The 25 Busiest Airports in the United States

America is home to many international airports, from John F. Kennedy in New York City to Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, Georgia. These airports serve as main hubs for big carriers such as United, American, Delta, and JetBlue. Although they can get busy (especially during holidays and peak seasons), the bigger airports tend to have the most direct international and domestic flight routes, which make it faster and more convenient to travel. Plus, they're usually more affordable compared to flying through small regional airports—meaning they're more than worth braving the crowds.

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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Hartsfield-Jackson, Concourse A — formulanone/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0

Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Airport Code: ATL

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson beats out Beijing as the busiest airport in the world, with more than 100 million passengers a year. It is conveniently located, just a two-hour flight from many large American cities, making it an easy, central layover for connecting flights. It's also the main hub for Delta Airlines.

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Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Location: Chicago, Illinois
Airport Code: ORD

O'Hare was the busiest airport in the United States until Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson took that title away in the late 1990s. O'Hare is a major connecting airport for destinations in the Midwest and is a hub for United Airlines.

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Los Angeles International Airport

The Tom Bradley Internal terminal at LAX. — Joe Scarnici/Getty Images

Location: Los Angeles, California
Airport Code: LAX

Besides being the main airport for travelers visiting L.A., Hollywood, and Southern California, Los Angeles International handles many connections to Hawaii and the West Coast. LAX sees roughly 87 million passengers a year. It is the largest of five airports in the area, including Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach, John Wayne, and Ontario.

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Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas
Airport Code: DFW

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the busiest airport in the state of Texas. The airport spans more than 17,000 acres and is bigger than the island of Manhattan. Because of its size, it has its own postal code and post office. DFW is a hub for American Airlines.

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John F. Kennedy International Airport

AirTrain at JFK — Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Location: Queens, New York
Airport Code: JFK

As the main airport for New York City, JFK sees arrivals and departures from almost every international airline in the world. JFK handles most international flights while LaGuardia Airport (also in Queens) is more popular for domestic flights. American Airlines and Delta Airlines have a large number of connections through JFK, as does JetBlue.

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Denver International Airport

Jeppesen Terminal — Photograph provided courtesy of Denver International Airport

Location: Denver, Colorado
Airport Code: DEN

With more than 33,500 acres (or 54 square miles) of space, Denver International Airport is the largest airport by area in the United States. Many regional carriers, particularly Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines, connect to DEN. Travelers visiting the western states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Montana and New Mexico will likely travel via Denver.

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San Francisco International Airport

Location: San Francisco, California
Airport Code: SFO

San Francisco International Airport is the second largest airport in California and connects West Coast travelers to Europe and Asia. It was the base for Virgin America, which was acquired by Alaska Airlines in 2016. SFO has won awards for its green design and efforts to reduce waste, water use, and greenhouse gases. San Jose and Oakland airports are also convenient alternatives to San Francisco International.

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McCarran International Airport

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Airport Code: LAS

Although Las Vegas' glitzy casinos are close by, travelers need not leave the McCarran International Airport to gamble, as there are more than 1,300 slot machines available right inside the terminals. Airlines that serve LAS include low-cost carriers like Southwest and Spirit, as well as United, American, and Delta.

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Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

A plane takes off into the sunset above Sky Harbor Airport. — Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Airport Code: PHX

Serving Phoenix and the greater Southwest area, Phoenix Sky Harbor has 100 gates across two terminals (Terminal 3 and 4). It's also known to be an extremely friendly airport thanks to its stellar customer service. The main airlines here are American Airlines, Delta, and Southwest.

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George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Location: Houston, Texas
Airport Code: IAH

One of United Airlines' largest hubs is George Bush Intercontinental Airport, but it is far from the only carrier that services this busy Texan airport. Alaska, American, and Delta airlines also service the airport. Routes between IAH and Central and South America tend to be the busiest.

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Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Airport Code: CLT

This airport in North Carolina connects a string of cities along the East Coast. For flight transfers, CLT is often a common alternative to Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport. It is well known for the rows of rocking chairs that line the main hall and provide a relaxing way to spend a layover.

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Miami International Airport

Sun Country Boeing 737 MIA — BriYYZ/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0

Location: Miami, Florida
Airport Code: MIA

Miami International Airport is the main U.S. gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean. American Airlines has many routes to this major Florida city. Alternate Miami airports, such as West Palm Beach Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, are good backup options if you can't find your preferred flights out of Miami.

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Orlando International Airport

Location: Orlando, Florida
Airport Code: MCO

Visitors to Walt Disney World and the surrounding theme parks make Orlando International Airport one of the busiest airports in the U.S. Many regional and low-cost airlines serve MCO, including Southwest and JetBlue.

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Newark Liberty International Airport

Newark Airport — Howard Kingsnorth/Getty Images

Location: Newark, New Jersey
Airport Code: EWR

Although Newark Liberty is located in New Jersey, it serves as one of New York City's three main airport hubs. In 2016, it underwent a $2.3 billion renovation of Terminal A, which was built back in 1973, to handle the 46 million annual travelers. It often offers cheaper flights than its neighboring JFK and LaGuardia airports.

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Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 SEA-TAC — redlegsfan21/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0

Location: Seattle, Washington
Airport Code: SEA

Locals call this airport SEA-TAC. In addition to being the main airport for points in the Pacific Northwest, SEA-TAC is a hub for Alaska Airlines. It is conveniently located 18 kilometers from downtown Seattle, meaning a 20 minute drive without traffic.

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Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

Man walking through glass and steel Skyway at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Minnesota, Midwest, USA — Barry Winiker / Getty Images

Location: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Airport Code: MSP

Delta Airlines has a major hub at Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport. In addition to the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, MSP handles passengers going to and from destinations in the Upper Midwest, including Wisconsin, Michigan, and North and South Dakota.

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Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Location: Detroit, Michigan
Airport Code: DTW

Although the name makes it sound like a regional airport, DTW is actually an international airport and is Delta Airlines' second largest hub.

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Philadelphia International Airport

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Airport Code: PHL

PHL serves the city of Philadelphia but is also an ideal airport for passengers from Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and the Delaware Valley. Philadelphia International Airport is less crowded and more affordable than the three major New York City-area airports, JFK, LGA, and EWR, for those who don't mind the 1.5-hour drive.

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Logan International Airport

Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Airport Code: BOS

Boston's Logan International Airport is the main gateway for New England states, such as Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Delta, JetBlue, and American are all popular carriers at Logan, and often offer great discount flights from here.

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LaGuardia Airport

Location: Queens, New York
Airport Code: LGA

LaGuardia Airport is located in Queens, in the northern part of New York City. It is known as New York City's domestic airport, and it handles the bulk of airline commuter shuttles to and from the Big Apple.

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Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Airport Code: FLL

Although Fort Lauderdale International Airport can be an alternate to Miami International Airport (it's approximately 28 miles north of Miami), it's also an ideal entry point for those visiting the beaches of south Florida. Southwest, Delta, and JetBlue are some of the major carriers at FLL.

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Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport

Baltimore-Washington International Airport — Torleif Svensson/Getty Images

Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Airport Code: BWI

Located south of Baltimore, BWI is often used as an alternate airport for travelers visiting Washington, D.C. which is only one hour (without traffic). BWI is a major East Coast hub for Southwest Airlines.

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Dulles International Airport

Washington DC's cherry blossoms in bloom with the Capital building in the background — Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Location: Washington, D.C.
Airport Code: IAD

Located in northern Virginia, Dulles is the main international airport for Washington, D.C. while the capital's primary domestic airport is Washington Reagan National Airport. United Airlines frequently operates out of Dulles.

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Salt Lake City International Airport

Salt Lake City Airport — JayLazarin/Getty Images

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Airport Code: SLC

A hub for Delta Airlines, Salt Lake City International Airport serves many connecting flights to western destinations, in particular, ski resorts. The popular Park City resort is only a 45-minute drive from SLC.

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