Direct Flights from Phoenix to Rapid City
Rapid City · South Dakota
Nonstop service from PHX to RAP on American. Here's the schedule at a glance — plus what to do once you land.
How rare is this nonstop?
Only 11 cities have a nonstop to Rapid City, so this is a route worth knowing about — most travelers connect to get there.
How long to go to Rapid City for, from Phoenix
2h 15m in the air, 876 miles — a Friday-evening departure still leaves you most of the evening in Rapid City. Two nights works.
About Rapid City
Rapid City is the largest city in the Badlands and Black Hills region of South Dakota. It is a convenient base for travel on to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the Crazy Horse Memorial, the Badlands, and the Black Hills National Forest.
Summary from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA).
Top things to do in Rapid City
- The Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain monument under construction on privately held land in the Black Hills, in Custer County, South Dakota, United States.
- Custer State Park is a South Dakota State Park and wildlife reserve in the Black Hills of the United States.
- The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Catholic cathedral and parish church located in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Completed in 1962, it serves as the third cathedral of the Diocese of Rapid City.
- Reptile Gardens is a reptile-focused zoo south of Rapid City, South Dakota, on US 16 between Rapid City and Mount Rushmore. The park is open from the first Saturday of March through November 30 each year.
- Dinosaur Park is a dinosaur park in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Dedicated on May 22, 1936, it contains seven dinosaur sculptures on a hill overlooking the city, created to capitalize on the tourists coming t…
- Black Hills National Cemetery, originally named Fort Meade National Cemetery, is a United States National Cemetery near Sturgis, South Dakota.
- Fort Meade National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located near the city of Sturgis in Meade County, South Dakota.
- Rushmore Cave is the closest show cave to Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the United States. It contains a wide variety of natural formations. It is the ninth longest cave in South Dakota.
- The Journey Museum and Learning Center is a museum in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States with 7 acres (28,000 m2) of gardens.
- The Adams Museum & House in Deadwood, South Dakota is the Black Hills' oldest history museum. Artifacts on display reflect the legends of Wild Bill, Calamity Jane, Deadwood Dick, and the Black Hills gold rush.
- The Lincoln Borglum Museum is located in the Mount Rushmore National Memorial near Keystone, South Dakota. It features two 125-seat theaters that show a 13-minute movie about Mount Rushmore.
- Deer Mountain Village is a four-season luxury mountain community and ski resort located in the Black Hills just outside of Lead, South Dakota. Deer Mountain has a vertical drop of 699 feet, with a summit of 6,654 feet.
Attraction descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); place data from Wikidata (CC0).
Rapid City weather, compared with Phoenix
27° cooler than Phoenix on average across the year, on daytime highs:
- January
- Rapid City 37°F · Phoenix 68°F · 31° colder
- April
- Rapid City 57°F · Phoenix 86°F · 28° colder
- July
- Rapid City 87°F · Phoenix 107°F · 20° colder
- October
- Rapid City 61°F · Phoenix 89°F · 28° colder
January bottoms out near 37°F — a real coat, not a layer.
Average daily highs, 1991–2020 station normals from Meteostat (CC BY 4.0), measured at each city's airport.
Planning a trip to Rapid City
- Best time to visit
- The best time to visit Rapid City is May–June and September–October, when daytime highs are a comfortable 61–78°F.
- How long to stay
- Rapid City rewards a longer visit — a full week lets you explore its many sights, from Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Rapid City, South Dakota) and beyond.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a direct flight from Phoenix to Rapid City?
- Yes — you can fly nonstop from Phoenix (PHX) to Rapid City (RAP) on American.
- Which airlines fly nonstop from Phoenix to Rapid City?
- American flies nonstop between Phoenix (PHX) and Rapid City (RAP).
- How far is Rapid City from Phoenix?
- Rapid City is about 876 miles from Phoenix by air.
- What is there to do in Rapid City?
- Popular things to do include Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Rapid City, South Dakota), Reptile Gardens, and more.
More nonstop destinations from Phoenix near Rapid City
Airports near Phoenix
The closest other departure airports to Phoenix — each opens up more nonstop destinations.