Salt Lake City (SLC) to Minneapolis (MSP)

Distance, flight time and the air traffic controllers who guide you.

Quick answer

Salt Lake City (SLC) to Minneapolis (MSP) is 989 miles in a straight line, about 2h 29m gate to gate. Your flight is handed between 7 air traffic control facilities along the way.

989miles
859nautical miles
1,592kilometers
~2h 29mestimated flight time
+1 htime change on arrival
Northeastinitial heading

Who handles your flight

Every airliner is passed from one air traffic control facility to the next. On the most direct path, these are the teams that guide you, in order. Weather and traffic can send a flight through other centers, so your actual flight may differ a little.

  1. SLCTowerSalt Lake City Tower (SLC)Clears you for takeoffThank them →
  2. S56TRACONSalt Lake City TRACON (S56)Guides the climb outThank them →
  3. ZLCCenterSalt Lake City ARTCC (ZLC)Takes over at cruising altitudeThank them →
  4. ZDVCenterDenver ARTCC (ZDV)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
  5. ZMPCenterMinneapolis ARTCC (ZMP)Starts your descentThank them →
  6. M98TRACONMinneapolis TRACON (M98)Lines you up for the approachThank them →
  7. MSPTowerMinneapolis-St. Paul Tower (MSP)Clears you to landThank them →

Flying the other way

Minneapolis (MSP) to Salt Lake City (SLC)

MSP → M98 → ZMP → ZDV → ZLC → S56 → SLC

About the airports

Salt Lake City International Airport

Salt Lake City, UT

Codes: SLC · KSLC

Time zone: Mountain

Control tower: Salt Lake City Tower (SLC)

Thank the tower →

Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field

Minneapolis, MN

Codes: MSP · KMSP

Time zone: Central

Control tower: Minneapolis-St. Paul Tower (MSP)

Thank the tower →

More routes

All flight routes →

How we figure this out

Distance is the great-circle distance between the two airports, the shortest path over the curved Earth. Flight time assumes an average airliner speed of about 500 mph plus about 30 minutes for taxi, takeoff and landing. The list of facilities follows the same path, using each airport's tower and approach control and the FAA's en route center boundaries.

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Common questions

How long is the flight from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Minneapolis (MSP)?

About 2h 29m gate to gate for the 989-mile trip. Flying east, you often pick up a tailwind, so it can be a little shorter.

How far is Salt Lake City (SLC) from Minneapolis (MSP)?

989 miles (859 nautical miles, 1,592 km) in a straight line. The path your flight actually takes is usually a little longer.

Which air traffic controllers handle a flight from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Minneapolis (MSP)?

Usually 7 facilities: Salt Lake City Tower (SLC), Salt Lake City TRACON (S56), Salt Lake City ARTCC (ZLC), Denver ARTCC (ZDV), Minneapolis ARTCC (ZMP), Minneapolis TRACON (M98) and Minneapolis-St. Paul Tower (MSP). You can thank each one on its own wall at Thank ATC.

Is there a time change between Salt Lake City (SLC) and Minneapolis (MSP)?

Yes. Minneapolis (MSP) is 1 hour ahead of Salt Lake City (SLC).

Updated October 2026

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