While planning my wife, Sharon’s, “JetBlue 25 for 25” trips, I fell down a fun rabbit hole. I was searching flights for her and noticed that Buffalo–JFK clocks in at about 90 minutes. My first thought: the whole flight stays in New York State. That’s not technically true—planes usually overfly bits of New Jersey and Pennsylvania on that route—but it’s still a New York-to-New York flight.
That sent me down the path of a bigger question: what’s the longest flight between two cities in the same state? Realistically, only the biggest states have contenders—and you’re usually flying from one corner to the other. Below are the states with the five longest intrastate flights. I’m only counting regularly scheduled, commercial nonstops and listing the single longest route per state.
The 5 Longest Intrastate Flights
5) New York — Buffalo (BUF) ↔ New York–JFK (JFK) — 301 miles
This hop from the Atlantic to Lake Erie clocks in at 301 miles. With regular service from JetBlue and Delta, flights usually run about 75–90 minutes, wind depending. With multiple trips a day, you’ll typically see smaller narrowbodies and regionals—think JetBlue’s A220 on many runs and Delta’s CRJ-900 on others. It’s long for an intrastate hop, yet still quick enough that service is tight and efficient.
4) Florida — Pensacola (PNS) ↔ Miami (MIA) — 530 miles
From the far western Panhandle to the tip of South Florida, this one stretches the full length of the state. American Airlines runs it into their Miami hub, typically on an Embraer 175, with block times around ~105 minutes. Plenty of carriers link other Florida cities to the Panhandle, but this is the longest intrastate run in the Sunshine State.
3) California — Arcata/Eureka (ACV) ↔ Los Angeles (LAX) — 577 miles
Most folks would guess something like San Diego to the Bay Area for California’s longest intrastate hop. Makes sense—San Diego is as far south as it gets. But if you’re chasing the longest flight, you have to look even farther north. From the redwoods of far-northern California to L.A., ACV–LAX takes the crown.
You’ll typically see United (via a regional partner) flying E175s on this route, with block times around ~1 hour 45 minutes depending on coastal winds. It’s a true corner-to-corner run—and yes, longer than the classic SFO–LAX shuttle.
2) Texas — El Paso (ELP) ↔ Houston Hobby (HOU) — 677 miles
We’ve actually flown this one—connecting through Houston on our way from Orlando to El Paso—and I remember thinking, “that’s a long flight to still be in the same state.” From the desert at the far western tip to the Gulf Coast, ELP–HOU is a legit haul and even hops a time zone.
The main reason for our flight to El Paso was to visit Carlsbad Caverns
Who flies it: Southwest is the nonstop option into Houston Hobby (HOU) on a 737, typically blocking around ~2 hours give or take. There’s also plenty of ELP–IAH service (United to Bush Intercontinental), but the Hobby leg edges it out as the slightly longer intrastate run since HOU sits on the city’s eastern side.
1) Alaska — Anchorage (ANC) ↔ Adak (ADK) — 1,192 miles
Number one by a mile—literally. If you’re hunting for the longest intrastate flights, you wind up in the biggest state. Several contenders live in Alaska, but the longest regularly scheduled commercial hop is Anchorage ↔ Adak. It’s an all-Alaska run that crosses a huge swath of the Aleutians, typically on a Boeing 737, and blocks at roughly ~3 hours depending on winds. Served by Alaska Airlines, this route is a perfect example of how aviation connects the most remote corners of the state.
With twice-weekly service to Adak, it still counts as regular scheduled service—and it’s definitely a long one. In fact, the mileage is roughly on par with a classic East Coast leisure hop like Boston ↔ Orlando. Alaska just does it all without ever leaving the same state.
Maps generated by the Great Circle Mapper
Copyright © Karl L. Swartz.
Methodology (Quick Notes)
- Counted the single longest regularly scheduled commercial nonstop in each state.
- Measured by great-circle distance between airports; block times vary by winds and airline.
- Overflying other states doesn’t disqualify a route; intrastate = depart and arrive in the same state.
- Schedules change—always check current timetables if you’re planning a trip.
Final Thought
Intrastate flights are one of those “once you notice it, you can’t unsee it” aviation quirks. Sure, Alaska runs away with the crown, but the lower-48 still has some fun surprises—Texas nearly tip-to-tail, California from the redwoods to L.A., Florida panhandle to the tropics, and New York’s lake-to-ocean hop. And then there’s Pennsylvania’s PIT–PHL, which stays in the same state the whole way. Routes and schedules change, but the geography doesn’t—so there will always be contenders.
What’d we miss? If you’ve flown a long same-state route (or spotted one on a timetable), drop it in the comments—bonus points if you’ve got a great seat view to go with it.
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