In the past Zhangjiajie has been renowned as the bright pearl of northwestern Hunan Province. However, development in this area has lagged behind because of poor communication. Nowadays with the support of the central government, Zhangjiajie has undergone great improvements through the construction of new infrastructure including highways, railways and an airport.

At present there are direct flights between Zhangjiajie Lotus (Hehua) Airport and 24 cities in China such as Nanjing, Jinan, Dalian, Zhuhai, Zhengzhou, Xiamen and Hong Kong. Daily direct flights also connect Zhangjiajie and major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Changsha.

There are railway lines extending in all directions mainly to the big cities in China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Changsha, and Zhanjiang. Zhangjiajie is located along the main Beijing - Guangzhou railway line so it is very convenient to take a train to Zhangjiajie.

With the development of the tourist industry, many new roads are being built in Zhangjiajie. At present a network of highways has been built linking it to more than five provinces and 17 districts. Zhangjiajie has become a well-known tourist city both at home and abroad.