Hector International Airport
Airport in Fargo, North Dakota
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hector International Airport (IATA: FAR, ICAO: KFAR, FAA LID: FAR) is a civil-military public airport three miles (5 km) northwest of Fargo, in Cass County, North Dakota, United States. The busiest airport in North Dakota, it is owned by the City of Fargo Municipal Airport Authority.[4] Fargo Air National Guard Base is located adjacent to the airport.
Hector International Airport | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public / military | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Municipal Airport Authority of the City of Fargo | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Municipal Airport Authority | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota (Fargo–Moorhead) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Fargo, North Dakota | ||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1927 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 901 ft / 275 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 46°55′14″N 096°48′56″W | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www.FargoAirport.com | ||||||||||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||||||||||
 FAA airport diagram | |||||||||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Hector International Airport | |||||||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2025) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: Hector International Airport[3][4][5] | |||||||||||||||||||
The airport was named after Martin Hector, who first leased, and then donated the original 50 acres of land to the city.[6] Customs service is available for arrivals from Canada and other countries. Hector International has no scheduled passenger airline flights out of the country but has its international title (like many other airports) because of this customs service.
The airport is home to Fargo Air National Guard Base and the Happy Hooligans of the 119th Wing (119 WG), a unit of the North Dakota Air National Guard that operates the MQ-9 Reaper.
The airport was the intended destination for the airplane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson on February 3, 1959. The airplane crashed shortly after takeoff from Mason City, Iowa, killing the three musicians and the pilot.
Facilities and aircraft
Hector International Airport covers 2,500 acres (10 km2) and has three runways: 18/36 is 9,001 x 150 ft (2,744 x 46 m), 9/27 is 6,302 x 100 ft (1,921 x 30 m), and 13/31 is 3,801 x 75 ft (1,159 x 46 m).[4][7] Hector International has the longest public runway in North Dakota and can receive Boeing 747s.
The current terminal was built in 1986 and designed by Foss Associates with Thompson Consultants.[8]
In 2008 the airport completed the passenger terminal expansion and update that had begun in October 2006. The $15.5 million project designed by TL Stroh Architects updated the terminal and added a fifth gate, an additional baggage claim and expanded the security checkpoint area. TSA PreCheck was added in 2014.[9]
A large terminal expansion project began in 2024. The $156 million project will add four new gates on the east side of the existing building, bringing the terminal's total number of gates to nine, as well as renovate existing portions of the terminal.[10] The project will also increase seating, add new post-security concession areas, and expand the facility's security checkpoint.[11] The new gates opened in 2026 with full project completion slated for 2027. [12]
A four-story, 1,000 space parking garage opened in August 2025.[13] The $47 million facility features a skyway connecting the garage to the terminal building, which is expected to open in 2026. [10]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
| Passenger destinations map |
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  Fargo All destinations from Hector International Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination Blue = Future destination |
Cargo
| Airlines | Destinations | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine Air Express | Bismarck, Dickinson,[27] Minot, Sioux Falls, Thief River Falls, Williston[28] | [29] |
| Bemidji Airlines | Bismarck,[30] Devils Lake[31] | |
| FedEx Express | Memphis | [32] |
| FedEx Feeder operated by Corporate Air | Bemidji,[33] Bismarck,[34] Dickinson,[35] Minot,[36] Williston,[37] Winnipeg[38] | |
| UPS Airlines | Louisville | [39] |
Statistics
Top destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN | 175,460 | Delta |
| 2 | Chicago–O'Hare, IL | 109,870 | American, United |
| 3 | Denver, CO | 109,070 | Frontier, United |
| 4 | Dallas/Fort Worth, TX | 72,130 | American |
| 5 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | 58,070 | Allegiant |
| 6 | Las Vegas, NV | 18,580 | Allegiant |
| 7 | Nashville, TN | 14,600 | Allegiant |
| 8 | Orlando–Sanford, FL | 11,210 | Allegiant |
| 9 | Phoenix–Sky Harbor, AZ | 9,340 | American |
| 10 | St. Petersburg/Clearwater, FL | 8,790 | Allegiant |
Annual traffic
| Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 406,912 | 2007 | 599,168 | 2017 | 787,927 |
| 1998 | 384,205 | 2008 | 648,137 | 2018 | 843,582 |
| 1999 | 445,744 | 2009 | 697,810 | 2019 | 930,409 |
| 2000 | 465,636 | 2010 | 724,941 | 2020 | 478,604 |
| 2001 | 434,332 | 2011 | 699,549 | 2021 | 796,675 |
| 2002 | 484,068 | 2012 | 728,799 | 2022 | 908,075 |
| 2003 | 508,534 | 2013 | 797,125 | 2023 | 1,032,497 |
| 2004 | 506,650 | 2014 | 894,426 | 2024 | 1,092,836 |
| 2005 | 549,209 | 2015 | 858,982 | 2025 | 1,179,442 |
| 2006 | 609,731 | 2016 | 789,182 | ||
Commercial airline market share
| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SkyWest Airlines | 299,000 | 25.41% |
| 2 | Envoy Air | 257,000 | 21.87% |
| 3 | Allegiant Airlines | 223,000 | 18.98% |
| 4 | Delta Air Lines | 206,000 | 17.46% |
| 5 | United Airlines | 79,620 | 6.77% |
| Other Airlines | 112,000 | 9.52% |
Ground transportation
As of 2022, there is no public transit service to Hector International Airport. The closest MATBUS bus stop is located over a mile away.
Climate
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UFO encounter
On October 1, 1948, the Gorman dogfight, a widely publicized UFO encounter, took place over Hector International Airport.[43]