These are America’s busiest airports
America’s busiest airports: the top 10
With the holidays fast approaching, America’s busiest airports are only going to get busier! But do you know which are the top 10 busiest airports in the country? And will you be traveling through any of them this holiday season?
Passenger traffic in 2016: 104,171,935
Atlanta Airport doesn’t only top the list of America’s busiest airports – it’s also the busiest airport in the world, a title it’s held since 1998. Every day, the airport accommodates over 260,000 passengers, and operates nearly 1 million domestic and international flights a year!
Passenger traffic in 2016: 80,921,527
The busiest airport in the west of the country, LAX is also one of the most famous in the world. It also holds the record for the busiest origin and destination airport in the world – meaning the majority of passengers start or end their journey here rather than connecting elsewhere.
Passenger traffic in 2016: 77,960,588
With 208 destinations (153 domestic and 55 international), it’s no surprise that Chicago O’Hare is one of America’s busiest airports and the sixth-busiest airport in the world. And another interesting fact about ORD? It’s got eight runways – more than any other major international airport
Passenger traffic in 2016: 65,670,697
The busiest airport in Texas, DFW is the country’s second-biggest by acreage. It has its own zip code, its own police, emergency medical services and fire protection, and is larger than Manhattan!
Passenger traffic in 2016: 58,956,288
And speaking of Manhattan, you’ll find JFK just across from the island, in the New York borough of Queens. America’s fifth-busiest airport is nearly as legendary as its namesake, having been renamed from ‘New York International Airport’ in 1963 to commemorate the late president
Passenger traffic in 2016: 58,266,515
If you thought DFW was big, Denver tops them all! The United States’ biggest in terms of land area, it covers an unbelievable 52.4 sq. miles in total. It’s also home to Runway 16R/34L – the longest public use runway in the country with a length of 16,000 ft!
Passenger traffic in 2016: 53,106,505
The second of California’s airports to feature on our list, SFO has grown quite a bit since it began in 1927 as Mills Field Municipal Airport of San Francisco, located in the middle of a cow field! Passengers fly all over the world from here, with the majority flying to LAX.
Passenger traffic in 2016: 47,435,640
As Las Vegas Valley’s principal airport, McCarran International serves the many passengers who fly in to visit Las Vegas each year, as well as elsewhere in Nevada. And its name recognizes the work of the late US Senator Pat McCarran, a key contributor to developments in aviation.
Passenger traffic in 2016: 44,422,022
Serving 161 destinations, both across the United States and beyond, Charlotte Douglas is partly named after the former mayor of Charlotte, Ben Elbert Douglas Snr. Second to DFW, it’s also one of American Airlines’ largest hub airports.
Passenger traffic in 2016: 44,350,247
Just 8 miles northwest of Downton Miami, Miami International Airport takes the final spot on our list of America’s busiest airports. As well as the millions of passengers who pass through each year, it also held the record in 2016 for the amount of international cargo handled by any US airport!
