Flying to Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) serves Florida's capital city and the surrounding north Florida region. FareOptic compares Delta, American, and Southwest for the cheapest fare into the Panhandle's college and government hub.
Flights to Tallahassee International Airport (TLH)
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Why Visit Tallahassee?
The only Confederate capital never captured, North America's most complete Spanish mission reconstruction, Wakulla Springs' extraordinary clarity, and the Capitol complex where the 2000 recount changed history
Florida State Capitol Complex -- The 1902 Historic Old Capitol and the 1977 22-Story New Capitol Tower, Where Florida's Government Has Met Since Before the Civil War and Where the Nation's Closest Presidential Election Was Decided in 2000
The Beaux-Arts 1902 Old Capitol with Its Red-and-White Striped Awnings and Restored Legislative Chambers, the 22-Story New Capitol Tower with Its Free Observation Deck, and the Grounds Where the 2000 Presidential Recount Drama UnfoldedThe Florida State Capitol Complex (400 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee -- the historic 1902 Old Capitol [now a museum] adjacent to the 1977 New Capitol Tower; Florida's government has been centered at this site since Tallahassee became the state capital in 1824, selected as a compromise location equidistant between the two existing Florida settlements of Pensacola and St. Augustine) is one of Florida's most architecturally distinctive civic sites: two capitol buildings from two entirely different eras face each other across Monroe Street, creating an architectural dialogue between Florida's antebellum past and its mid-century modernist present. The Historic Old Capitol (1902, designed by Frank P. Milburn in Beaux-Arts Classical style -- rebuilt on the original 1845 capitol building's footprint after the original was condemned; the building is most recognizable by its distinctive red-and-white striped canvas awnings on the exterior windows, restored to match the 1902 appearance in the 1982 restoration): (1) the legislative chambers (both the House and Senate chambers are preserved and interpreted, with period furnishings and an audio-visual presentation about Florida's legislative history); (2) the Governor's suite (preserved as it appeared in the early 20th century); (3) the rotunda and ground-floor museum (permanent exhibits on Florida political history from territorial government through the present). The New Capitol (1977, designed by Edward Durell Stone Associates in the International Style -- a 22-story tower flanked by two matching dome-capped structures housing the House and Senate chambers; the tower's top two floors contain a free public observation deck with panoramic views of Tallahassee and the surrounding north Florida landscape, the Apalachee Parkway, and on clear days, the Gulf of Mexico). The Capitol grounds became the focus of national and international media attention during the 2000 presidential election recount: Florida's Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court (Bush v. Gore) decided the election outcome in proceedings centered in and around Tallahassee between November 8 and December 12, 2000.
The 2000 Presidential Recount in Florida -- 36 Days That Changed American History and Why Tallahassee Was the Center of the Constitutional Crisis
The 2000 presidential election's Florida recount (November 8 - December 12, 2000) was the most consequential electoral dispute in American history since the Compromise of 1877: the outcome of the presidential election between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore was ultimately decided by the US Supreme Court's December 12, 2000 decision in Bush v. Gore (5-4 decision, staying the Florida Supreme Court's order for a manual recount of all undervotes statewide). Tallahassee was the center of the crisis because: (1) the Florida Secretary of State's office (then Katherine Harris, a Republican appointee) was in the Capitol complex; (2) the Florida Supreme Court (located one block from the Capitol on Jefferson Street) issued multiple decisions in the recount dispute, including the November 21 decision ordering an extension of the certification deadline and the December 8 decision ordering a statewide manual recount; and (3) the Florida Legislature's Republican majority threatened to appoint its own slate of presidential electors regardless of the recount outcome. The final certified margin in Florida: Bush 2,912,790 votes, Gore 2,912,253 votes -- a margin of 537 votes out of 5.8 million cast, and the smallest certified margin in any presidential election in Florida history. Bush won the Electoral College 271-266 (with one Gore elector abstaining) and took office as the 43rd President on January 20, 2001.
Mission San Luis de Apalachee -- The Most Complete Reconstruction of a 17th-Century Spanish Colonial Mission in North America, on the Site of the Former Western Capital of Spanish Florida and One of the Largest Apalachee Native American Towns
A Reconstructed 1656 Spanish Franciscan Mission Complex with a 130-Foot-Diameter Reconstructed Council House (the Largest Wooden Structure in Spanish Florida), a Living History Program, and the Archaeological Record of a Mission That Was Burned to the Ground in 1704 by a British Colonial RaidMission San Luis de Apalachee (2100 West Tennessee Street, Tallahassee -- a National Historic Landmark and Florida State Museum on the site of the 17th-century Spanish mission founded 1656 approximately 2 miles west of the Florida State Capitol; the western capital of Spanish Florida and the most important Apalachee Native American community in the Spanish colonial system) is the most extensively reconstructed and archaeologically documented Spanish colonial mission complex in the United States, with full-scale reconstructed buildings allowing visitors to understand the spatial and social organization of a late-17th-century mission community in a way impossible at most Spanish colonial sites. The mission's history: San Luis was established by Franciscan friars in the Apalachee homeland in 1656 as one of approximately 100 Florida missions in the Spanish colonial system. By the 1680s, San Luis had grown into a community of approximately 1,500 people (Apalachee and Spanish) -- making it one of the largest settlements in the future continental United States east of the Mississippi at that time. The mission operated as the administrative center for 14 surrounding missions and the western terminus of the mission supply road from St. Augustine. On July 30, 1704, as part of Queen Anne's War, a British colonial force from Carolina (led by Colonel James Moore) and their Creek Indian allies attacked and burned San Luis -- the Spanish and Apalachee inhabitants fled south and burned the mission themselves rather than allow its capture. The site was abandoned and forgotten until archaeological excavations beginning in the 1940s (and systematic excavation from 1983 to 2000) revealed the mission's layout. The reconstructed complex includes: (1) the church (a 100-by-50-foot reconstructed Franciscan mission church with exposed archaeological features visible through glass panels in the floor); (2) the council house (a 130-foot-diameter reconstructed circular building -- the largest wooden structure in the Spanish colonial South, used for Apalachee council meetings and ball game ceremonies); (3) the fort (a small Spanish defensive structure); and (4) the living history program (costumed interpreters in Spanish soldier, Franciscan friar, and Apalachee community member roles year-round).
The Apalachee People -- The Agricultural Society That Sustained Spanish Florida's Mission System for 150 Years and Was Destroyed in a Single Week in 1704
The Apalachee (an agricultural people who occupied the fertile red clay hills of what is now the Florida Panhandle between the Aucilla and Ochlockonee rivers -- an area of approximately 3,000 square miles with some of the most productive agricultural land in the Southeast) were the most numerous and most socially complex Native American group in the Florida Panhandle at the time of Spanish contact (De Soto's 1539 expedition wintered at the Apalachee town of Anhaica, approximately 2 miles east of Mission San Luis). The Apalachee population at contact (ca. 1539) is estimated at 25,000-50,000 people, organized in approximately 50 towns with a hierarchical political structure. The Spanish mission system's integration with the Apalachee (beginning 1608, expanding rapidly after 1630) was mutually beneficial in its early decades: the Franciscan missions provided metal tools, trade goods, and access to the Spanish political system, while the Apalachee provided agricultural labor, food, and military support for Spanish Florida's defenses. By 1700, approximately 8,000-10,000 Apalachee were living in the mission system. The 1704 destruction was rapid and total: in a series of raids from January through July 1704, James Moore's Carolina-Creek coalition destroyed all 14 missions, killed approximately 500 Apalachee (mostly in the Battle of Patale, January 1704), enslaved approximately 1,400 others (marched to South Carolina and sold into slavery -- one of the largest enslavement events in North American history outside the Atlantic slave trade), and caused the remaining Apalachee to scatter. By 1708, the Apalachee as a distinct political and cultural entity had ceased to exist.
Wakulla Springs State Park -- One of the World's Largest and Deepest Freshwater Springs, 30 Miles South of Tallahassee, Where Tarzan and the Creature from the Black Lagoon Were Filmed, and Where Mastodon Bones Were Found in the Spring Vent
A 14-Acre Spring Basin with Water Temperatures of 68°F Year-Round, Visibility Exceeding 100 Feet, Manatees in Winter, Alligators Congregating at the Spring Run, and the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs Lodge (1937) -- One of Florida's Most Distinctive Historic HotelsWakulla Springs State Park (465 Wakulla Park Drive, Wakulla Springs, FL -- 30 miles south of Tallahassee via US-319 south; Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, one of the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world: Wakulla Spring's daily flow is approximately 400,000 gallons per minute [600 cubic feet per second] -- among the highest flow rates of any spring in the world; the spring's main vent depth is approximately 120 feet, with exploration by cave divers extending to over 300 feet in the cave system beneath) is one of Florida's most extraordinary natural sites: a 14-acre spring basin of perfect clarity (visibility frequently exceeding 100 feet, allowing visitors on glass-bottom boats to see the spring vent clearly from the surface), remarkable wildlife density (American alligators, Florida softshell turtles, anhinga, great blue herons, and in winter months manatees that congregate in the warm [68°F constant temperature] spring water), and a distinctive cultural and geological history. Wakulla Springs' film history: (1) Johnny Weissmuller filmed Tarzan scenes here in the 1930s-1940s (Tarzan Finds a Son, 1939; Tarzan's Secret Treasure, 1941; Tarzan's New York Adventure, 1942) -- the spring's crystal clarity and jungle-like vegetation along the Wakulla River made it one of Florida's most frequently used film locations; (2) the original Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) was filmed at Wakulla Springs -- the Creature's underwater swimming sequences were shot in the spring basin, using the spring's extraordinary clarity to capture underwater footage impossible in turbid water; (3) Airport 1975 (1974) filmed the sequence where Karen Black's 747 glides over the spring basin. The Edward Ball Wakulla Springs Lodge (1937 -- built by businessman Edward Ball using Depression-era labor and materials, in a Mediterranean Revival style with Spanish tiles, marble floors, and Tiffany-style glass fixtures; now operated as a state-park-managed historic hotel with 27 guest rooms and a restaurant) is one of Florida's most distinctive historic accommodations and allows overnight guests to experience the spring at dawn and dusk, when wildlife activity is highest.
The Mastodon Bones in Wakulla Springs -- How Ice Age Megafauna Found Their Way into the Spring Vent and What They Tell Us About Florida's Pleistocene Ecosystem
The bones of American mastodons (Mammut americanum -- the proboscidean that dominated eastern North America's Pleistocene forests from approximately 3.7 million to 10,000 years ago) have been found in the vent and cave system of Wakulla Spring in significant quantities: excavations by the Florida Geological Survey in the 1930s recovered mastodon teeth, tusks, and skeletal elements from the spring's sediment, and subsequent cave diving exploration has found additional bones in the cave passages beneath the vent. The mastodon bones' presence in Wakulla Spring reflects a characteristic pattern of Pleistocene-era megafauna (mastodons, giant ground sloths, Florida horses, tapirs, giant bison, and saber-toothed cats) using Florida's freshwater springs as water sources. During the Pleistocene glacial maxima (when North American glaciers locked up enough water to lower sea levels 300-400 feet), Florida was significantly larger than today (the Florida Platform extended approximately 100 miles west of the current Gulf Coast shoreline), drier (the state's rainfall was lower during glacial periods), and the freshwater springs were the primary reliable water sources in a landscape of dry scrub and savanna. The mastodon bones were deposited when animals fell into the spring vent or died in the water after drinking -- the spring's anaerobic bottom sediment preserved the bones for 10,000+ years. The Pleistocene megafauna extinction (approximately 10,000-12,000 years ago) eliminated the mastodon from Florida along with most of the other large mammals; the surviving megafauna that visitors see at Wakulla Springs today (American alligators, Florida softshell turtles, anhinga) are the remnants of a much more diverse large-animal community.
Natural Bridge Battlefield State Historic Site -- The 1865 Civil War Engagement Where Florida Militia Stopped Union Forces from Capturing Tallahassee and Made It the Only Confederate Capital East of the Mississippi Never to Fall to Union Troops
A 3-Acre Battlefield Preserving the Site of the March 6 1865 Battle Where 600 Confederate Defenders Including Teenage Florida Military Cadets Repulsed a Union Naval Raiding Party, Keeping Tallahassee Free 37 Days Before the War EndedNatural Bridge Battlefield State Historic Site (7502 Natural Bridge Road, Woodville, FL -- 12 miles south of Tallahassee via FL-363 south and Natural Bridge Road; a 3-acre Florida State Historical Site preserving the site of the Battle of Natural Bridge, March 6, 1865 -- the engagement in which approximately 600 Confederate defenders repulsed a Union naval landing party of approximately 700 men attempting to march up the St. Marks River valley to capture Tallahassee, keeping Tallahassee the only Confederate state capital east of the Mississippi River that was never captured by Union forces) is one of Florida's most significant Civil War sites and one of the few sites that commemorates a Confederate defensive victory near the war's end. Natural Bridge's geographical context: the 'natural bridge' is a geological feature of the St. Marks River, approximately 12 miles south of Tallahassee -- a section of the river that disappears underground through a karst sink and re-emerges approximately 200 yards downstream, creating a limestone crossing point that was the only practical crossing for a Union force moving north from the Gulf coast. On March 4, 1865 (37 days before the Confederacy's final collapse), a Union naval force under Commander George Wood attempted to land at St. Marks and march up the river valley to destroy Tallahassee's railroad connections and capture Florida's capital. Confederate forces (including regular troops, home guard militia, and -- most dramatically -- teenage cadets from the West Florida Seminary, forerunner of Florida State University, whose students ranged in age from 14 to 19) reached Natural Bridge before the Union force and fortified the crossing. The March 6 engagement lasted approximately 7 hours, with Union forces making four frontal assaults that were repulsed. The Union force retreated to the coast, and Tallahassee remained in Confederate hands until the formal surrender of Florida Confederate forces on May 10, 1865. The West Florida Seminary cadets who fought at Natural Bridge are commemorated annually at the battle site's reenactment (held the first weekend of March each year -- one of Florida's largest Civil War reenactments).
Tallahassee as the Last Confederate Capital -- The 37-Day Window Between Natural Bridge and the Final Surrender and What It Meant for Florida's Postwar Reconstruction
Tallahassee's status as the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi never captured by Union forces (Montgomery, AL was occupied April 1865; Richmond, VA was the Confederate capital from 1861, fell April 2-3, 1865; Nashville, TN fell February 1862; Raleigh, NC occupied April 13, 1865) gave Florida a distinctive postwar narrative: the state's Confederate government maintained legal continuity until May 10, 1865 (the formal surrender of Florida Confederate forces at Tallahassee), and the lack of wartime Union occupation meant that Florida's white political establishment was less disrupted at the war's end than those of states like South Carolina and Mississippi where Union military governments had been installed during the war. Florida's Reconstruction experience (the period 1865-1877 during which federal authority supervised the state's restoration to the Union) was characterized by: (1) the relatively rapid restoration of the pre-war white Democratic political structure (Florida was 'redeemed' [returned to Democratic control] in 1876, earlier than most Deep South states); (2) the establishment of Reconstruction-era institutions that persisted into the 20th century, including the West Florida Seminary (which became Florida State College and eventually Florida State University in 1947); and (3) the Freedmen's Bureau's establishment of freedpeople's communities in north Florida, particularly the Tallahassee area, where the emancipated population of Leon County's plantation economy sought to establish independent farming and community institutions.
How to Find Cheap Flights to Tallahassee Florida
TLH Is a Government and University Town -- Midweek and Session-Week Flights Book Up Fast
Tallahassee's flight demand peaks when the Florida Legislature is in session (typically March-May) and when FSU and FAMU have major events (football games, graduation). Book early for legislative session travel. Conversely, summer and non-session periods (June-September) have lower demand and better prices, though July-August is Florida's hottest and most humid season.
Delta ATL-TLH Has the Most Frequent Daily Departures -- Book ATL Connections for Broad National Network Access
Delta's Atlanta connection is the most frequent and convenient hub connection from Tallahassee to the national network. ATL-TLH flights run multiple times daily (the 1-hour flight makes day-trip turnarounds possible) and provide the fastest connections to the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and West Coast. For most US cities, routing through ATL to TLH is the fastest and most frequent option.
Wakulla Springs Lodge Is Worth Booking for an Overnight -- Dawn and Dusk Wildlife at the Spring Is Extraordinary
The Edward Ball Wakulla Springs Lodge (30 miles south via US-319) allows overnight stays in the historic 1937 hotel inside the state park. Rates are moderate by Florida standards ($125-175/night typically). Morning boat tours on the Wakulla River (first tour at 8 AM) and evening wildlife viewing at the spring basin are the experiences that separate Wakulla Springs from a day-trip destination.
Tallahassee Has No Beach -- The Gulf Coast Is 30-40 Miles South at Panacea, St. Marks, and Apalachicola
Tallahassee is inland, approximately 30-40 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The nearest Gulf beaches are at St. Marks (30 miles south), Panacea (35 miles south), and Apalachicola (65 miles southwest). For a combined Tallahassee-beach trip, St. George Island State Park (80 miles southwest via US-319 and US-98 -- one of Florida's least-developed barrier island beaches) is a full day trip from Tallahassee.
Airlines Flying to Tallahassee International Airport (TLH)
Delta Air Lines
ATL Hub Connections to TLH -- Delta's Dominant Tallahassee Service with Southeastern and National Network Access via AtlantaDelta Air Lines is Tallahassee International Airport's (TLH) primary carrier, operating ATL-TLH nonstop service (approximately 1h 5m -- the shortest hub-to-TLH flight of any major carrier) and connecting Tallahassee to Delta's full domestic and international network. Atlanta's geographic proximity (250 miles northeast of Tallahassee) makes Delta's ATL hub the most time-efficient hub connection from Florida's capital city. Delta also serves TLH from MCO (50-minute flight), enabling intra-Florida connections for visitors coming from or passing through Central Florida.
Key Routes
ATL to TLH (1h 5m nonstop; MCO to TLH (50m nonstop; JFK to TLH (via ATL; BOS to TLH (via ATL; MSP to TLH (via ATL; DTW to TLH (via ATL; LAX to TLH (via ATL
American Airlines
CLT, DFW, and ORD Hub Connections to TLH -- American's Southeast, Texas, and Midwest Routing to Florida's CapitalAmerican Airlines serves Tallahassee (TLH) through Charlotte (CLT), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), and Chicago O'Hare (ORD), providing broad network connectivity for travelers from the East Coast, South, Midwest, and West. CLT-TLH is the most efficient East Coast connection for American passengers, and DFW-TLH provides the primary Texas-Florida routing. American's TLH service includes both government-oriented business travel (Florida's state government and FSU/FAMU campuses generate substantial business travel) and leisure traffic.
Key Routes
CLT to TLH (1h 20m nonstop; DFW to TLH (via CLT; ORD to TLH (via CLT or DFW; MIA to TLH (via CLT; JFK to TLH (via CLT; LAX to TLH (via DFW or CLT; PHX to TLH (via DFW or CLT
Southwest Airlines
Low-Cost Nonstop Service to TLH -- Southwest's Florida Capital Routes for Budget Travelers from BWI, MDW, and Leisure MarketsSouthwest Airlines serves Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) from Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Chicago Midway (MDW), Dallas Love Field (DAL), Denver (DEN), and Las Vegas (LAS), providing the primary budget airline option for Florida's capital city. Southwest's two-free-bags policy is particularly attractive for state government contractors and lobbyists who travel frequently between Washington-area cities and Tallahassee. The BWI-TLH route targets the large Washington DC government employee and contractor market that interacts regularly with Florida's state capital.
Key Routes
BWI to TLH nonstop; MDW to TLH nonstop; DAL to TLH nonstop; DEN to TLH (via DAL or MDW; LAS to TLH (via MDW or DAL; Southwest.com for complete schedule
Silver Airways
Regional Florida Connections to TLH -- Silver's Intra-Florida Service Linking Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale and Other Florida CitiesSilver Airways operates regional turboprop (ATR 42/72) service connecting Tallahassee (TLH) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and other Florida cities, providing an intra-Florida alternative to driving or connecting through Atlanta. Silver's Tallahassee service targets intra-Florida business travelers and residents who need connections to South Florida without routing through a major hub. Silver operates smaller aircraft than mainline carriers and provides a different service experience -- check Silver.com for current TLH routes and seasonal availability.
Key Routes
FLL to TLH nonstop (Silver Airways ATR turboprop; Check Silver.com for current TLH service -- routes vary by season. Silver also serves other Florida regional routes from TLH including occasional FLL and PNS connections
Things to Do in Tallahassee and North Florida
Essential Info for Your Tallahassee Trip
State / County
Leon County, Florida. State capital. Population approximately 200,000 city; 380,000 metro. Home to Florida State University and Florida A&M University.
Airport
TLH -- Tallahassee International Airport, 5 miles southwest of downtown. Airlines: Delta (ATL, MCO), American (CLT, DFW, ORD), Southwest (BWI, MDW, DAL, DEN), Silver Airways (FLL).
Currency
USD -- US Dollar
Time Zone
EST (UTC-5) / EDT (UTC-4) in summer -- Eastern Time (unlike most of the Panhandle which is Central Time -- Tallahassee is Eastern)
Wakulla Springs
465 Wakulla Park Drive, 30 miles south via US-319. State Park entrance fee ~$6/vehicle. Glass-bottom boat tours ~$12 adults. Edward Ball Lodge overnight stays: call the park directly.
Mission San Luis
2100 W. Tennessee St -- 2 miles west of the Capitol. Tuesday-Sunday 10-4. Admission ~$7 adults. Living history interpreters year-round.
Natural Bridge Battlefield
12 miles south via FL-363 south and Natural Bridge Road. Free admission, open daily. Annual reenactment first weekend of March.
Emergency Number
911
Most Popular Airlines
Best Airlines for Domestic & International Routes
Frequently Asked Questions on Flights to Tallahassee
Airport info, Capitol tours, Wakulla Springs access, and travel planning for north Florida
What airport serves Tallahassee Florida?
Tallahassee International Airport (IATA: TLH) serves Tallahassee, FL. It's 5 miles southwest of downtown Tallahassee. Airlines: Delta (via ATL, MCO), American (via CLT, DFW, ORD), Southwest (BWI, MDW, DAL, DEN nonstops), and Silver Airways (regional Florida routes). TLH is a mid-sized regional airport primarily serving state government and university travel.
What is Tallahassee Florida known for?
Tallahassee is Florida's state capital, known for: (1) the Florida State Capitol complex (1902 historic Old Capitol + 1977 tower); (2) Florida State University (FSU Seminoles football); (3) being the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi never captured by Union forces; (4) Mission San Luis de Apalachee (most complete Spanish mission reconstruction in the US); and (5) Wakulla Springs (one of the world's largest freshwater springs, 30 miles south).
Is Tallahassee on the beach?
No -- Tallahassee is inland, approximately 30-40 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The nearest Gulf access is at St. Marks (30 miles south via FL-363) and Panacea (35 miles south via US-319). The best Gulf beach near Tallahassee is St. George Island State Park (80 miles southwest via US-319 and US-98) -- a pristine, largely undeveloped barrier island beach.
When is the best time to visit Tallahassee?
Best weather: March-May and October-November (65-80°F, low humidity, flowering trees in spring, fall colors). The Florida Legislature is in session March-May, which means higher hotel prices but more political atmosphere. Summer (June-September) is hot (90°F+) and humid. FSU football season (September-November) drives hotel demand on home game weekends.
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