Flying to Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi
Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT) serves Mississippi's Gulf Coast, the US's third-largest commercial gaming market and one of the Gulf's most distinctive coastal destinations. FareOptic compares Delta, American, and Southwest for the cheapest fare to the Gulf Coast.
Flights to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT)
*All above fares are one way/round trip. Fares incl. all fuel surcharges, taxes & fees and our service fees. Displayed fares are subject to change and cannot be guaranteed at the time of booking. See all booking terms and conditions.
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Why Visit Gulfport and Biloxi?
Ship Island's barrier beach 12 miles offshore, Walter Anderson's extraordinary hidden cottage murals, Jefferson Davis's beachfront last home, and America's third-largest casino corridor rebuilt after Katrina
Gulf Islands National Seashore and Ship Island -- The Undeveloped Barrier Island 12 Miles Offshore with Fort Massachusetts and One of the Gulf Coast's Best Swimming Beaches, Accessible Only by Ferry
White Sand Beaches With Emerald Green Gulf Water, a Civil War Fort Built to Guard the Approaches to New Orleans, and a 2.5-Mile Island That Has No Roads, No Concessions Beyond a Snack Bar, and No Permanent ResidentsGulf Islands National Seashore (the NPS-managed barrier island chain extending from West Ship Island, Mississippi, east to Perdido Key, Florida -- the largest unit of the National Park System in the Southeast by land and water area; accessible from Gulfport by ferry from Gulfport Yacht Harbor, approximately 12 miles offshore, 1h 10m ferry ride) encompasses a series of undeveloped barrier islands that represent the last undisturbed examples of the Gulf Coast's original barrier island ecosystem: white quartz sand beaches (the quartz was carried by rivers from the Appalachian Mountains over millions of years), emerald-to-turquoise Gulf water (the Gulf of Mexico's unusually shallow continental shelf and high light penetration give the water its characteristic green-blue color), maritime pine forest in the island interior, and the Fort Massachusetts historic site. West Ship Island (the most accessible island from Gulfport; East Ship Island is a separate NPS unit accessible by private boat) features: (1) Fort Massachusetts (a Third System brick fort constructed 1858-1866 to defend the approach channel to New Orleans -- the fort was unfinished at the outbreak of the Civil War, was briefly occupied by Confederate forces, captured by Union naval forces in September 1861, and served as a Union base and prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate prisoners throughout the war; the brick walls, casemates, and gun platforms are largely intact and are among the best-preserved Third System fort examples in the South); (2) a 2.5-mile-long white sand beach (one of the cleanest beaches on the Gulf Coast -- the island has no permanent residents, no roads, and limited facilities beyond a bathhouse and seasonal snack bar operated by the park concessionaire); (3) clear Gulf water with visibility to 10-15 feet in calm conditions and summer water temperatures of 82-86°F; and (4) a short nature trail through the island's Slash pine forest interior.
Hurricane Katrina's August 2005 Destruction of the Gulf Coast -- How the Storm Cut Ship Island in Two and Reshaped the Entire Mississippi Gulf Coast Geography
Hurricane Katrina (August 29, 2005, Category 3 at landfall near Buras, Louisiana -- but producing a record 28-foot storm surge along the Mississippi Gulf Coast due to the storm's size and approach angle) was the most destructive natural disaster in US history by total property damage ($186 billion) and the deadliest US hurricane since the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 (1,836 confirmed deaths). The Mississippi Gulf Coast -- Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Ocean Springs -- experienced the full force of Katrina's storm surge: a 28-foot wall of water that traveled 6-12 miles inland in some areas, destroying virtually every structure within a half-mile of the coast and killing approximately 238 people in Mississippi. Katrina's storm surge cut Ship Island in two: the storm overwash breached the island's center, creating a channel that physically divided the island into East and West Ship Island (the breach was approximately 800 feet wide immediately after the storm and has since stabilized). The NPS reopened West Ship Island to ferry service in 2010 after years of cleanup and infrastructure repair. The Gulfport-Biloxi coastline's post-Katrina recovery has been shaped almost entirely by casino industry investment: the 12 coastal casino resorts were destroyed or severely damaged by Katrina but rebuilt rapidly (with federal hazard mitigation grants and state economic incentives) as the primary economic driver of the coastal recovery, with most reopening by 2006-2007.
Beauvoir -- Jefferson Davis's Last Home and the Confederate Presidential Library, on the Biloxi Beachfront, a National Historic Landmark Surviving Katrina and 150 Years of Gulf Coast History
The 1854 Gulf Coast Cottage Where the Only President of the Confederate States of America Wrote His Memoirs, Received Thousands of Confederate Veterans, and Died in 1889 -- Now a National Historic Landmark with the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library and MuseumBeauvoir (2244 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, MS -- on the Gulf Coast beachfront highway 4 miles west of downtown Biloxi; the 1854 Italianate beachfront cottage where Jefferson Davis [1808-1889, West Point graduate, US Senator from Mississippi, US Secretary of War under Pierce, and President of the Confederate States of America 1861-1865] retired from 1877 until his death on December 6, 1889; now a National Historic Landmark operated by the Mississippi Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans as the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library and Museum) is one of the most historically significant surviving antebellum Gulf Coast homes and the primary memorial site to the Confederate States' executive leadership. The Beauvoir estate: (1) the main house (a raised cottage with double porches -- the Gulf Coast vernacular raised-cottage style with ground-floor storage and living quarters elevated above flood level, surrounded by live oak trees planted in the 1850s; the interior preserves Davis's study, family rooms, and period furnishings); (2) the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library (a purpose-built facility containing Davis's personal papers, the largest collection of Confederate governmental records outside the Library of Congress, and rotating exhibits on Davis's career from West Point through the Confederacy to his postwar memoir writing); (3) the Confederate Veterans Cemetery (the graves of approximately 800 Confederate veterans who lived at the Beauvoir Soldiers' Home, a veterans' retirement facility operated on the estate from 1903 to 1957); and (4) the two pavilion cottages where Davis wrote 'The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government' (published 1881, his two-volume defense of secession and Confederate military strategy). Hurricane Katrina's 28-foot storm surge destroyed the first floor of the main house, damaged the library building, and flooded the cemetery -- post-Katrina restoration (completed 2008) rebuilt the ground floor and reopened the estate, though some original materials were destroyed.
Jefferson Davis's Post-War Career and the Lost Cause Narrative -- How the Confederate President's 1881 Memoirs Became the Founding Document of the Revisionist History That Shaped Southern Memory of the Civil War for 150 Years
Jefferson Davis's 'The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government' (1881, written at Beauvoir, published by Appleton; 1,279 pages in two volumes) is simultaneously a primary source of immense historical value (the Confederate president's direct account of Confederate policy, strategy, and military operations) and the single most influential text in establishing the 'Lost Cause' interpretation of the Civil War -- the revisionist narrative that denied slavery as the primary cause of secession, reframed secession as a constitutional right rather than rebellion, and elevated Confederate military leadership (particularly Robert E. Lee) to quasi-mythological status. Davis's central argument -- that secession was a legal, constitutional act grounded in states' rights, not a defense of slavery -- contradicted the Confederate Constitution's explicit protections for slavery and the Confederate states' declarations of secession (South Carolina's declaration, the most explicit, stated directly that 'an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery' was the primary cause). The 'Lost Cause' narrative propagated by Davis's memoir, the Confederate Veterans organizations, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy shaped Southern school textbooks from the 1880s through the mid-20th century, influenced the design of Confederate war memorials erected between 1895 and 1965, and remains a contested framework in American public history today. Davis himself was never tried for treason (charges were dismissed in 1869 when the federal government determined a conviction was uncertain), never received a presidential pardon, and died at Beauvoir in 1889 still legally a Confederate in rebellion against the United States.
Walter Anderson Museum of Art -- The Most Extraordinary Small Art Museum in the American South, Dedicated to an Artist Who Lived Alone in a Barrier Island Fort, Painted in Secret, and Left 30,000 Works That Mississippi Had No Idea Existed Until His Death
Walter Anderson's Hurricane-Damaged Cottage Full of Secret Room Paintings, His Handmade Books, His Wicker Sculptures, and the Life's Work of a Man Who Rowed Alone to the Barrier Islands Every Week for 30 Years to Draw the Gulf Coast's Birds and PlantsThe Walter Anderson Museum of Art (510 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs, MS -- 10 miles east of Gulfport via US-90; dedicated to the work of Walter Inglis Anderson [1903-1965, born in New Orleans, raised in Ocean Springs] -- one of the most singular and eccentric American artists of the 20th century, whose work was almost entirely unknown outside his immediate family at the time of his death from lung cancer in 1965 and whose posthumous reputation has grown steadily since into one of the most celebrated bodies of American folk and visionary art) preserves the most comprehensive collection of Anderson's watercolors, drawings, oil paintings, ceramic sculptures, wicker sculptures, and the extraordinary Cottage Room mural -- a small room in the Anderson family cottage that Walter painted floor-to-ceiling with a continuous mural of Gulf Coast wildlife, now reinstalled at the museum. Anderson's biography: born into a New Orleans family with artistic connections (his brother Peter founded Shearwater Pottery in Ocean Springs in 1928; his sister-in-law Mary Shearwater Anderson is a significant watercolorist in her own right), Walter Anderson trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Fountainebleau School in France before returning to Ocean Springs and gradually withdrawing from conventional social life. From the early 1940s until his death, Anderson rowed a small skiff alone from Ocean Springs across 12 miles of open water to Horn Island (a Gulf Islands National Seashore barrier island) on a weekly or near-weekly basis, camping on the island for days to weeks at a time, and filling notebooks and watercolor sheets with drawings of the island's birds, insects, plants, and weather. Anderson's Horn Island Logs (his illustrated diaries of island visits) and the thousands of watercolors produced there were discovered after his death: his family had no idea how much work existed in his studio and cottage. The museum now holds more than 30,000 individual works and the family cottage containing the Cottage Room mural.
The Cottage Room Mural -- The Most Extraordinary American Indoor Mural You've Never Heard Of, Painted in Secret on the Walls of a Small Room in Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Walter Anderson's Cottage Room mural (originally painted on the interior walls and ceiling of a small room [approximately 12 feet by 15 feet] in the Anderson family cottage at 607 Government Street, Ocean Springs) is the most intensely worked and most visually overwhelming American indoor mural outside of major institutions -- a continuous painting of the Gulf Coast's natural world covering every inch of the room's walls and ceiling in Anderson's characteristic precise, colorful, and biologically accurate watercolor style. Anderson painted the room secretly in the late 1950s-early 1960s, locking the door and keeping the project private from his family. After his death in 1965, his family opened the room and found a complete painted environment: the room's walls and ceiling (and some floor areas) covered with Anderson's Gulf Coast birds, fish, insects, plants, and seascape scenes in his densely layered, non-Western perspective style (Anderson did not use conventional Western perspective -- his compositions suggest Japanese screen painting or medieval manuscript illumination in their rejection of single-point perspective). The Cottage Room was dismantled panel by panel in the 1990s and reinstalled at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, where it now forms the museum's core exhibit: visitors enter the room through a single door and find themselves surrounded by Anderson's painted ecosystem, one of the most intimate and overwhelming art experiences in the American South.
Biloxi-Gulfport Casino Resort Corridor -- 12 Major Casino Resorts on 26 Miles of Gulf Coast, Built on Barges in the Gulf of Mexico Under Mississippi Law, Rebuilt After Katrina, and Generating $2.6 Billion Annual Revenue
Beau Rivage (MGM's Flagship Gulf Coast Resort), Scarlett Pearl, Boomtown, Harrah's Gulf Coast, and Eight More Casino Resorts Along US-90 Making the Mississippi Gulf Coast the Third-Largest Gaming Market in the United StatesThe Mississippi Gulf Coast casino corridor (26 miles of US Highway 90 from Bay St. Louis east through Pass Christian, Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi, D'Iberville, and Ocean Springs to Gautier -- 12 major casino resort properties operating as of 2024, generating approximately $2.6 billion in annual gaming revenue and making Mississippi the third-largest commercial gaming jurisdiction in the United States after Nevada and New Jersey) represents one of the most unusual geographic concentrations of casino gambling in North America: all Mississippi Gulf Coast casinos are required by state law (the Mississippi Gaming Control Act of 1990) to be built on water -- specifically, on permanently moored barges in the Gulf of Mexico or in navigable waterways (a requirement originally intended to preserve the appearance of keeping casinos 'offshore' while providing practical land-based facilities on adjacent land). The requirement was modified after Hurricane Katrina demonstrated its absurdity (the barges were destroyed or floated miles inland by the storm surge while their land-based hotel towers survived) -- the 2005 post-Katrina legislation allowed casino floors to be located up to 800 feet onshore. The corridor's flagship property: Beau Rivage (875 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi -- MGM Resorts International's Gulf Coast flagship, 1,740 hotel rooms, a 55,000-square-foot casino floor, 12 restaurants, a 1,550-seat theater, and the largest meeting space on the Gulf Coast) was destroyed by Katrina's storm surge (the casino barge was completely destroyed; the 32-story hotel tower survived with water damage to lower floors) and rebuilt and reopened in August 2006, 11 months after the storm.
Mississippi's 1990 Gaming Legalization -- The Waterfront Casino Law That Transformed One of America's Poorest States Into a Major Gaming Jurisdiction Overnight
Mississippi's legalization of casino gaming in 1990 (the Mississippi Gaming Control Act, signed by Governor Ray Mabus -- legalizing dockside casino gambling on the Gulf Coast and on the Mississippi River, with the specific requirement that casino floors be located on permanently moored vessels in navigable waters) produced one of the fastest transformations of a regional economy by a single legislative decision in American history. Before 1992 (when the first casinos opened), Harrison County (Gulfport-Biloxi) had an unemployment rate of 12% and a per-capita income of $12,000 -- among the lowest in the United States. Within 5 years of casino opening: Harrison County's unemployment rate fell to 4%, per-capita income increased 40%, and the county's hotel room inventory increased from approximately 3,000 to 15,000. The Gulf Coast casinos' combined investment between 1992 and 2005 exceeded $5 billion in facilities. Mississippi's decision to allow casinos on the Mississippi River (as well as the Gulf Coast) created a second gaming corridor in Tunica County (northwest Mississippi, adjacent to Memphis, Tennessee -- the 'Las Vegas of the South' that was, before Katrina, the third-largest gaming market in the US). The Gulf Coast corridor's post-Katrina rebuild (2005-2010) invested an additional $3+ billion in new and upgraded facilities, with MGM's Beau Rivage, Harrah's, and the Hard Rock leading the reconstruction.
How to Find Cheap Flights to Gulfport Mississippi
GPT Serves Both Gulfport and Biloxi -- The Airport Is Midway Between the Two Cities, 5 Miles from Each
Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT) is located between the two cities on US-49, approximately 5 miles from both downtown Gulfport and the Biloxi casino strip. All major rental cars are at the airport. The casino resorts (concentrated on US-90 in Biloxi) are 10-15 minutes from the airport via US-49 south to US-90.
Casino Resort Hotels Are Often the Best Value Accommodation -- Compare Casino Hotel Rates Before Booking
The Gulf Coast's 12 casino resorts frequently offer deeply discounted hotel rates (especially midweek) to attract gaming customers. Beau Rivage, Harrah's, and IP Casino resort rooms are often competitive with non-casino hotels in the area. Compare casino hotel rates directly against standard hotels before booking -- amenities (pool, multiple restaurants, entertainment) often make the casino hotel the better value even at comparable prices.
Ship Island Ferry Runs April-October -- Book the Ferry Ticket in Advance During Summer
The Ship Island ferry (Biloxi Shrimping Trip/Ship Island Excursions, departing from Gulfport Small Craft Harbor) operates approximately late April through October, weather permitting. Summer weekends sell out -- book ferry tickets online in advance. The 1h 10m ferry ride, 2-3 hours on the island, and return ferry make for a full day trip.
Hurricane Season Is June-November -- September-October Has the Highest Storm Risk and the Best Hotel Prices
The Gulf Coast's hurricane season (June 1 to November 30) brings the year's lowest hotel and flight prices but genuine storm risk: the Gulfport-Biloxi area has been struck by major hurricanes more frequently than almost any other coastal area in the US. Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any late-summer Gulf Coast booking. Winter (December-February) is mild (60-65°F), uncrowded, and offers some of the best beach weather for visitors from colder climates.
Airlines Flying to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT)
Delta Air Lines
ATL Hub Connections to GPT -- Delta's Gulf Coast Service with Southeastern US Connectivity via AtlantaDelta Air Lines connects Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT) to the Delta network through Atlanta (ATL), providing coverage for southeastern US travelers accessing Mississippi's Gulf Coast casino resorts, beaches, and historical sites. ATL-GPT nonstop service (approximately 1h 20m) is one of the shortest hub connections in the Southeast, and Delta's ATL dominance makes it the primary carrier for travelers from Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, and New England accessing the Gulf Coast.
Key Routes
ATL to GPT (1h 20m nonstop; JFK to GPT (via ATL; BOS to GPT (via ATL; MSP to GPT (via ATL; DTW to GPT (via ATL; LAX to GPT (via ATL; SLC to GPT (via ATL
American Airlines
CLT, DFW, and ORD Hub Connections to GPT -- American's Southeast, Texas, and Midwest Routing to the Mississippi Gulf CoastAmerican Airlines serves Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT) through Charlotte (CLT), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), and Chicago O'Hare (ORD), providing broad network access for travelers from the East Coast, Texas, and Midwest. CLT-GPT provides the most efficient East Coast-to-Gulf Coast connection for American passengers, while DFW-GPT serves the large Texas market visiting the Gulf Coast's casino resorts and beaches. American's regional express service handles most GPT capacity with smaller aircraft reflecting the market's leisure-heavy demand pattern.
Key Routes
CLT to GPT (1h 45m nonstop or via ATL; DFW to GPT (via CLT or direct; ORD to GPT (via CLT or DFW; MIA to GPT (via CLT; JFK to GPT (via CLT; LAX to GPT (via DFW or CLT
Southwest Airlines
Budget Low-Cost Service to GPT -- Southwest's Gulf Coast Routes for Leisure Travelers from Midwest, Mountain West, and FloridaSouthwest Airlines serves Gulfport-Biloxi (GPT) from its BWI, MDW, DEN, DAL, and Florida network, targeting the Gulf Coast's strong leisure and casino travel market. Southwest's two-free-bags and no-change-fee policy makes it attractive for family beach travelers, and GPT's position as one of the Gulf Coast's primary leisure airports fits Southwest's route strategy of serving budget-conscious leisure markets. Southwest is often the cheapest total-cost option when bag fees at other carriers are factored in.
Key Routes
BWI to GPT (via MDW or DAL; MDW to GPT nonstop or via DAL; DEN to GPT (via DAL; MCO to GPT nonstop or via HOU; DAL to GPT nonstop; Southwest.com for complete schedule
Spirit Airlines
Ultra-Low-Cost Budget Fares to GPT -- Spirit's No-Frills Service for the Lowest Base Fare Price to Gulfport-BiloxiSpirit Airlines operates service to Gulfport-Biloxi International (GPT) from select markets, targeting price-sensitive leisure travelers headed to the Gulf Coast casino resorts with the lowest possible base fare. Spirit's model charges separately for carry-on bags, checked bags, seat selection, and snacks -- the add-on fees can significantly increase the base ticket price, so compare total cost (ticket + anticipated bag fees) against other carriers before booking. Spirit's GPT routes vary seasonally -- check Spirit.com for current availability.
Key Routes
Check Spirit.com for current GPT service -- Spirit serves select markets on a seasonal basis with ultra-low base fares. Add-on fees for bags and seats apply. Compare total cost with Southwest's no-fee model before booking.
Things to Do in Gulfport, Biloxi, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Essential Info for Your Gulfport-Biloxi Trip
State / County
Harrison County, Mississippi. Gulfport (population 75,000) is the county seat; Biloxi (population 50,000) is the casino resort hub, 5 miles east.
Airport
GPT -- Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, located between the two cities. Airlines: Delta (ATL), American (CLT, DFW, ORD), Southwest (MDW, DEN, MCO), Spirit (seasonal).
Currency
USD -- US Dollar
Time Zone
CST (UTC-6) / CDT (UTC-5) in summer -- Central Time, same as Chicago and Houston
Ship Island Ferry
Departs Gulfport Small Craft Harbor (US-90). April-October, weather permitting. ~1h 10m crossing. Book online in advance for summer weekends. Ticket price ~$32-38 adults.
Casino Strip
US-90 (Beach Boulevard), Biloxi -- 12 casino resorts from Bay St. Louis to Biloxi. Beau Rivage (MGM) is the flagship. 10-15 minutes from GPT airport via US-49.
Walter Anderson Museum
510 Washington Ave, Ocean Springs -- 10 miles east of GPT. Tuesday-Saturday 9:30-5, Sunday 12:30-5. Admission ~$15 adults. The Cottage Room mural is the centerpiece.
Emergency Number
911
Most Popular Airlines
Best Airlines for Domestic & International Routes
Frequently Asked Questions on Flights to Gulfport Biloxi
Airport info, casino resort guide, Ship Island ferry, and travel planning for the Mississippi Gulf Coast
What airport serves Gulfport and Biloxi Mississippi?
Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (IATA: GPT) serves both cities. It's located between the two, approximately 5 miles from downtown Gulfport and 5 miles from the Biloxi casino strip on US-90. Airlines: Delta (via ATL), American (via CLT, DFW, ORD), Southwest (from MDW, DEN, MCO), and Spirit (seasonal).
What are the Gulfport Biloxi casinos?
The Gulf Coast has 12 major casino resorts along US-90 between Bay St. Louis and Biloxi, including Beau Rivage (MGM flagship), Harrah's Gulf Coast, IP Casino Resort Spa, Scarlett Pearl, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi, and Boomtown Biloxi. All casino floors are built on permanently moored barges per Mississippi law.
How do you get to Ship Island from Gulfport?
Ship Island ferry departs from Gulfport Small Craft Harbor on US-90. The ferry runs approximately late April through October. The crossing takes about 1 hour 10 minutes. Tickets can be purchased online through the Ship Island Excursions operator. Book in advance for summer weekends.
When is the best time to visit Gulfport Biloxi?
Best weather: March-May and October-November (70-80°F, low humidity, low crowds). Summer (June-August) is hot (90°F+) and humid but the beaches and ship island are at peak. Hurricane season (June-November) brings storm risk and the lowest prices. Winter (December-February) is mild (60°F) and uncrowded -- the casino resorts have good deals in winter.
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