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The Thomas F. Riley Terminal at John Wayne Airport at dusk, with its arched roofs and a row of palm trees along the curb

John Wayne Airport (SNA)

Orange County's airport, between Irvine, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa: what is on the field, how it got its name, and what to do nearby once you land.

The airport at a glance

John Wayne Airport is Orange County's airport, owned and run by the County. Most people know it for its airline flights, more than 11 million passengers in 2025. But about two thirds of its takeoffs and landings are general aviation: private airplanes, business jets and flight training, with about 500 private airplanes based on the field.

The two runways sit side by side. Airliners use the long one, 2L/20R. Small airplanes use the short one, 2R/20L, which is closed to airline service and to everyone when the tower is closed.

Identifiers
KSNA (ICAO) · SNA (FAA and IATA)
Official name
John Wayne Airport, Orange County
Address
18601 Airport Way, Santa Ana, CA 92707
Where
About 4 nautical miles south of downtown Santa Ana, between Irvine, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa
Owner
County of Orange, publicly owned
Elevation
56 feet
Size
510 acres
Runway 2L/20R
5,700 by 150 feet, the airline runway, ILS on 20R
Runway 2R/20L
2,886 by 75 feet, for smaller airplanes
Airspace
Class C, with a control tower
Frequencies
ATIS 126.0 · Tower 126.8 (2L/20R) and 119.9 (2R/20L) · Clearance 118.0
Traffic, 2025
319,042 takeoffs and landings, about two thirds general aviation
Passengers, 2025
11.4 million
Based aircraft
About 500 private airplanes

A short history

Founded in 1923 on land leased from the Irvine Company, Orange County Airport took John Wayne's name in 1979.

  1. 1923Eddie Martin opens an airfield on land leased from the Irvine Company, with a flying school and Martin Aviation, which still works on the field today.
  2. 1939The County of Orange acquires the airport in a land exchange with the Irvine Company and it becomes a public airport, coded SNA after Santa Ana.
  3. 1942 to 1948The federal government takes the field for the Santa Ana Army Air Base during World War II, then returns it to the County.
  4. 1967A new terminal opens, dedicated by Governor Ronald Reagan, and Air California starts nonstop flights to San Francisco.
  5. 1979Orange County Airport is renamed John Wayne Airport, after the actor and Newport Beach resident who died that June. A nine-foot bronze statue of him follows in 1982.
  6. 1985A federal court approves the Settlement Agreement between the County, Newport Beach and neighborhood groups, capping noise, airline departures and passengers. Its limits still shape the airport.
  7. 1990The Thomas F. Riley Terminal opens. Terminal C follows in 2011, for 20 gates in all.

The curfew and the noise rules

John Wayne sits close to homes in Newport Beach, so its noise rules are strict. They come from the 1985 Settlement Agreement and the County's General Aviation Noise Ordinance.

Airlines may not schedule departures between 10 pm and 7 am, or arrivals between 11 pm and 7 am. On Sundays both start at 8 am. The agreement also caps how many passengers the airport may serve each year.

Private airplanes may fly at any hour, but every takeoff and landing is measured against noise limits, and the limits at night are far stricter. A pilot who breaks them three times in three years loses the use of the airport for three years. On a training flight, the instructor is held responsible.

Flight training is allowed while the tower is open. When it is closed, the FAA bars local training and touch-and-goes and the small-airplane runway closes.

Things to do near John Wayne Airport

The airport sits minutes from Newport Harbor and the coast. These are the places worth the trip. Check each one's own site for hours before you go.

  1. 1.Lyon Air Museum

    On the west side of the airport itself, with a collection of World War II aircraft, classic cars and military motorcycles. Open daily.

    Good for: Aviation, before or after a flight·Visit site

  2. 2.Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve

    The Back Bay: about 1,000 acres of preserve, most of it coastal wetland, just south of the airport, where up to 35,000 birds stop during the winter migration. The Muth Interpretive Center is free.

    Good for: Birding, an easy walk·Visit site

  3. 3.Balboa Island Ferry

    Running since 1919, the little ferry carries cars, bikes and people about 800 feet across Newport Harbor between the Balboa Peninsula and Balboa Island.

    Good for: A classic Newport outing·Visit site

  4. 4.Balboa Fun Zone

    The harbor-side landmark on the Balboa Peninsula, with its Ferris wheel and boardwalk rides, at the ferry landing.

    Good for: Families, harbor views·Visit site

  5. 5.Crystal Cove State Park

    3.2 miles of beach and about 2,400 acres of hills between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, with a historic district of 1930s and 1940s beach cottages, some of them rentable overnight.

    Good for: Tide pools, hiking, a beach day·Visit site

  6. 6.South Coast Plaza

    The large luxury shopping center in Costa Mesa, a few minutes from the terminal.

    Good for: Shopping, dinner·Visit site

  7. 7.Bowers Museum

    Art and cultural history in Santa Ana, with touring exhibitions alongside its own collection. Closed Mondays.

    Good for: Art and history, a rainy day·Visit site

  8. 8.Discovery Cube Orange County

    A hands-on science center in Santa Ana with more than 80 exhibits.

    Good for: Kids, science·Visit site

A smiling student wearing a headset in the cockpit of a P-Mentor, canopy open

Learn to fly at John Wayne

CFII flies discovery flights and private pilot lessons from John Wayne in factory-new Tecnam P-Mentors with glass cockpits, every one with a whole-airplane parachute. Your first lesson is an hour with an instructor, and you fly the airplane yourself.

Flying lessons in Orange CountyBook a discovery flightSee the airplanes

Questions

What is the airport code for John Wayne Airport?

SNA is the FAA identifier and the IATA code, after Santa Ana. KSNA is the ICAO code.

Where is John Wayne Airport?

At 18601 Airport Way, Santa Ana, CA 92707, in unincorporated Orange County between Irvine, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, about 4 nautical miles south of downtown Santa Ana.

Why is it called John Wayne Airport?

The County renamed Orange County Airport after John Wayne in June 1979, days after the actor, a Newport Beach resident, died. A nine-foot bronze statue of him stands in the terminal.

Does John Wayne Airport have a curfew?

Yes, for airlines: no scheduled departures between 10 pm and 7 am (8 am on Sundays) and no arrivals between 11 pm and 7 am (8 am on Sundays). Private airplanes may fly at any hour, but at night only if they meet much stricter noise limits.

Can you take flying lessons at John Wayne Airport?

Yes. Small airplanes have their own runway, 2R/20L, and training flights are allowed while the control tower is open. CFII flies discovery flights and private pilot lessons from John Wayne in factory-new Tecnam P-Mentors, every one with a whole-airplane parachute.

How busy is John Wayne Airport?

In 2025 it handled about 11.4 million passengers and 319,042 takeoffs and landings, about two thirds of them general aviation rather than airlines.

Sources

Airport figures as published by the FAA and John Wayne Airport, checked 2026-10-09. Frequencies and rules change: pilots should use the current Chart Supplement and the airport's own noise guide, not this page.

Fly from John Wayne.

One hour with an instructor in a factory-new airplane. You take the controls, no experience needed.

Book a discovery flight

$200. Pick any open hour online.

Career TrackNine months, $89,000

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