Carbondale, Illinois

Private charter · Carbondale, IL

Private charter to & from Carbondale

Fly private to Carbondale for Southern Illinois University, the Shawnee National Forest and a wine trail through the southern hills

  • MDH
  • MWA
  • KPJY
  • KH96

Photo: Bradley Furlow · CC BY-SA 4.0

Price a private flight from Carbondale

Trip type
1

Times are local to each departure airport.

Fly private in Carbondale

Carbondale, without the hub.

4
Airports
5
Passengers
49
Direct routes

Carbondale is the largest town in the southern tip of Illinois, an area of wooded hills, orchards and sandstone bluffs that feels far removed from the flat cornfields to the north. Southern Illinois University anchors the local economy, along with the region’s hospitals and medical school programs, government offices and the tourism businesses that serve the Shawnee National Forest. The town became briefly famous as the crossroads of the 2017 and 2024 total solar eclipses, and it remains a gateway to some of the Midwest’s most underrated outdoor country.

Carbondale is about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis and nearly 330 miles south of Chicago, a full day’s drive from the northern part of the state. Southern Illinois Airport sits just outside town, so a private flight can bring SIU alumni, university visitors, physicians and families in quickly for a meeting, a game or a weekend. Visitors hike the sandstone formations of Garden of the Gods, tour the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, fish and paddle at Crab Orchard Lake and explore the bluffs of Giant City State Park.

Airports

Charter to and from Carbondale airports

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

  • MDH

    Commercial airport

    Southern Illinois Airport

    Murphysboro · KMDH

    From downtown
    4 mi
    Longest runway
    6,506 ft

  • MWA

    Commercial airport

    Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois

    Marion · KMWA

    From downtown
    12 mi
    Longest runway
    8,012 ft

  • KPJY

    Regional airport

    Pinckneyville Du Quoin Airport

    Pinckneyville

    From downtown
    19 mi
    Longest runway
    3,999 ft

  • KH96

    Regional airport

    Benton Municipal Airport

    Benton

    From downtown
    26 mi
    Longest runway
    4,002 ft

Top attractions

Things to do in Carbondale

When to go. Spring and fall are the best times to visit Carbondale. April and May bring dogwood and redbud blooms across the Shawnee Hills, and October is prime for fall color, harvest weekends on the wine trail and SIU football. Summers are hot and humid, though the shaded trails and lakes offer relief. Winters are milder than in northern Illinois, with occasional snow and ice.

  1. 01

    Garden of the Gods Recreation Area

    In the Shawnee National Forest, a short stone-paved trail leads among sandstone formations shaped by wind and water, with sweeping views over the forested hills.

  2. 02

    Giant City State Park

    Just south of town, massive sandstone bluffs form “streets” of rock, with hiking trails, horseback riding and a historic stone lodge built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

  3. 03

    Shawnee Hills Wine Trail

    This wine trail links a group of family-owned wineries along the rolling roads between Carbondale and Alto Pass, many with patios overlooking vineyards and woodlands.

  4. 04

    Little Grand Canyon

    A rugged loop trail descends through a deep box canyon in the Shawnee National Forest and climbs to an overlook above the Big Muddy River floodplain.

  5. 05

    Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge

    East of Carbondale, this refuge protects lakes, wetlands and woods where visitors fish, boat and watch migrating waterfowl and resident bald eagles.

  6. 06

    Southern Illinois University

    SIU’s wooded campus includes Thompson Woods, Campus Lake and the University Museum, and Saluki football and basketball games draw crowds through fall and winter.

Popular routes

Private flights from Carbondale

Flights to Carbondale

Every route from Carbondale

Questions

Flying private in Carbondale

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

Littlebird flies in and out of Southern Illinois Airport (MDH), Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois (MWA), Pinckneyville Du Quoin Airport (KPJY), and Benton Municipal Airport (KH96). 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 Carbondale?

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 Carbondale?

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 Carbondale?

Popular trips include St. Louis (about 30 min), Louisville (about 1 hr 5 min), Indianapolis (about 1 hr 15 min), and Chicago (about 1 hr 45 min). Every route is priced instantly online.

Is private charter in Carbondale, IL 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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