Santa Cruz, California

Private charter · Santa Cruz, CA

Private charter to & from Santa Cruz

Fly private to Santa Cruz for surf culture, redwood forests and a classic seaside boardwalk on Monterey Bay

  • WVI
  • SJC
  • MRY
  • OAR
  • RHV

Photo: Don DeBold from San Jose, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0

Price a private flight from Santa Cruz

Trip type
1

Times are local to each departure airport.

Fly private in Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, without the hub.

5
Airports
5
Passengers
54
Direct routes

Santa Cruz sits at the northern tip of Monterey Bay, where the redwood-covered Santa Cruz Mountains meet the Pacific. It has a strong claim as the birthplace of mainland American surfing, which Hawaiian princes introduced here in 1885, and its surf breaks, including Steamer Lane, remain world famous. UC Santa Cruz occupies a forested campus above town, and the local economy blends the university, tourism, agriculture in the nearby Pajaro Valley and residents who commute over the hill to Silicon Valley.

Highway 17 over the Santa Cruz Mountains is notoriously slow and winding, and the drive from San Francisco can take two hours on a summer weekend. Watsonville Municipal Airport lies about 20 minutes south of downtown, so you can fly in directly from Southern California or the Sierra and avoid the mountain traffic entirely. Visitors come for the Beach Boardwalk, surfing and paddling, walks along West Cliff Drive, the redwoods of Henry Cowell and Big Basin, the wineries of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the seaside village of Capitola.

Airports

Charter to and from Santa Cruz airports

Fly into whichever airport puts you closest to where you're going. Littlebird flies to and from these airports in and around Santa Cruz, and the price is for the whole airplane, however many seats you fill.

  • WVI

    Regional airport

    Watsonville Municipal Airport

    Watsonville · KWVI

    From downtown
    13 mi
    Longest runway
    4,502 ft

  • SJC

    Major airport

    Mineta San Jose International Airport

    San Jose · KSJC

    From downtown
    28 mi
    Longest runway
    11,000 ft

  • MRY

    Commercial airport

    Monterey Regional Airport

    Monterey · KMRY

    From downtown
    28 mi
    Longest runway
    7,175 ft

  • OAR

    Regional airport

    Marina Municipal Airport

    Marina · KOAR

    From downtown
    25 mi
    Longest runway
    3,483 ft

  • RHV

    Regional airport

    Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County

    San Jose · KRHV

    From downtown
    27 mi
    Longest runway
    3,100 ft

Top attractions

Things to do in Santa Cruz

When to go. September and October typically bring Santa Cruz’s warmest, sunniest days, after summer mornings that often start in fog. The Boardwalk runs daily in summer and on a reduced schedule in other seasons. Monarch butterflies cluster at Natural Bridges from about October into February. Winter brings rain and big surf, a dramatic time to watch the waves along West Cliff, while spring paints the mountains green.

  1. 01

    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

    California’s oldest surviving amusement park sits on the sand, with the 1924 Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster and the historic Looff carousel among its rides.

  2. 02

    West Cliff Drive

    A paved path follows the cliffs past Steamer Lane, where surfers ride the point break, and the lighthouse that houses the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum.

  3. 03

    Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

    Just outside Felton, an easy loop trail winds through a grove of towering old-growth coast redwoods along the San Lorenzo River.

  4. 04

    Natural Bridges State Beach

    At the west end of town, this beach is known for its rock arch and tide pools, and in fall and winter for thousands of monarch butterflies in a eucalyptus grove.

  5. 05

    Capitola Village

    A few miles east, this small seaside village of colorful cottages, restaurants and shops faces a sheltered beach and a fishing wharf.

  6. 06

    Santa Cruz Mountains Wineries

    Small wineries in the hills above town produce acclaimed pinot noir, chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, with tasting rooms both in the mountains and in town.

Popular routes

Private flights from Santa Cruz

Flights to Santa Cruz

Every route from Santa Cruz

Questions

Flying private in Santa Cruz

Which airports can I charter a private flight to or from in Santa Cruz?

Littlebird flies in and out of Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI), Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), Marina Municipal Airport (OAR), and Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV). Choose the one closest to where you're going; smaller regional airports usually mean a shorter walk from the car to the airplane.

How do I book a private charter from Santa Cruz?

Enter your departure airport, destination, date and number of passengers above. You'll see an instant price for the whole airplane, with taxes and fees included, and you can book online in a few minutes.

How many passengers can fly on a charter from Santa Cruz?

Up to 5 passengers, depending on the aircraft. You pay one price for the whole airplane, not per seat, so traveling together lowers the cost per person.

What are popular private flights from Santa Cruz?

Popular trips include Los Angeles (about 1 hr 40 min), Las Vegas (about 2 hr 15 min), Portland (about 3 hr 25 min), and Phoenix (about 3 hr 35 min). Every route is priced instantly online.

Is private charter in Santa Cruz, CA safe?

Littlebird flights are operated under FAA Part 135 by Jetvia, in Cirrus aircraft that each carry a parachute for the entire airframe (CAPS).

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