Vernal Regional Airport (VEL / KVEL) is a medium-sized airport serving Vernal, Utah. It sits 5,278 feet above sea level and has 1 runway, the longest 7,000 feet. The largest population centre nearby is Rock Springs, WY — the airport lies about 81 miles south of it in a straight line.
The 3 largest population centres within 90 miles of VEL. Distances below are straight-line; the road route is always longer. Select a city to calculate its real driving time and distance to the airport.
| City | Straight line | Airport lies | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vernal, UT | 1.6 mi | south-east | Get drive time → |
| Green River, WY | 76 mi | south | Get drive time → |
| Rock Springs, WY | 81 mi | south | Get drive time → |
Within 200 miles, straight-line. A slightly farther airport is sometimes the shorter drive — check both before you book.
Airport, runway and elevation figures come from the OurAirports open database. Routes are calculated to the airport's map reference point, which at a large airport may sit a few minutes from your specific terminal.
Leave home drive time + 2 hours before a domestic departure from VEL, or drive time + 3 hours before an international one.
Those buffers cover bag drop, security and the walk to the gate, but not getting from your car to the terminal — at a medium-sized airport like VEL, allow another 15–30 minutes to park and ride in, or 30–45 if you are returning a rental car. The drive estimate above is free-flow and does not model live traffic. Full guide to timing your departure →
It depends on your starting point. Enter your address in the calculator on this page and you'll get a road-distance driving estimate to Vernal Regional Airport, plus the option to start from any of the 3 nearby cities listed above.
Vernal Regional Airport uses the IATA code VEL and the ICAO code KVEL. It is classified as a medium-sized airport and sits at 5,278 feet above sea level.
Rock Springs, WY is about 81 miles from VEL in a straight line. Road distance is longer — use the calculator above with Rock Springs as your starting point for the actual driving time.
Within 200 miles: RKS (83 mi), GJT (104 mi), CNY (117 mi), PVU (117 mi). Distances are straight-line, so compare the actual drive times before choosing — a closer airport is not always a shorter drive.
Work backwards from your departure time: subtract two hours for a domestic flight (three for international), then subtract your drive time to VEL. The calculator on this page does that arithmetic for you once you enter your starting address, and adds the parking and shuttle time you should allow on top.