Car Rental at John Wayne Airport

Cheapest car rental rates




































































































Why book with us?




- Cheapest car rental rates
- Why book with us?
- Travel information
- Airport travel guide
- Top international routes
- Main airlines
- Terminals
- Location
- Most popular types of rental car
- Car rental desks
- Services and facilities
- Nearest gas station
- Popular one-way rentals
- Airport info
- Top 20 locations near John Wayne Airport
- Map of top car rental locations
- When to book at John Wayne Airport and for how long?
- Car rental information
- Most popular car models of rental suppliers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Here's what travelers say about renting a car at John Wayne Airport
- Car rental statistics
- Top 11 suppliers at John Wayne Airport in 2025
- Award-winning service
Travel information
Airport travel guide

John Wayne Airport (SNA) is the only commercial airport serving Orange County. Previously called Orange County Airport, this airport was renamed after the legendary movie star, John Wayne, who is buried in nearby Newport Beach.
Orange County, which is mostly suburban, lies south of Los Angeles. It is a popular tourist destination for various reasons. Its miles and miles of beautiful sandy beaches and rocky cliffs are famous for great surf, wondrous sunsets, and frequent marine life sightings. Disneyland, one of the world’s most popular theme parks, is located in Orange County’s city of Anaheim.
With your rental car, some must-visit beach towns in Orange County include Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Corona del Mar, Newport Beach, and San Clemente.
This California Bucket List covers 50 incredible things to do on a road trip through Orange County, and beyond!
Top international routes
- Las Vegas
- Seattle
- Phoenix
- Denver
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Oakland
- Dallas
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
Main airlines
The low-cost airline Southwest is the largest airline at the airport with almost 3 million passengers using it every year. It flies to Austin, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Nashville, Oakland, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Jose, and St. Louis, in addition to Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
United is the second-busiest airline at SNA. Its primary destination is San Francisco which is its main West Coast hub. It also flies to Aspen, Chicago, Denver, Houston, and Newark.
American is also a popular airline at SNA, flying to Austin, Chicago, New York, Phoenix, and its hub, Dallas/Fort Worth.
Alaska and Delta also handle many passengers at the airport. Alaska flies to destinations on the West Coast and Delta’s most popular routes are to Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City, and Seattle.
Allegiant, Breeze, Frontier, JSX, Spirit, and WestJet also fly out of John Wayne.
Terminals
There are three terminals at John Wayne Airport, though they are all in the same building. American, Delta, and WestJet use Terminal A. Alaska, Frontier, Southwest, and United use Terminals B and C. Terminal C also has specific commuter gates. It is also the international terminal for all flights without preclearance.
Location
The airport sits at the heart of Orange County, and though its address is officially Santa Ana, it is actually located south of the city. It is also surrounded by the cities of Irvine, Costa Mesa, and Newport Beach. The airport is about 15 miles away from Disneyland, a 20-minute drive(without any rush-hour traffic).
Most popular types of rental car
- Vans - from €184 per day
- Small cars - from €49 per day
- Medium cars - from €50 per day
- Large cars - from €48 per day
- SUVs - from €54 per day
- Convertibles - from €139 per day
- Premium cars - from €56 per day
Car rental desks
Some rental companies have rental desks at the airport while others are located near the airport. Alamo, Thrifty, Dollar, and National all have desks in the airport’s arrival area between terminals A and B. Once the paperwork is completed, renters must proceed to the parking garage which is also where they’ll have to return their rental.
Fox is located away from the airport and provide shuttles from the terminal to their locations. Allow extra time when returning vehicles to these companies’ locations, though. The shuttle can add up to thirty minutes.
Services and facilities
John Wayne Airport has all of the services and amenities one would expect of an Orange County airport.
The airport has rotating art exhibitions throughout the terminal and baggage claim area. The artworks are of museum-quality given that they are judged by a specific commission. Free Wifi is available throughout the airport.
The airport has two lounges, an American Airlines Admirals Club near Gate 8 and United Airlines United Club near Gate 9. A USO lounge for members of the military and their families can be found in Terminal B near the baggage claim area. While there are no hotels at the airport, three can be found just across the street and a few more can be found just off the 405.
Finally, there is no need to go hungry or thirsty at the airport. There are plenty of dining options throughout all terminals, including both fast food places like CarlsJr and table-service restaurants such as Ruby’s Diner and Hobie Sand Bar. Coffee shops can also be found throughout the terminals.
Nearest gas station
There is a Chevron Station on MacArthur Blvd. almost directly in front of the airport. It is also convenient for most (depending on which direction they are coming from) returning cars to off-airport locations.
Another option is a different Chevron station at the intersection of Bristol Street and Red Hill Avenue at the exit from the Corona Del Mar Freeway. Just down the street, there is an Arco station whose gas is typically 20 cents cheaper, though it would require a slight circle to turn around to get back to the road to the airport.
Popular one-way rentals
- Los Angeles (39 miles / 63 km)
- San Diego (87 miles / 140 km)
- Long Beach (32 miles / 51 km)
- Las Vegas (272 miles / 438 km)
- Santa Monica (52 miles / 84 km)
- Bakersfield (151 miles / 243 km)
Learn more about our Editorial Policy.
Airport info
Top 20 locations near John Wayne Airport
- Long Beach Airportfrom €56.43 per day30.6 km / 19.01 miles away
- Ontario Airportfrom €48.45 per day49 km / 30.45 miles away
- Los Angeles (Downtown)from €39.01 per day55 km / 34.18 miles away
- Westchesterfrom €40.97 per day56.6 km / 35.17 miles away
- Los Angeles Airportfrom €48.23 per day58 km / 36.04 miles away
- Burbank Airportfrom €48.20 per day73.9 km / 45.92 miles away
- North Hollywood Lankershim Blvdfrom €306.11 per day74.8 km / 46.48 miles away
- San Diego Airportfrom €52.57 per day122.3 km / 75.99 miles away
- Palm Springs Airportfrom €50.22 per day127 km / 78.91 miles away
- San Diego Cross Border Xpressfrom €15.73 per day150.5 km / 93.52 miles away
- Santa Barbara Airportfrom €49.18 per day200 km / 124.27 miles away
- Meadows Field Airportfrom €56.43 per day224 km / 139.19 miles away
- Fresno Airportfrom €41.13 per day383.5 km / 238.3 miles away
- Monterey Regional Airportfrom €45.25 per day485.1 km / 301.43 miles away
- San Jose Airportfrom €41.15 per day550.5 km / 342.06 miles away
- Oakland Airportfrom €43.13 per day597.2 km / 371.08 miles away
- San Francisco Airportfrom €42.06 per day598.2 km / 371.7 miles away
- San Francisco Union Square Downtownfrom €45.25 per day613.8 km / 381.4 miles away
- Sacramento International Airportfrom €42.00 per day650.4 km / 404.14 miles away
- Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airportfrom €46.07 per day697 km / 433.1 miles away
Map of top car rental locations





When to book at John Wayne Airport and for how long?
When are car rental prices the lowest at John Wayne Airport?
The cost of renting a car at John Wayne Airport varies by season. The table and graph below can help you find the best time of year to save on a rental car.
Saver's insights
Cheapest monthMarch | Most expensive month July | ||
Average price €43 | A good deal €53 | Cheapest supplier Thrifty | Cheapest car type Large cars |
€46
in January
€38
in February
€31
in March
€31
in April
€33
in May
€37
in June
€51
in July
€47
in August
€38
in September
€39
in October
€38
in November
€43
in December
The cheapest month of the year to rent a car at John Wayne Airport is March — when rental costs average €31.18 per day. This is 27% cheaper than the yearly average and 38% cheaper than renting a car in July (when prices average €50.51 per day).
This information can help you identify the low season. But these are only average numbers. How much your car rental will cost will depend on the type of vehicle you rent, how long you’ll rent it for, and how far ahead you book. Simply enter your dates in the form at the top of the page to see the exact prices.
What is the most popular time of year to rent a car at John Wayne Airport?
Based on how many users search for a car in at John Wayne Airport, travelers are most likely to rent a car in March, while they are least likely to rent in in August.
0.4 times in January
2 times in February
2.5 times in March
1.4 times in April
1.5 times in May
0.5 times in June
0.4 times in July
0.3 times in August
0.7 times in September
0.8 times in October
Same as average in November
0.4 times in December
For how long do renters keep their vehicles at John Wayne Airport?
How long travelers keep their rental cars varies by the time of year: in February the average rental period is 7 days, while in September, the average rental period is only 4 days.
6 days in January
7 days in February
7 days in March
6 days in April
7 days in May
6 days in June
6 days in July
5 days in August
4 days in September
6 days in October
4 days in November
6 days in December
Car rental information
🔥 Popular suppliers | Thrifty, U-Save, Dollar, GreenMotion, Alamo |
🚗 Popular car types | Large cars, SUVs, Medium cars, dch.car-group.special |
🤑 Lowest price | €48 per day |
👛 Cheapest supplier | Thrifty |
Most popular car models of rental suppliers
Rental Supplier | Model | Doors | Luggage | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Thrifty | Mazda 3 | 5 | 3 | Large car |
Thrifty | Nissan Rogue | 5 | 3 | SUV |
U-Save | Nissan Versa | 4 | 3 | dch.car-group-singular.special |
Thrifty | Volkswagen Jetta | 4 | 2 | Large car |
U-Save | Toyota Corolla | 4 | 2 | Large car |
Thrifty | Ford Focus | 4 | 2 | Medium car |
Dollar | Mazda 3 | 2 | 2 | Large car |
U-Save | Nissan Kicks | 5 | 2 | SUV |
Thrifty | Chevrolet Equinox | 4 | 3 | SUV |
U-Save | Nissan Altima | 4 | 3 | Large car |
Frequently Asked Questions
Here's what travelers say about renting a car at John Wayne Airport
Car rental statistics
Top 11 suppliers at John Wayne Airport in 2025








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