Yes, you can smoke at Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) outdoors, along the terminal curb and across the parking areas, well clear of the entrance doors. The terminal itself is smoke-free from the ticketing hall through to the gates, so a departing smoker steps outside first and clears the TSA checkpoint afterwards. XNA is a compact single-terminal airport with one checkpoint serving every gate, which makes that round trip far quicker than it would be at a big connecting hub.
How Northwest Arkansas National Airport Is Laid Out
XNA has a single terminal on two levels. The lower level holds the ticket counters, baggage claim, the rental-car desks, the information booth and the ground-level C gates; the upper level holds the security checkpoint, the concessions atrium and the two main concourses. The airport’s own security guidance is explicit that there is one checkpoint area in the terminal serving the gates of every airline, so there is no question of picking the “right” line.
Concourse A runs from gate A1 through A12 and carries most of the airport’s flights. Concourse B is the short wing holding gates B1 and B2 plus the Escape Lounge. Three further gate positions, C1 to C3, sit downstairs on the lower level and board from ground level. A western concourse is on the way: the airport’s project page sets construction from September 2026 through September 2028, adding gates, hold rooms, restrooms and concessions space on the west side of the building.
Six airlines serve XNA — Allegiant, American, Breeze Airways, Delta, Frontier and United — flying an average of 50 departures a day to 27 US destinations. The airport’s own traffic statistics put 2025 at 2,524,256 total passengers, up from 2,287,555 in 2024, and the 2026 monthly reports have been running ahead of that pace again. It is a fast-growing regional airport serving Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Springdale and Siloam Springs rather than a sprawling connecting hub, and the whole terminal is walkable end to end in a few minutes.
Where to Smoke Outside the Terminal
Smoking at XNA is an outdoor activity. The terminal is a public building run by the Northwest Arkansas National Airport Authority and is smoke-free under the Arkansas Clean Indoor Air Act of 2006, which covers enclosed public places and buildings operated by public authorities; the state rule leaves outdoor areas alone, which is why the ground outside the doors is where smokers go.
The practical spots are the stretches of curb either side of the main entrances on both the arrivals and departures roadways, the crossings over to short-term Lot A directly opposite the terminal, and the open ground around the longer-stay lots beyond it. XNA does not publish a map of marked smoking points, so the sensible approach is straightforward: get properly clear of the doorways, stay out of the crush at the curb, and put the butt in a receptacle rather than on the pavement.
Northwest Arkansas sits in the Ozark foothills, and the weather swings hard between seasons. Summer afternoons are hot and humid, spring brings thunderstorms through, and winter mornings drop below freezing with ice on the ground. None of the outdoor areas at XNA is covered or heated, so dress for whatever is happening outside before you head out for a cigarette.
Concourse A
Smoking: Outdoors only — return to the atrium, exit the terminal and move clear of the entrances. After security: The gates are smoke-free; every smoking spot is landside.
Concourse A holds gates A1 to A12 and most of the airport’s post-security food and drink: Auntie Anne’s and Bionics by Onyx Coffee near gate A1, Einstein Bros Bagels near A2, Smokewood American Grill near A3, Core Brewing Company near A6 and the CNBC News & Café near A7. A quiet room, massage chairs, a mother’s room, a family play area and the post-security pet relief area near gate A2 are all on this level too. The walk from a far gate back through the atrium and out to the curb takes about five minutes.
Concourse B
Smoking: Outdoors only — exit through the atrium and move clear of the entrances. After security: The gates are smoke-free; the Escape Lounge is indoors and smoke-free like the rest of the building.
Concourse B is the short wing, with gates B1 and B2 and the Escape Lounge, which offers seating, food and drink away from the main hold rooms. The lounge is entirely indoors with no terrace, so a lounge pass buys you comfort rather than a cigarette. Both concourses feed the same atrium, which means it makes no difference to a smoker which one your flight leaves from.
Lower-Level C Gates
Smoking: Outdoors only — head upstairs to the atrium exits, or out through the arrivals level. After security: Smoke-free, as everywhere inside the terminal.
Gates C1 to C3 sit on the lower level and board from ground level, so passengers walk out across the apron to the aircraft. Being downstairs puts these gates closest to baggage claim and the arrivals doors, and they share the same concessions atrium upstairs as everyone else.
After Security
Every place you can smoke at XNA is before the TSA checkpoint. To smoke once you are airside, you have to leave the secure area entirely, step outside, and screen back in. The terminal is small enough that the walk barely registers — budget 20 to 30 minutes for the whole round trip and you will be back at the gate comfortably. XNA runs a single checkpoint with published live wait times and asks passengers to arrive no less than two hours before boarding, and its screening hours track the flight schedule rather than running around the clock, so check the last screening time if you are on a late departure.
If XNA is one leg of a longer itinerary, our guide to smoking during layovers explains how to judge whether a connection leaves you room to get outside and back. For the far end of the most common connections, the Dallas/Fort Worth airport page covers the designated outdoor areas outside each of its five terminals, and the Atlanta airport page lists the specific doors at Terminal North and Terminal South where the outdoor areas sit.
E-Cigarettes and Vaping
Vaping and e-cigarettes follow the same practice as cigarettes at XNA: outdoors, away from the terminal entrances, never inside the building or at the gates. TSA allows vape devices and spare lithium batteries in carry-on baggage only — they cannot travel in a checked bag — and using one on board an aircraft is prohibited by federal rule.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal atrium and ticketing | No | Smoke-free from the doors to the checkpoint |
| Concourse A (A1–A12) | No | No smoking room; exit and re-clear security |
| Concourse B (B1–B2) | No | Escape Lounge is indoors and smoke-free |
| Lower-level C gates | No | Ground-boarding gates; smoke-free |
| Outside the terminal | Yes | Curbside and parking areas, clear of the entrance doors |
| Restaurants and bars | No | All indoor concessions are smoke-free |
| Vaping / e-cigarettes | Outdoor only | Same practice as cigarettes |
For USA airport smoking rules, state vape rules, lighter rules at TSA, and other federal/state info, see our USA smoking guide.