Private jets to Aspen · Chicago · PWK · DPA · MDW · ORD
Private jet from Chicagoto Aspen.
A private jet from Chicago to Aspen takes an estimated 2 hours in the air in a midsize jet such as the Citation Latitude. Chicago Executive, DuPage, Midway and O’Hare are all departure options. A light jet is well within its published range for this route, so the choice of aircraft comes down to your group, your luggage and Aspen’s own limits.
Updated September 23, 2026
Key facts
- Time in the air: an estimated 1 h 55 min to 2 h at the Citation Latitude’s published maximum cruise speed (446 knots).
- Aspen’s limits: 95 ft wingspan, 100,000 lb, 7,838 ft elevation, closed about 2300–0700 local time.
- 2027: ASE is closed from April 4 at 11:00 p.m. to November 19 at 7:00 p.m.; flights go to Rifle or Eagle instead.
- You charter the whole aircraft for your group, not individual seats.
How long is a private flight from Chicago to Aspen?
From Midway, a private flight to Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is an estimated 2 hours in the air, based on the Citation Latitude’s published maximum cruise speed (446 knots). From DuPage it is about 1 hour 55 minutes.
It is a still-air estimate without climb, descent, taxi or wind; the operator’s flight plan gives the real time for your date.
Range does not limit the choice of aircraft on this route. A light jet such as the Citation CJ4 Gen3 publishes ample range for the trip. What decides it is your group, your luggage and skis, and the cabin you want for two hours. Our guide to private jet types sets out the categories side by side.
Which Chicago airports can you fly private from?
Four public-use airports in the FAA data suit this trip, and they differ more on the ground than in the air. Chicago Executive is at Prospect Heights and Wheeling, DuPage at West Chicago, and Midway in the city itself. O’Hare, with runways up to 13,000 ft, is also an option, though it is an airline airport first.
Chicago Executive’s longest runway is 5,001 ft, which the operator checks against the jet’s takeoff needs; the other three are longer.
| Departure (FAA) | Longest runway | Est. time to ASE* |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Executive · PWK | 5,001 ft | ≈ 2 h |
| DuPage · DPA | 7,571 ft | ≈ 1 h 55 min |
| Chicago Midway · MDW | 6,522 ft | ≈ 2 h |
| Chicago O’Hare · ORD | 13,000 ft | ≈ 2 h |
*Time in the air at the Citation Latitude’s published maximum cruise speed (446 knots); it leaves out climb, descent, winds and taxi. An estimate, not an operator’s time.
Will your jet fit Aspen’s limits?
The aircraft is chosen for Aspen, not just for the route. ASE turns away aircraft with a wingspan over 95 ft or a landing weight over 100,000 lb (dual wheel), the field sits at 7,838 ft (FAA), and the airport is closed from about 2300 to 0700 local time. The details are on our Aspen page and in the Aspen airport guide.
The short flying time gives some room around the curfew, which runs on Aspen local time. An evening departure after work can still land well before 11:00 p.m., provided weather and the departure time allow it. If the valley closes, the jet goes to an alternate we agreed with you before you left Chicago.
What changes when Aspen’s airport closes in 2027?
According to Pitkin County, ASE will close from Sunday, April 4, 2027, at 11:00 p.m. until Friday, November 19, 2027, at 7:00 p.m., while the runway is rebuilt. No private flights land in Aspen during that window. From Chicago, the alternates barely lengthen the flight; the difference is the drive at the other end.
Aspen Snowmass points private flyers to Rifle (RIL), 61 miles from Aspen, and lists Eagle (EGE) at 70 miles, about a 1.5-hour drive. We plan the flight and the drive as one trip; the full picture is in our guide to the 2027 closure.
When should you plan a winter trip to Aspen?
Aspen Mountain and Snowmass open on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, 2026, and Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk follow on December 12. The pressure comes later: in the airport’s own 2026 figures, the busiest days so far were Saturday, January 3 (294 operations), the return weekend after the holidays, and Sunday, February 22 (296), the weekend after Presidents’ Day week. The FAA puts ASE’s capacity at an average of 28 operations an hour in ideal conditions.
For those weekends we suggest settling the trip early, with an alternate agreed in advance. Aspen Mountain is scheduled to close April 18, 2027, as conditions allow, two weeks after ASE closes. Dates, holidays and events for the season are in our 2026–27 season calendar.
How Vision Air handles your trip
Vision Air Charter is an Aspen-based charter broker led by Gabbi Sandino. We charter the whole aircraft for your group, not individual seats, and the price is for the flight, not per person. Each trip is flown by an FAA Part 135 certificated air carrier that Vision Air selects from its preferred operators for that route and that aircraft.
Before you commit, we settle which Chicago airport suits you, which aircraft fits Aspen with your group and bags, and the backup if weather closes the valley. What moves the price is explained in what a private jet costs.
Keep reading
- Private jet from New York to Aspen · Private jet from Miami to Aspen
- Flying private into Aspen: limits, alternates and pricing factors
- Private jet types, from light jets to long range
Facts verified September 23, 2026 against FAA airport and runway data, Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, Pitkin County, Aspen Snowmass and Textron Aviation.
Vision Air Charter is an air charter broker, not an airline or a direct air carrier. All flights are operated by FAA Part 135 certificated air carriers.
Questions, answered.
How long is a private jet flight from Chicago to Aspen?
An estimated 2 hours in the air from Midway, based on the Citation Latitude’s published maximum cruise speed (446 knots). Climb, descent, winds and taxi are not included, so treat it as an estimate, not an operator’s time.
Can a light jet fly from Chicago to Aspen?
Yes, on range. The route is well within the published maximum range of a light jet such as the Citation CJ4 Gen3. The operator still checks the aircraft against Aspen’s limits and your passengers and bags.
Which Chicago airport is best for a private flight to Aspen?
It depends on where you start. According to the FAA, Chicago Executive’s longest runway is 5,001 ft, DuPage’s 7,571 ft, Midway’s 6,522 ft and O’Hare’s 13,000 ft. All are a similar distance to Aspen, so the drive and the aircraft usually decide it.
Can you fly private from Chicago to Aspen in summer 2027?
Not into Aspen itself. ASE is closed from Sunday, April 4, 2027, at 11:00 p.m. to Friday, November 19, 2027, at 7:00 p.m. Flights land at Rifle, 61 miles from Aspen, or Eagle, about a 1.5-hour drive.
Does Vision Air Charter sell individual seats to Aspen?
No. You charter the whole aircraft for your group, and the price is for the flight, not per person.
Sources
- FAA Aeronautical Data Delivery Service — coordinates, elevation and runways for PWK, DPA, MDW, ORD, ASE, EGE and RIL, checked Sept 23, 2026.
- Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, aircraft limitations and noise and curfew — checked Sept 23, 2026.
- Pitkin County, news release of May 28, 2026 — 2027 closure dates, checked Sept 23, 2026.
- Aspen Snowmass, release of May 29, 2026 — Rifle and Eagle distances, checked Sept 23, 2026.
- Aspen Snowmass, 2026–27 season dates — checked Sept 22, 2026.
- ASE operational data (2025 and 2026 reports) — checked Sept 22, 2026.
- Textron Aviation, Citation Latitude and Citation CJ4 Gen3 — checked Sept 23, 2026.
Tell us about your trip to Aspen.
Your dates, the airport you prefer and how many are traveling. We come back with aircraft options and the price for the whole aircraft.
Request a quote Message us on WhatsApp Or call: +1 (646) 457-5396