thru security 20 min before your flight and still make it on time. -1 star the dining options suck but at least there is alcohol ‍

As far as small-town airports go, this place is pretty good. It's easy in and out. There are just two levels at this airport. I believe three gates are downstairs and two are up the escalator. On the flight side, there is a decent gift shop (no magnets though!), a coffee shop, and a little restaurant with a TV. There is free WiFi, and plenty of outlets. The bathrooms are clean & modern. I flew in on Delta, but I'm not sure which other airlines are served at this airport. Not many! But if you're going to Charlottesville, this is definitely easier than any of the other surrounding airports.

I'm going to be as accurate and concise as possible here: Security? Slow Security guards? Rude My flight? Delayed for 3 hours at the last minute The crew to check the flight? Takes 2 hours to even arrive. My blood pressure? Very high And expect to go hungry if you're delayed, there's just one pathetic restaurant. Save your time and sanity and fly out of Richmond or Dulles. In the wise words of queen Ariana Grande...Thank u, next. ;)

I'm really hung up on their inability to deliver bags in a timely manner. Security is quick, and it's a really small airport. I checked my bag last time I flew in. Our flight of 30 people had to wait 45 minutes to get their bags. Multiple flights that got in after us received theirs before we did. It literally takes 5 minutes to talk from where the plane is on the runway to baggage claim so that turnaround time feels absurd. Multiple people went to ask what was going on and everyone got the same answer "It will be at baggage claim." Not the best customer service. Also worth noting, there's no food outside of security. Parking is $8/day or $10/day depending which lot you're in but none of them are that far of a walk which is great.

Quaint cute airport with easy drop off and pickup. I asked the taxi driver to drop me off at the American airlines terminal and to my surprise he said there is only one terminal. LOL. Inside the gate, they have predefined destination written on the wall, which I am sure make it convenient for the frequent flyer going though here. There are rocking chairs and for little kids too; definitely very thoughtful.

This airport is pretty darn sweet =D My first time to fly in and out of CHO and simply said, it was a solid experience. Friendly staff, very clean and upbeat atmosphere, plus a short line for security and HELLO, they have the MARKET here. Natch. We flew out on United Express (operated by Colgan Air) on a short jump over to IAD. Seriously. 20 min in the air - your taxi is just about as long as the flight. BAM. Love it. People definitely teased us for flying to Dulles instead of driving there, but c'mon people...20 MIN trumps 2 HRS, anyday.

I love small airports, and CHO is a shining example of that. So simple, so easy. No jetways - just walk right up to your tiny plane (that's a different matter). There's only one place to grab food/coffee, but it'll do. I don't think anyone comes here (or should come here) with expectations of food options a la O'Hare or JFK. One complaint is that, because it's so small, there are very few staff, which may make security lines a bit longer than they need to be - so, a 15 minute line instead of 5. Deal with it. Same issue with rental car pick-up - there can be a rush when a flight lands and there is only one rental car agent. Again, not going to kill anyone. Just smile and be thankful you aren't sandwiched among the masses at Dulles.

For a town the size of Charlottesville, the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport is already the most I can possibly ask for. The basics: There are four carriers that can get you to six cities. American (Chicago-Midway), Delta (Atlanta; New York-LaGuardia), United (Washington-Dulles), and US Airways (Charlotte, Philadelphia). The food and drink options are essentially limited to the small store in the airport past security. If you want something to eat, get it before you come to the airport. And as long as you check in online, you just have to get to the airport 30 minutes (40 if you're checking bags) before departure--you'll never have a long wait at security. So, what should you fly? Well, assuming you have a choice, you shouldn't even consider United unless you're looking to get delayed and then have to take a taxi to Dulles. United generally has the lowest on-time percentage of the major carriers and that is true at CHO. I'm of the opinion that United just doesn't know how to maintain its Dash 8s like US Airways. Between the remaining three carriers, it'll be a tossup depending on where you're going and what time of year you're going (take US Airways through Charlotte or Delta through Atlanta if it's winter). Delta and AA both fly regional jets whereas US Airways, with occasional exception, flies turboprops which are more prone to delay and cancellation.