Flying to Medford, Oregon
Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (MFR) serves Southern Oregon's gateway to Crater Lake National Park, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, and the Gold Rush heritage of Jacksonville. FareOptic compares Alaska, United, and American for the cheapest fare into Medford.
Flights to Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (MFR)
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Why Visit Medford?
Crater Lake's 1,943-foot-deep caldera, Shakespeare outdoors in the Siskiyous, an 1850s gold rush town frozen in amber, Comice pears, and Rogue River whitewater
Crater Lake National Park -- The Deepest Lake in the United States at 1,943 Feet, the Intensely Blue Caldera Lake of Mount Mazama Inside a 6-Mile-Diameter Volcanic Caldera, 60 Miles North of Medford
The Deepest Lake in the US and the 9th-Deepest in the World, Formed 7,700 Years Ago When Mount Mazama's Volcanic Eruption Collapsed Its Summit into a Caldera Now Filled with 4.6 Trillion Gallons of the Clearest and Purest Water in North America, Viewable from the 33-Mile Rim DriveCrater Lake National Park (Rim Village, OR -- approximately 60 miles north of Medford via OR-62; Oregon's only national park; entrance fee $35/vehicle valid 7 days; open year-round but Rim Drive is snow-closed November-June; Crater Lake Lodge open late May through mid-October; about 1 hour 15 minutes by car from Medford) is anchored by Crater Lake: the deepest lake in the United States at 1,943 feet maximum depth (9th-deepest in the world), formed approximately 7,700 years ago when the 12,000-foot stratovolcano Mount Mazama underwent a cataclysmic eruption (approximately 42 cubic miles of magma expelled, 40 times the volume of the Mount St. Helens eruption of 1980) and its summit collapsed into the evacuated magma chamber, creating the 6-mile-diameter, 1,000-foot-deep caldera that has since filled with rain and snowmelt to a depth of 1,943 feet. The lake's exceptional qualities: (1) the color (the deepest blue of any lake in North America, caused by the exceptional clarity and purity of the water -- no rivers flow into or out of Crater Lake, and the water accumulates only from rain and snow; the lake absorbs all light wavelengths except deep blue, which scatters back to the surface; Secchi disk visibility depth is typically 100-120 feet, compared to 10-20 feet in most North American lakes); (2) the purity (the average age of water molecules in Crater Lake is 250 years -- significantly older than most lakes because the caldera's isolation means the water has no surface runoff input; the lake is one of the cleanest natural freshwater bodies in the world); (3) Wizard Island (a 764-foot cinder cone volcano that rose from the caldera floor after the Mount Mazama collapse, creating an island in the lake; boat tours from Cleetwood Cove depart daily in summer and allow hiking to the Wizard Island summit); and (4) the 33-mile Rim Drive (a loop road around the caldera rim at 7,000-8,000 foot elevation with 30 overlooks).
Mount Mazama and the Klamath Oral Record -- How the Klamath People's 7,700-Year-Old Oral Account of Mount Mazama's Eruption Became the Most Ancient Geologically-Verified Historical Event in Human Memory
The Klamath and Modoc peoples of southern Oregon and northern California maintain oral traditions describing the destruction of Mount Mazama (called 'Llao's battle with Skell' in Klamath oral literature -- Llao being the spirit of the Below-World who dwelled in Mount Mazama, Skell the spirit of the Above-World; the oral account describes a cataclysmic battle between the two spirits in which Llao was driven into the mountain and the mountain was destroyed by fire and collapsed) that geologists in the late 20th century recognized as the oldest geologically verifiable event in any human oral tradition. The eruption of Mount Mazama (approximately 5700 BCE, 7,700 years before present) was witnessed by Klamath and Modoc ancestors, who survived the eruption (the ashfall from the eruption covered approximately 500,000 square miles of the western US and is still visible as a distinct white layer in the stratigraphy of the Columbia Basin, the Great Basin, and the Rocky Mountain plateau) and incorporated the event into religious practice: Klamath oral traditions describe Mount Mazama's destruction as a sacred event whose memory must be preserved, and the volcanic pumice and ash fallout deposits (which appear in Klamath village archaeological sites immediately above the 7,700-year-old tephra layer) confirm that the oral tradition was transmitted continuously for 7,700 years -- the longest verified oral transmission of a specific historical event in the human record.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland -- One of the Largest Regional Theater Companies in the United States, 11 Plays Per Season in Three Theatres, Running for 9 Months from February Through October, 15 Miles South of Medford
The Elizabethan Stage Outdoor Theatre Where Shakespeare Has Been Performed Outdoors on a Summer Evening in the Siskiyou Foothills Since 1935, the Angus Bowmer Theatre, the Thomas Theatre, and an Annual Season That Has Presented All 38 Shakespeare Plays Multiple Times Since 1935The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (15 S. Pioneer Street, Ashland -- approximately 15 miles south of Medford via I-5; established 1935 by Angus Bowmer, a theater professor at Southern Oregon Normal School [now Southern Oregon University]; one of the largest regional theater companies in the United States; presenting 11 plays per season [4-5 Shakespeare, 6-7 other classical and contemporary works] in three theaters [the outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre, the Angus Bowmer Theatre, and the Thomas Theatre]; season running February through October; approximately 400,000 annual visitors from all 50 states and 15 countries -- the largest number of out-of-town visitors for any cultural institution in Oregon) is the defining cultural institution of the Rogue Valley and one of America's great regional theater companies. The Festival's theaters: (1) the Allen Elizabethan Theatre (the outdoor amphitheater on the OSF campus, modeled after the Elizabethan 'thrust stage' of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, open-air with covered seating for 1,200, operating June-October; summer evening performances under the stars in the Siskiyou Mountain air are one of the authentic cultural experiences of the American West); (2) the Angus Bowmer Theatre (a 600-seat indoor thrust stage, the workhorse of the season from February through October; the primary Shakespeare and classical productions); and (3) the Thomas Theatre (a 200-seat black-box experimental theatre for contemporary and avant-garde works). OSF's history of producing all 38 Shakespeare plays (as counted by the Oxford Complete Works) multiple times since 1935 means the company has presented more Shakespeare than any other theater in the Western Hemisphere and has developed a nationally recognized training pipeline for Shakespeare performance.
Ashland Oregon's Development as a Cultural Destination -- How a Town of 20,000 in the Siskiyou Mountains Built a Theater Industry That Sustains the Southern Oregon Economy and Exceeds Portland Cultural Attendance
Ashland's transformation from a Southern Oregon railroad town to a cultural destination city is the most successful regional theater-driven economic development story in American history: the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which began with Angus Bowmer's $400 summer production in 1935 and a borrowed stage in the Chautauqua grounds, now generates approximately $200 million in annual economic activity in the Rogue Valley, supporting 1,500 direct jobs in theater and hospitality and sustaining Ashland's restaurant, hotel, and retail sector through a 9-month season. The mechanism: OSF's 400,000 annual visitors spend, on average, 3 nights in Ashland (the company's own surveys show approximately 70% of attendees come from more than 50 miles away and stay overnight); Ashland has 25+ restaurants, 30+ bed-and-breakfast inns, and a retail district that is entirely oriented to the theater audience demographic (bookstores specializing in drama, galleries, wine bars, artisan food shops). The festival's economic multiplier is approximately 3.5x -- meaning each OSF ticket dollar generates $3.50 in total Rogue Valley economic activity. Ashland has more restaurants per capita than any other Oregon city except Portland, more B&Bs per capita than any city in the Pacific Northwest, and a property value premium (the 'Ashland premium') that makes it the most expensive housing market in Southern Oregon despite its small population.
Jacksonville Oregon National Historic Landmark -- The Best-Preserved 1850s Gold Rush Town in the Pacific Northwest, 2 Miles West of Medford, a Federal National Historic Landmark Whose Entire Business District Is on the National Register
90 Original 1850s-1880s Brick and Wood Commercial Buildings Lining California Street and the Side Streets, the Beekman Bank (Still Containing the Original 1863 Equipment), the Jacksonville Cemetery, the Britt Festivals Outdoor Music Venue in the Britt Estate Gardens, and No Chain Stores or Franchises in the Historic DistrictJacksonville, Oregon (2 miles west of Medford via OR-238 -- a National Historic Landmark District containing approximately 90 original 19th-century buildings from the 1851-1890 Gold Rush and post-Gold Rush period; the most completely preserved gold rush-era town in the Pacific Northwest; the entire town center is on the National Register of Historic Places; free to walk; population approximately 3,000; no stoplights in the historic district) was established in January 1852 when Peter Britt, James Cluggage, and James Pool discovered placer gold in Rich Gulch, triggering an immediate gold rush that brought 1,000 prospectors to the site within weeks. At its 1856 peak, Jacksonville was the largest and wealthiest city in Oregon Territory -- the seat of Jackson County government, the commercial center for southern Oregon's gold fields, and a town of brick commercial buildings, hotels, saloons, and churches. The town's survival as an intact 19th-century landscape resulted from a fortunate accident: when the Oregon and California Railroad (1884) bypassed Jacksonville 2 miles to the east and built its station at the new townsite of Medford, Jacksonville lost its commercial importance almost overnight and stagnated economically for 80 years -- buildings were maintained but not replaced, and the town emerged in the 1960s with most of its 19th-century fabric intact. Notable buildings and sites: (1) the Beekman Bank (175 W. California Street -- the original 1863 bank building with all original equipment: Wells Fargo safe, teller window, ledger books, and period furnishings; now a museum; Cornelius Beekman was the Wells Fargo agent for southern Oregon gold shipments and the most powerful financial figure in the region); (2) the 1851 Peter Britt estate and gardens (the Swiss-born photographer and pioneer settler's property, now the Britt Festivals outdoor amphitheater where classical music, jazz, and pop concerts are held July-August in the hillside garden setting); and (3) the Jacksonville Cemetery (1856 -- a remarkably intact Victorian cemetery with cast-iron grave markers and the graves of Jacksonville's founding generation).
Peter Britt and the Rogue Valley's Photographic Record -- How a Swiss Immigrant Photographer in Jacksonville Created the Most Complete Visual Archive of 19th-Century Oregon
Peter Britt (1819-1905 -- born in Obstalden, Canton Glarus, Switzerland; emigrated to the US in 1845; arrived in Jacksonville January 1852 during the gold rush; established the first photographic studio in the Pacific Northwest outside Portland in 1852) created the primary photographic record of the Rogue Valley and Southern Oregon from 1852 to 1900: approximately 3,000 daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, and wet-plate collodion photographs documenting Jacksonville's commercial life, the mining operations in the Applegate and Illinois valleys, the Rogue Valley landscape, and the Indigenous Takelma and Shasta peoples. Britt's photographic archive, now held by the Southern Oregon Historical Society, is one of the most significant 19th-century photographic records in the American West outside the Smithsonian and Library of Congress collections. Britt was also the first amateur botanist and horticulturist in Southern Oregon (he introduced the Bartlett pear to the Rogue Valley through grafts from California, establishing the agricultural tradition that made the Rogue Valley's pear orchards the economic successor to gold mining after 1880) and the region's first classical music presenter (he organized Jacksonville's first classical music concert series in the 1880s, which eventually became the Britt Music and Arts Festival, now one of the most respected outdoor classical music festivals in the Pacific Northwest).
Rogue Valley Wine Country and Harry and David -- The Applegate Valley AVA's Tempranillo and Syrah Vineyards, the Bear Creek Orchards That Produce Harry and David's World-Famous Comice Pears, and the Rogue River's Fly Fishing Waters
Comice Pears That Samuel Rosenberg Discovered in the Bear Creek Orchard in 1934 and Sold by Mail to Herbert Hoover and Other Presidents as 'Royal Riviera Pears,' Applegate Valley AVA Wineries Growing Bordeaux Varietals in Southern Oregon's Mediterranean-Influence Climate, and Class III-IV Whitewater on the Lower Rogue River CanyonThe Rogue Valley's agricultural and outdoor recreation identity rests on three elements: (1) the Rogue Valley AVA pear orchards (the Rogue Valley and Applegate Valley AVAs encompass approximately 2,800 acres of orchard land in Jackson and Josephine counties, producing the Harry and David Royal Riviera Pears -- the Comice pear variety [Doyenné du Comice, originally cultivated in France in 1849] was brought to the Rogue Valley from California in the 1890s and discovered to grow to exceptional size and sweetness in the Rogue Valley microclimate; Harry and David [formerly Comice Pear Orchards, founded by Samuel Rosenberg in 1934] built the mail-order gift fruit business that became the first internet-era gift retailer in the US, shipping pears to Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s and expanding to a $500 million annual business; Harry and David's Medford headquarters at 2500 S. Pacific Hwy is open for tours); (2) the Applegate Valley AVA (established 2000; approximately 12 licensed wineries along the Applegate River south of Jacksonville; a Mediterranean-influenced climate [warm dry summers, cool wet winters] suited to Bordeaux and Rhône varietals; producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Syrah, and Viognier that have won national recognition in the past decade; Troon Vineyard, Wooldridge Creek Winery, and Valley View Winery are the most established producers); and (3) the Rogue River (running 215 miles from Crater Lake's watershed to the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach; the Grave Creek to Watson Creek section [34 miles, Class III-IV, accessible from Galice 50 miles northwest of Medford] is one of the most popular multi-day whitewater trips in the Pacific Northwest; the river's Wild and Scenic designation protects the canyon from development).
The Rogue Valley Pear Industry and Its Transition -- How Oregon's Largest Single-Crop Agricultural Industry Is Adapting to Climate Change and Competition from Southern Hemisphere Producers
The Rogue Valley pear industry (at its peak in the 1950s-1970s, the most productive commercial pear region in the United States, generating $200+ million in annual revenue from 25,000 acres of orchards) has contracted significantly since the 1980s due to three pressures: (1) import competition (Chile, Argentina, and South Africa now produce pears at lower cost than Oregon growers, and both the US commodity pear market [supermarket shelf pears] and the gift market have been partially captured by imported product); (2) development pressure (the Rogue Valley's climate makes it an attractive retirement and remote-work destination; orchard land has been steadily converted to residential use since the 1990s, with the Bear Creek corridor from Medford to Ashland losing approximately 40% of its 1970s orchard acreage to housing); and (3) climate change (pear trees require a specific number of 'chilling hours' [temperatures between 32-45°F] during winter dormancy to set fruit; the Rogue Valley's warming winters have reduced chilling hours by approximately 15% since 1980, stressing Bosc and Anjou varieties while the Comice [which has lower chilling requirements] remains viable). The surviving pear industry has responded by consolidating into larger operations (Harry and David now controls approximately 1,500 acres of the remaining orchards) and pivoting to premium gift-market products that can support prices high enough to remain profitable against southern hemisphere competition.
How to Find Cheap Flights to Medford OR
Oregon Shakespeare Festival Runs February Through October -- Book Tickets and Hotels Well Ahead for Summer
OSF's summer season (June-October) is the peak period: the outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre is operating, the weather is ideal, and 400,000 annual visitors fill Ashland's hotels. Book OSF tickets and hotel rooms in Ashland 3-6 months ahead for July-August visits. February-April and September-October are excellent for lower prices and smaller crowds. OSF tickets at osfashland.org.
Crater Lake's Rim Drive Opens in Late June -- Check Road Conditions Before Visiting in May or June
Crater Lake receives 44 feet of snow annually and the Rim Drive is typically closed November through late June for snow removal. The park is open year-round via Rim Village and the south entrance, but the 33-mile Rim Drive loop requires checking current road conditions at nps.gov/crla. Summer (July-September) is the most reliable time for the full Rim Drive experience.
MFR Has Fewer Flights Than Seattle or San Francisco -- Book Early for Best Fares and Availability
Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport is a small regional airport with limited daily departures. Fares can be higher than comparable routes into Portland or Eugene when flights fill up. Book 3-6 weeks ahead for the best prices, and consider Alaska's Mileage Plan miles for accumulation on the Seattle-Medford route.
Medford Is Hot and Dry in Summer -- Very Different from Oregon's Coastal Climate
Medford sits in the rain shadow of the Cascade Range and has a semi-arid climate unlike the cloudy, wet Oregon coast. Summers (June-September) are hot (95-105°F) and sunny with low humidity. Winters are mild (rarely below 20°F) and wetter. Spring and fall are the most comfortable visiting seasons for outdoor activities.
Airlines Flying to Medford (MFR)
Alaska Airlines
SEA, PDX, LAX, and LAS Nonstop and Hub Connections to MFR -- Alaska's West Coast Network Is the Primary Carrier to Rogue Valley InternationalAlaska Airlines is the dominant carrier at Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (MFR), operating nonstop and connecting service from its Seattle (SEA) hub and providing West Coast coverage via Portland (PDX), Los Angeles (LAX), and Las Vegas (LAS). SEA-MFR nonstop is the most frequent route into Medford, operated by Alaska's mainline fleet (Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 family) and connecting Medford to Alaska's extensive Pacific Northwest and West Coast network. Alaska's Mileage Plan miles are well-suited for accumulating on the MFR routes.
Key Routes
SEA to MFR (1h 30m nonstop; PDX to MFR (1h nonstop; LAX to MFR (1h 50m nonstop; LAS to MFR (via SEA or LAX; SFO to MFR (via SEA or LAX; ANC to MFR (via SEA; ORD to MFR (via SEA; DFW to MFR (via SEA or LAX
United Airlines
SFO, DEN, and ORD Hub Connections to MFR -- United's Bay Area, Rocky Mountain, and Midwest Connections to Southern OregonUnited Airlines serves Rogue Valley International (MFR) from San Francisco (SFO), Denver (DEN), and Chicago O'Hare (ORD), providing Bay Area, Rocky Mountain, and Midwest connections to the Medford area. SFO-MFR connects Silicon Valley, the Bay Area tech community, and California travelers to Southern Oregon's outdoor recreation and arts destinations. DEN-MFR provides Mountain West access. United's MFR service is operated by regional partners on smaller aircraft.
Key Routes
SFO to MFR (1h 20m nonstop; DEN to MFR (2h 20m nonstop; ORD to MFR (via DEN or SFO; EWR to MFR (via SFO or DEN; LAX to MFR (via SFO; IAD to MFR (via DEN or SFO; Houston to MFR (via DEN
American Airlines
DFW and PHX Hub Connections to MFR -- American's Texas and Southwest Connections to the Rogue ValleyAmerican Airlines connects Medford (MFR) through Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Phoenix (PHX), providing Texas, Southwest, and eastern US access to Southern Oregon. American's MFR service is secondary in the market to Alaska and United but provides useful coverage for travelers from American's southern and eastern hub markets who prefer not to connect through Seattle or San Francisco.
Key Routes
DFW to MFR (via PHX or SEA; PHX to MFR (2h 15m nonstop; CLT to MFR (via DFW or PHX; ORD to MFR (via DFW or PHX; MIA to MFR (via DFW; ATL to MFR (via DFW or PHX; BOS to MFR (via DFW
Frontier Airlines
Seasonal Budget Service from MFR to Denver and Other Sunbelt Markets -- Frontier's Low-Cost Alternative for Price-Sensitive Rogue Valley TravelersFrontier Airlines provides seasonal budget service from Rogue Valley International (MFR) to Denver (DEN) and other markets, offering the lowest base fares for Medford travelers willing to pay bag fees separately. Frontier's MFR routes are seasonal and may not operate year-round; check Flyfrontier.com for current availability. The bag fee model means total costs with bags can approach Alaska and United fares, so compare all-in prices before booking.
Key Routes
DEN from MFR (seasonal nonstop; other seasonal destinations via DEN; check Flyfrontier.com for current MFR schedule
Things to Do in Southern Oregon
Essential Info for Your Medford Trip
State / Region
Medford, Oregon. Jackson County seat. Population ~85,000 city, ~220,000 metro. Southern Oregon, in the Rogue Valley between the Cascade Range and the Siskiyou Mountains. Elevation 1,382 feet.
Airport
MFR -- Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport, 3 miles north of downtown. Alaska (SEA, PDX, LAX, LAS), United (SFO, DEN, ORD), American (DFW, PHX), Frontier (seasonal). Rideshare ~10 min to downtown.
Currency
USD -- US Dollar (Oregon has no sales tax)
Time Zone
PST (UTC-8) / PDT (UTC-7) in summer -- Pacific Time, same as Seattle and Los Angeles
Crater Lake
60 miles north via OR-62, about 1h 15m. Open year-round. Rim Drive open late June-October (check nps.gov/crla for current conditions). Crater Lake Lodge: late May-mid October. Entrance fee $35/vehicle.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
15 S. Pioneer Street, Ashland (15 mi south via I-5). Season: February-October. Three theaters. Buy tickets at osfashland.org. Summer/fall weekends book quickly. Box office in Ashland opens 2-3 hours before performances.
Jacksonville NHL
2 miles west of Medford via OR-238. Free to walk. Museums open Tue-Sun. Beekman Bank Museum open daily in summer. Britt Festivals: July-August (brittfest.org).
Emergency Number
911
Most Popular Airlines
Best Airlines for Domestic & International Routes
Frequently Asked Questions on Flights to Medford OR
Airport info, Crater Lake distance, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and travel planning for Southern Oregon
What airport serves Medford Oregon?
Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (IATA: MFR) serves Medford, 3 miles north of downtown. Airlines: Alaska Airlines (SEA, PDX, LAX, LAS), United Airlines (SFO, DEN, ORD), American (DFW, PHX), and Frontier (seasonal DEN). Alaska has the most frequencies via its Seattle hub.
How far is Crater Lake from Medford?
Crater Lake National Park is approximately 60 miles north of Medford via OR-62, about 1 hour 15 minutes by car. The park entrance is open year-round, but the 33-mile Rim Drive loop is typically snow-closed from November through late June. Check current road conditions at nps.gov/crla before visiting in May or June. Allow a full day for a Crater Lake trip from Medford.
What is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival?
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) in Ashland (15 miles south of Medford) is one of the largest regional theater companies in the US, presenting 11 plays per season (4-5 Shakespeare plus classical and contemporary works) in three theaters, including the outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre. The season runs February through October. Approximately 400,000 people visit annually from all 50 states. Book tickets at osfashland.org.
What is Medford's climate like?
Medford has a semi-arid climate, very different from Oregon's rainy coast. Summers are hot and dry (95-105°F, 300+ sunny days per year). Winters are mild and wetter but rarely severe (lows rarely below 20°F). The city sits in the rain shadow of the Cascades, receiving only 19 inches of annual rainfall. Spring (April-May) and fall (September-October) are the most comfortable seasons for outdoor activity.
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