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RFDKRFD

Chicago Rockford International Airport

Chicago, US

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RFDKRFDMinor

Chicago Rockford International Airport

Rockford, United States · North America

Rockford’s one-TSA Main Terminal is compact and cheap to park, but there is no ticketed lounge, Skyview is a boarding-pass cafe, and the official American/Landline coach still needs a live ticket check.

Airportist Score

7.1/ 10

Solid

Ease of use8.5
Comfort & amenities7.5
Food & retail7.2
Ground access7.4
Reliability7.4
Lounges2.0

How the score works

An editorial 0–10 score. The overall is exactly the weighted sum of six traveler categories — not a Google rating and not a poll.

25%Ease of use — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
20%Comfort & amenities — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
15%Food & retail — Food and retail quality and variety.
15%Ground access — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
15%Reliability — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
10%Lounges — Worth-it density and access quality.

Compare RFD with another airport

Typical security
10 min
editorial average, not live
Fastest to city
downtown Rockford is the local city, not the leftover 68-mile Chicago CBD cell
Official taxi list
Cheapest to city
RMTD #7 then #11
$1.50 adult exact fare (live RMTD; official flyrfd pages print no fare) · confirm the live #7; transfer required
On time
79%
of departures
Terminals
1
commercial terminal
Passengers / year
146,094

All airports

RFDKRFDMinor

Chicago Rockford International Airport

Rockford, United States · North America

Airportist Score

7.1/ 10

Solid

Ease of use8.5
Comfort & amenities7.5
Food & retail7.2
Ground access7.4
Reliability7.4
Lounges2.0

How the score works

An editorial 0–10 score. The overall is exactly the weighted sum of six traveler categories — not a Google rating and not a poll.

25%Ease of use — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
20%Comfort & amenities — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
15%Food & retail — Food and retail quality and variety.
15%Ground access — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
15%Reliability — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
10%Lounges — Worth-it density and access quality.

Compare RFD with another airport

Arrive

Security

Fastest

Cheapest

Lounges

On time

Flying from Chicago?

Enter your flight for a door-to-door plan: when to leave, security, the lounge you can use and your gate. No account needed.

4 photos

RFDGuide

Most important tips

Know before you go

A compact traveler cheat sheet for timing, terminals, food, and disruption checks.

90 minutes

Official 90 minutes domestic - 2 hours international

Official FAQ prints 90 minutes for Allegiant or American/Landline and two hours for international. Official Landline page prints arrive at least 90 minutes prior to the bus. Official traveler pages print no TSA clock and no wait widget.

American.com Daily 4:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., no cash/checks, PreCheck Available, clubs Not Available, no curbside, no self-service check-in. Official PreCheck lane during select times against passenger volume. The 10-minute security wait on the score card is unpublished.

One hall

Main Terminal - do not invent KRFD

Ticketed jets and Landline coaches use the Main Terminal after a single TSA. Donald Manzullo International Terminal sits next to CBP at 50 Airport Drive. Do not merge ORD or MDW.

Official Main Terminal 2 Airport Circle vs Administration 60 Airport Drive - both official. Observation Court on the main level. Elevator across from security on the second level and adjacent to Observation Court on the main level. AirNav FBO / UPS / Amazon ramps are not this TSA hall.

Skyview

Skyview Cafe is a concession, not a club

Official second-floor airside cafe for boarding-pass holders. Two hours before domestic / three hours before international. Live Priority Pass chicago-rockford-rfd is 404.

Official perks list prints Cafe and Bar. Skyview 815-969-4452 Ext 4555. Official pages print no shop clock, no bottle tariff, and no mapped fountain. Confirm the board on the floor.

Landline

Official pages still sell American/Landline

Official airline and Landline pages still print daily RFD-ORD coaches with TSA at RFD and airside ORD. WIFR 31 Jul 2026 prints last day 4 Oct 2026 quoting Zack Oakley. Confirm the ticket.

Official launch 20 Oct 2025. Official 150 destinations vs 350 destinations on the same official Landline page - different cells. Official Apple Vacations 2027 CUN / LIR / PUJ is the next printed season, not a live FIDS line on 17 Sep 2026.

Live conditions

Right now at RFD

Security waits and operational status from official feeds, where the airport publishes them.

Honest verdict

Who this airport works for

Best for

Allegiant leisure hops that will book the official $8 advanced lot
Meet-and-greet trips that will use the first two free parking hours
Travelers who will treat Skyview Cafe as a concession, not a club

Watch out for

No ticketed passenger lounge; live Priority Pass chicago-rockford-rfd is 404
Official Landline pages still sell daily RFD–ORD; WIFR 31 Jul 2026 leftover-prints last day 4 Oct 2026
Official pages print no mapped fountain and no bottle tariff
RMTD #7 / #11 is Monday–Saturday only; official pages print no Uber / Lyft

Airportist Score

Why this score

Overall is the published weighted sum of six categories. No holistic fudge on top.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

8.5

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

7.5

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

7.2

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

7.4

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

7.4

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

2.0

Key stats

Editorial reference figures, not live readings.

Annual passengers

146,094

Terminals

1 commercial terminal

On-time departures

79%

Typical security

10 min

Guide quick facts

From the editorial guide for RFD.

Updated Sep 17, 2026

One commercial Main Terminal at official 2 Airport Circle, Rockford, IL 61109, plus the Donald Manzullo International Terminal / International Arrival Terminal on the same campus. Administration is 60 Airport Drive / rfd@flyrfd.com / 815-969-4000 / toll-free 866-359-7331 / fax 815-316-0122. Admin clock Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
FAA preliminary CY 2025 prints locid RFD, rank 210, 146,094 enplanements (+10.55% vs 132,154). That boarding file is not a total-passenger count. Official 80-year page prints 146,094 boardings and 310,000 passengers in 2025 - different files. Official cargo press prints passenger rank 209 versus the FAA commercial-service PDF rank 210. Trust the FAA PDF rank.
Official homepage prints Allegiant Air, American/Landline, and Apple Vacations. Official airline Allegiant pairs: PGD / LAS / BNA / SFB / IWA / SRQ / PIE / FLL. Official Apple Vacations CUN / LIR / PUJ beginning January-April 2027. Official Landline pages still sell daily RFD-ORD coaches; WIFR 31 Jul 2026 prints an airport statement that American ends the coach on 4 Oct 2026.
No ticketed passenger lounge. American.com clubs Not Available. Live Priority Pass /chicago-rockford-rfd and /rockford-rfd are 404. Skyview Cafe is a second-floor airside concession, two hours before domestic departures and three hours before international, 815-969-4452 Ext 4555.
Official parking $8.00 advanced daily / $9.00 drive-up daily / $12 valet / first two hours free then $1 each additional hour to the $9 daily max. SP+ 815-968-6972. Official 1,750+ stalls. Cell-phone lot on Airport Drive. Winter lot shuttle.
Do not invent a KRFD slug. ICAO KRFD and FAA LID RFD are identifiers. Do not merge ORD, MDW, MLI, PIA, DPA, or Camp Grant as a second passenger page. Write as a public commercial Greater Rockford Airport Authority field, not an airbase page.

14 official sources

Full guide

Explore the RFD guide

Each section answers one trip question in depth.

Terminal navigation guide

Terminal-change and gate-area notes pulled from the markdown guide.

From Terminals & Navigation

One commercial Main Terminal plus the Donald Manzullo International Terminal / International Arrival Terminal on the same campus. Official Main Terminal 2 Airport Circle vs Administration 60 Airport Drive - both official. American.com prints 2 Airport Circle and matches the contacts Main Terminal card.
Operator Greater Rockford Airport Authority (GRAA). Official Executive Director Zack Oakley (staff card / AirNav manager ZACHARY OAKLEY 815-965-4011). Official board Chair Mike Schablaske / Vice-Chair Jake Castanza / Deputy Director Finance Shelly / Michelle Cassaro - spelling varies across official pages. PFC minutes print Josh Bachman starting April 2026.
Official history prints more than 3,000 acres and runways 10,000 ft / 8,200 ft. AirNav RWY 7/25 10002x150 / RWY 1/19 8200x150 / elev 742 / ARFF C / Index E available with 1 hr PPR 815-969-4011. Wikipedia prints 2,900 acres / 46,910 ops / 114 based in 2024 / 256,000 total passengers in 2024. Those are different files.
Official history prints Camp Grant 1917-1946 then GRAA 1946. AirNav activation 03/1950 versus official 1946 / ACFR aircraft use 1949 - different files. Write as a public commercial field on former Army land, not an airbase page. Official passenger pages print no 182nd Airlift Wing cell.
Official airline page prints Allegiant 702-505-8888 / allegiantair.com with ticket agents on the floor. Official destination days: PGD Thursday/Sunday; LAS Thursday/Sunday; BNA Thursday/Sunday seasonal; SFB Thursday/Sunday; IWA Monday/Friday/Saturday; SRQ Thursday/Sunday November-April; PIE Monday/Friday versus Monday/Friday/Saturday on the same page - different cells; FLL Thursday/Sunday. Official homepage still prints Ft. Myers / Las Vegas / Orlando / Phoenix / Tampa Bay without the full FLL / BNA / SRQ table. Confirm allegiantair.com.
Official Apple Vacations 800-517-2000. Official next printed season: CUN Monday/Wednesday/Saturday beginning 23 Jan 2027-5 Apr 2027; LIR Friday beginning 5 Feb 2027-2 Apr 2027; PUJ Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday beginning 24 Jan 2027-1 Apr 2027. Official contacts still print TIU Airlines (Apple Vacations) lost and found 770-916-0303. Wikipedia prints a January 2026 Apple / TUI Belgium restart - different file from the 2027 table.
Official Landline page prints check-in at RFD, bag tag through to the final city, TSA in Rockford, motorcoach with Wi-Fi / power / entertainment, airside arrival at the American gate area at ORD, and no re-screen. Official changes cannot be made at RFD; call American 1-800-433-7300 or the third-party booker. Official launch 20 Oct 2025. Confirm whether your ticket still exists after the leftover 4 Oct 2026 end date printed by WIFR.
Official meet-and-greet is the bottom of the staircase on the main level. Official elevator is across from security on the second level and adjacent to Observation Court on the main level. Official gate passes are airline discretion at the ticket counter. Official pages print no jet-bridge count and no mapped gate numbers. Wikipedia leftover Gate 4 / Allegiant A320 is a different file.

Ground transport guide

City-transfer, rideshare, train, and parking guidance from the markdown guide.

From Ground Transport & Parking

Official parking $8.00 advanced daily maximum / $9.00 drive-up daily maximum / $12 valet. Official FAQ also prints first two hours free, then $1 each additional hour up to the $9 daily max. Official valet attendants inside the first exit/entrance doors of the Main Terminal; pay cash or credit on the return day; cars staged in front of the Main Terminal. Official car wash on return: full service $20.00, SUV/full-size pickup +$5.00, exterior only $10.00. Official SP+ Airport Services 815-968-6972. Official jump starts and tire inflation at no cost. Official attendants during flight operation hours. Official extra help for elderly / disabled / Veterans - call 815-968-6972 before arrival.
Official lots sit in front of the Main Terminal and the International Arrival Terminal. Official overflow: proceed to the Exit Booth. Official cell-phone lot near the airport entrance on Airport Drive. Official ground-transport page prints over 1,750 spaces in four lots in front of the terminal and one lot across the street, all walking distance. Official complimentary winter shuttle through the terminal lots. Official complimentary luggage carts in each lot. Official curb drop-off with ambassadors.
Official rentals: Avis 815-962-8447 or 800-831-2847. National / Alamo / Enterprise 888-826-6890 or 815-965-4466. Official after-hours / weekend: contact the local company. Official pages print no Hertz / Budget / Dollar / Sixt / Turo cell.
Official taxis: American Taxi 847-259-155 / americantaxi.com (that official digit string is short - confirm the live number). Official Speedee Taxi 815-963-3322. Official pages print no Uber / Lyft cell.
Official limousines / coaches: A Fantasy Limousine 815-703-5164; A Touch of Class 815-389-9488 or 815-509-2067; Chicago Limo 847-962-3308; Crown Point Limo 219-307-4242; Hub Shuttle 815-562-0100; Stretch Limousine Inc. 866-425-0976; Windstar Lines 815-387-9122; Y Drive Limousine 262-728-7891. Book ahead.
Official RMTD: hourly service Monday through Saturday. Official stop directly in front of the terminal at the east end of the service drive. Official pair: South Main Bus #7 to the RMTD Transfer Center on West State Street, then East State Bus #11 to the Greyhound/Clock Tower stop. Official RMTD 815-961-9000 / rmtd.org. Official flyrfd pages print no fare. Live RMTD fare page prints adult $1.50 (age 15+), exact fare, Token Transit, free transfers. Confirm the live #7 still names the airport curb before you treat that pair as a guaranteed last bus.
AirNav leftover "68 miles NW of the associated city" is the Chicago CBD cell. Official history prints 68 miles northwest of Chicago. Downtown Rockford is the local city, not a 68-mile taxi.

Ride to Chicago

Pickup at RFD. Where the app supports it, dropoff is set to Chicago city center for a live price.

To city center

Chicago

~126 km

Typical fare

$1.50

From RMTD #7 then #11 notes

On-demand apps

Uber → city Lyft → city

Fixed-price transfers

GetTransfer quotes Kiwitaxi quotes

Compare prepaid private transfers to Chicago — useful overnight, with luggage, or when you want a locked-in fare before you land.

Official surface lots

Official lots in front of the Main Terminal and the International Arrival Terminal. Official 1,750+ stalls. Cell-phone lot on Airport Drive.

Time to city

walk to the Main Terminal curb

Cost

$8 advanced daily / $9 drive-up daily / $12 valet; first 2h free

Tip: SP+ 815-968-6972. Official winter lot shuttle. Official car wash $20 full / $10 exterior. Book the $8 advanced cell when you can.

Cheapest

RMTD #7 then #11

Official hourly Monday–Saturday stop at the east end of the terminal service drive. #7 to the West State Street Transfer Center, then #11 to Greyhound/Clock Tower.

Time to city

confirm the live #7; transfer required

Cost

$1.50 adult exact fare (live RMTD; official flyrfd pages print no fare)

Tip: RMTD 815-961-9000 / rmtd.org. Official pages print no Sunday airport bus and no Uber / Lyft.

FastestBest for luggage

Official taxi list

Official American Taxi 847-259-155 / americantaxi.com (that official digit string is short — confirm the live number) and Speedee Taxi 815-963-3322.

Time to city

downtown Rockford is the local city, not the leftover 68-mile Chicago CBD cell

Cost

meter unpublished on official pages — book ahead

Tip: Official rentals: Avis 815-962-8447; National / Alamo / Enterprise 888-826-6890 or 815-965-4466. Official pages print no Hertz / Budget / Uber / Lyft.

Editorial guide tricks

The markdown guide's highest-signal tactics before the data-backed tips below.

From Best Airport Tricks & Hacks

Official FAQ prints arrive 90 minutes before Allegiant or American/Landline and two hours before international. Official Landline page prints the same 90-minute coach clock. Official traveler pages print no TSA wait widget. The 10-minute security wait on the score card is unpublished.
Official Trusted Traveler page prints a TSA PreCheck lane during select times based on projected passenger volume. Official IdentoGO is Stewart Square, 308 W. State Street, Suite 175, Rockford, IL 61101, Monday-Friday 08:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 01:00 p.m.-02:00 p.m. American.com prints PreCheck Available and clubs Not Available. Official pages print no CLEAR Plus cell.
American.com Daily 4:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., no cash/checks, no curbside, no self-service check-in. Official animal-relief area is outside between the terminal and the rental-car parking area.
Official Lost and Found is Josh Bachman, jbachman@flyrfd.com, 815-969-4412 (FAQ and contacts share that number). Official Allegiant lost and found 866-719-3910 / chargerback.com. Official TIU Airlines (Apple Vacations) / Aviation Advantage 770-916-0303. Official 60-day hold at Passenger Services during normal business hours. Official FOIA Kathy Bruggeman, kbruggeman@flyrfd.com, 815-969-4468.
Official pages print RFD Ambassadors in bright green shirts curbside and inside. Official pages print free wheelchairs just inside the entrance and complimentary baggage carts in each lot.
Official pages print complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the terminal and print no SSID. Confirm the board on the floor.
Official pages print no mapped bottle filler and no bottle tariff. Skyview is the published sealed-bottle cell after TSA. Do not invent a landside coffee-shop name that official pages do not print.
Official Landline pages still print daily RFD-ORD coaches with TSA at RFD and airside arrival at ORD without re-screen. Official 150 destinations vs 350 destinations on official pages - different cells. WIFR 31 Jul 2026 prints last day 4 Oct 2026 quoting Executive Director Zack Oakley. Confirm aa.com before treating the coach as live after that date. Do not invent a replacement American jet.

SecurityTraveler Tips & Hacks

Official 90 minutes domestic

Official FAQ prints 90 minutes for Allegiant or American/Landline and two hours for international.

Official traveler pages print no TSA wait widget. Official PreCheck lane during select times. American.com prints PreCheck Available and clubs Not Available. averageSecurityMinutes 10 is editorial unpublished.

Pro

One compact checkpoint in a one-hall field.

Watch-out

The 10-minute security wait on the score card is unpublished.

FoodTraveler Tips & Hacks

Skyview Cafe is a concession

Official second-floor airside cafe for boarding-pass holders. Live Priority Pass chicago-rockford-rfd is 404.

Official open window is two hours before domestic / three hours before international. Official pages print no menu tariff, no bottle tariff, and no mapped fountain.

Watch-out

Miss that clock and the published food and sealed-bottle cell is closed.

NavigationTraveler Tips & Hacks

Do not invent a KRFD page

Passenger IATA is RFD. ICAO KRFD and FAA LID RFD are identifiers, not extra slugs.

One commercial Main Terminal at official 2 Airport Circle plus the Donald Manzullo International Terminal on the same campus. Do not merge ORD, MDW, MLI, PIA, DPA, or Camp Grant.

Pro

One TSA hall after a single checkpoint.

Watch-out

Do not treat the AirNav FBO / UPS / Amazon ramps as this passenger hall.

TransportTraveler Tips & Hacks

Book the $8 advanced lot

Official advanced daily maximum is $8.00 versus $9.00 drive-up. First two hours are free.

Official RMTD adult fare is $1.50 exact, Monday–Saturday, #7 then #11. Official pages print no Uber / Lyft and no Sunday airport bus. Confirm aa.com before treating Landline as live after the leftover 4 Oct 2026 end date.

Pro

Official 1,750+ stalls walking distance to the Main Terminal.

Watch-out

RMTD is not a Sunday airport bus.

Alternatives

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Alternatives

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Nearby airports

Flying from Chicago?

Nearby airports

Nearby airports

Flying from Chicago?

Know before you go

Right now at RFD

Who this airport works for

Why this score

Explore the RFD guide

Map

Getting There

Lounges

Traveler Tips

Amenities

Water

Reviews

Official 90 minutes domestic

Skyview Cafe is a concession

Do not invent a KRFD page

Book the $8 advanced lot

What travelers say

Nearby airports

Nearby airports

Know before you go

Right now at RFD

Who this airport works for

Why this score

Explore the RFD guide

Map

Getting There

Lounges

Traveler Tips

Amenities

Water

Reviews

Official 90 minutes domestic

Skyview Cafe is a concession

Do not invent a KRFD page

Book the $8 advanced lot

What travelers say

Nearby airports