Smoking at Denver International Airport – DEN

Yes, you can smoke at Denver International Airport (DEN) at the designated outdoor areas outside the Jeppesen Terminal, spread across levels 4, 5, and 6 on both the east and west sides. The terminal interior is smoke-free — the last indoor smoking lounge, the leased Smokin’ Bear Lodge in Concourse C, closed in March 2018 — and none of the three concourses has a smoking area, so smoke landside before you clear security.

Denver International Airport is the largest airport in the United States by total area and one of the busiest, serving a record 82.4 million passengers in 2025. DEN closed its last indoor smoking lounge back in 2018, and today the entire airport is smoke-free indoors. The only places you can smoke are the outdoor designated areas outside the Jeppesen Terminal, which means if you are already past security at one of the concourses, you have a long trip ahead of you.

DEN Airport Layout

Understanding the layout is important because it directly affects how and where you can smoke. Denver International has one main building and three separate concourses:

• Jeppesen Terminal - The main terminal building where you check in, go through security, pick up bags, and access ground transportation. This is the only building with outdoor smoking access.
• Concourse A - Connected to Jeppesen Terminal by an underground train. Gates A24 through A95+.
• Concourse B - The largest concourse, also connected by underground train. Gates B16 through B95+.
• Concourse C - Connected by underground train. Gates C24 through C50+.

All three concourses are physically separated from the Jeppesen Terminal. You reach them via an automated underground train system. There are no outdoor areas, balconies, or smoking rooms at any of the concourses.

Jeppesen Terminal Smoking Areas

The Jeppesen Terminal is where all the designated outdoor smoking areas are located. They are spread across both the west and east sides of the building on multiple levels. You must be at least 20 feet from any door, window, or air intake when smoking.

West Side:

• Level 4: Doors 400 and 416
• Level 5: Doors 500 and 516
• Level 6: Door 616

East Side:

• Level 4: Doors 401 and 417
• Level 5: Doors 501 and 517
• Level 6: Doors 601 and 617

DEN Plaza:

• Outside the south center doors of the terminal
• Cigarette disposal receptacles are provided near the edges of the plaza area

These outdoor areas are accessible around the clock. They are uncovered and exposed to the elements, which in Denver can mean anything from intense sun to snow, depending on the season.

Concourse A

Concourse A handles a mix of domestic and international flights. Gates run from A24 through A95 and beyond. Airlines operating here include Frontier, United (some gates), and several international carriers.

Smoking areas: All of DEN’s are back at the Jeppesen Terminal. Concourse A itself is entirely smoke-free — it is a sealed building connected to the terminal only by the underground train, with no outdoor deck or smoking room of any kind.

Concourse B

Concourse B is the largest of Denver’s three concourses and serves as a major hub for United Airlines, along with Southwest and other carriers. Gates run from B16 through B95 and beyond.

Smoking areas: The Jeppesen Terminal areas again, the same as Concourse A. Concourse B is completely enclosed with no exterior access, so there are no indoor rooms and no outdoor patios here.

Concourse C

Concourse C is the smallest concourse, with gates running from C24 through C50+. It handles a mix of airlines including United and regional carriers.

Smoking areas: Same as the other concourses — the Jeppesen Terminal is the place to go. Concourse C is smoke-free throughout, with no outdoor access.

Smoking During a Layover

This is the biggest challenge for smokers at DEN. If you are connecting between flights and already past security at one of the concourses, getting to a smoking area and back is a serious time commitment:

1. Take the underground train from your concourse back to the Jeppesen Terminal
2. Exit the secure area
3. Walk to one of the outdoor designated smoking areas
4. Smoke
5. Return inside and go through TSA security screening again
6. Take the underground train back to your concourse

Realistically, this round trip takes 45 to 60 minutes on a good day. During peak travel periods, holiday weekends, or when TSA lines are backed up, it can take over an hour. Do not attempt this unless you have at least 90 minutes before your next flight departs.

Cannabis Policy

This catches a lot of travelers off guard. Recreational marijuana is legal in Colorado, and DEN is owned by the City and County of Denver rather than the federal government — the ban comes from Denver’s own municipal rule for the airport, which makes it unlawful to possess, consume, display, transfer or sell marijuana anywhere on airport property. That covers the terminal, the concourses, the parking facilities and the outdoor smoking areas, and it applies to smoking, vaping, edibles and simple possession alike. The airport confirmed in 2026 that it will keep enforcing the ban even though the TSA relaxed its own guidance on medical cannabis.

E-Cigarettes and Vaping

Vapes and e-cigarettes are treated the same as traditional cigarettes at DEN. They are banned inside the Jeppesen Terminal and all three concourses. You may only use them in the outdoor designated smoking areas outside the Jeppesen Terminal, at least 20 feet from doors and windows.

Summary

For USA airport smoking rules, state vape rules, lighter rules at TSA, and other federal/state info, see our USA smoking guide.

Useful Links

• Denver International Airport Official Website