Williston Basin International Airport (XWA) is the main entry point for air travellers and is better connected than you might expect for a city this size. The oil boom triggered significant investment in the airport, and it now handles daily jet service to Denver, Minneapolis, and Dallas-Fort Worth, making Williston a viable hub for exploring the upper-Missouri country. The terminal is modern, compact, and easy to navigate.
By road, Williston sits at the junction of US Highway 2 (the Hi-Line, running east–west across the northern tier of the country) and US Highway 85 (running north–south from the Canadian border down through the Dakotas and into Texas). The drive east to Minot is about two hours; west to Glendive, Montana is around an hour and a half. There is no interstate highway serving Williston directly, so allow extra time and check road conditions before any winter journey.
Amtrak's Empire Builder — the Chicago-to-Seattle route — stops at Williston once daily in each direction. The station is modest, and arrival and departure times are not always civilised hours, but the train is a genuine option for travellers wanting to experience the plains at ground level. The journey east to Minneapolis takes around 12 hours; west to Glacier National Park is about five hours.