The largest airports in the US by size aren’t always the busiest. The largest in area is fifth on the list for passengers. The discrepancy is owed to many factors. One might think JFK in New York would be the busiest, yet passengers often chose nearby Newark Liberty in New Jersey as their final destination, as transportation into the city can be easier from there. Some municipalities in fast growing cities may have a tough time convincing the public that the expense of upgrading the airport to accommodate more passengers is really necessary.

Busiest Airports in the USA

6. John F. Kennedy International

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The airport was known as Idlewild Airport, but officially named New York International. In 1963, the mayor of New York at that time proposed the renaming to honor the recently assassinated President Kennedy.

The New York Port Authority, the leaseholder of Idlewild, wanted to build an airport to reduce the strain on New York’s LaGuardia Airport. There was to be a single terminal for all gates, but the plan was scrapped in favor of one that allowed each major airline to design its own terminal. The plan also allowed for future expansion. More than one airline uses an individual terminal today.

Over 100 airlines from 50 different countries have regular flights to JFK.

Did You Know?

The flight involved in the 3^rd deadliest accident in aviation history took off from JFK.

5. Denver International Airport

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The Denver airport is the largest commercial airport in the United States by land area. It is also the fifth busiest airport in the country.

The old airport serving the area was the Stapleton International Airport. After the increasing air traffic going through Denver connecting the American coasts, city officials looked for funding for a new airport. They approved construction on the new airport in 1989.

The site of the airport occupies 52.4 square miles. The huge area allows for long runways that won’t be vulnerable by the snow storms that plague the area in the Winter. There is also plenty of room for additional runways. There are currently six, but there is room for 12.

Did You Know?

The Denver airport is one and ½ times the size of Manhattan.

4. Dallas/Ft. Worth International

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Dallas Love Field was the long-standing airport that served the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Love Field became overcrowded and there was no room to add on to the facility. In 1967, the voters in Texas approved a commission to construct a new airport to serve the North Texas region.

The planners envisioned 13 terminals for the new airport; however, only five were built initially. There is still room at DFW for all 13 terminals, but there are no plans for expansion and given current growth trends that appears unlikely. There are 165 gates within the five terminals.

The airport is the fourth busiest in the nation with 31,861,933 boardings in 2017. It is also the busiest airport in Texas.

Did You Know?

DFW is the second largest airline hub in the country.

3. O’Hare International

Source: Public Domain

The Chicago airport was originally an airfield serving as a construction and testing site for C-54 military transports during World War II. After the war, the military continued to use the field for the US Air Force throughout the Korean War. The airport was being used for commercial flights, though there were no regularly scheduled ones until the late 1950s.

The other Chicago airport, Midway, was the world’s busiest in the 1950s. It was already suffering from overcrowding, forcing many airlines to pick O’Hare. Moreover, Midway lacked enough runway length to accommodate jetliners.

Did You Know?

2,400 planes a day take off from O’Hare.

2. Los Angeles International (LAX)

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LAX began as simply the Los Angeles Airport in 1941. The airport is one of the world’s most recognizable thanks to the space-age “Theme building,” the restaurant that sits on the airport grounds. The restaurant was closed for 9 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The building is an official cultural monument and houses a monument to the passengers that died in the terrorist attacks.

The airport receives thousands of International flights per day because of its coastal location. However, it is also an important cargo hub. It’s the only airport to rank in the top five busiest in passenger boardings and cargo traffic.

Did You Know?

LAX is the third-busiest airport in the world for international traffic.

1. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport

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The Hartsfield-Jackson airport is the busiest in the United States. It has held this title since 1998, seeing upwards of 260,000 passengers per day. It is a hub for Delta, and the largest hub in the world.

The airport began as Candler Field in 1926. Later, the military conscripted the field for use during World War II. The city government in Atlanta renamed the airport in 1942 and again in 1971, when it was named after a former mayor who died that year. When the city’s first African-American mayor died, the city council voted to add his name to the title.

The airport sees so much traffic because it has long been the flagship hub of Delta and Atlanta was one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Most flights out of the Southeastern United States are routed through Hartsfield-Jackson.

Did You Know?

In 2017, a power outage crippled operations at the airport for 11 hours.

 

Largest Airports by Area in USA

 

5. George Bush Intercontinental

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This airport began service as the Houston Intercontinental Airport. The name change came after a vote by the Houston City Council in 1997. The Council had proposed a name change earlier to commemorate the life of Mickey Leland, a US Congress representative from Houston who died in a plane crash. Instead, the Council voted to name one of the terminals after Leland.

The airport has five runways and five terminals. It is second busiest airport in the Southeastern United States and in Texas.

Did You Know?

The airport ranks 6^th in the “mega” airport category regarding passenger satisfaction.

4. Washington Dulles International

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The four-runway airport was the second airport built to service the nation’s capital. In 1950, the US Congress passed the Washington Airport Act to provide funding for the airport. President Dwight Eisenhower chose the location and construction began in 1958. The airport is named for John Dulles, who served as Secretary of State under Eisenhower.

The airport has a main terminal, two midfield terminals and 123 gates.

Did You Know?

Two different Space Shuttles have visited Dulles. The Enterprise was there three times and the Discovery twice. Both were being transported to and from museums.

3. Orlando International Airport

Source: Dough4872

This airport is the busiest in Florida and currently the 11^th busiest in the country. It was the site of the McCoy Air Force Base that closed in 1975 after the Vietnam War ended. However, the Air Force base housed a civil airport facility during the mid-1960s called the Orlando Jetport. The current airport does support some military facilities, mostly related to the Armed Forces Reserves.

The airport uses the hub and spoke design, with four airsides emanating from the main terminal. The main terminal is divided into two terminals.

Did You Know?

In commemoration of the airport’s former identity as a military base, the airport houses the B-52 Memorial Park. The now retired bomber’s last destination was the Orlando airport.

2. Dallas Ft. Worth International (DFW)

Source: Tom Walsh [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons

Dallas Love Field was the long-standing airport that served the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Love Field became overcrowded and there was no room to add on to the facility. In 1967, the voters in Texas approved a commission to construct a new airport to serve the North Texas region.

The planners envisioned 13 terminals for the new airport; however, only five were built initially. There is still room at DFW for all 13 terminals, but there are no plans for expansion and given current growth trends that appears unlikely. There are 165 gates within the five terminals.

The airport is the fourth busiest in the nation with 31,861,933 boardings in 2017. It is also the busiest airport in Texas.

Did You Know?

DFW is the second largest airline hub in the country.

1. Denver International

Source: By Bmurphy380 [CC BY-SA 4.0] via Wikimedia Commons

The Denver airport is the largest commercial airport in the United States by land area. It is also the fifth busiest airport in the country.

The old airport serving the area was the Stapleton International Airport. After the increasing air traffic going through Denver connecting the American coasts, city officials looked for funding for a new airport. They approved construction on the new airport in 1989.

The site of the airport occupies 52.4 square miles. The huge area allows for long runways that won’t be vulnerable by the snow storms that plague the area in the Winter. There is also plenty of room for additional runways. There are currently six, but there is room for 12.

Did You Know?

The Denver airport is one and ½ times the size of Manhattan.