What are the 10 Largest Airports in the U.S?
There are several largest airports in the US, mainly in states like Colorado, Texas, Florida, etc. Denver International Airport and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport are among the top 10 airfields in the category. Some of these occupy more than 5,000 acres of land in the country. Given the astonishing size of each, a fine number of airlines operate aircraft movement to/from the airports and ensure wide connectivity. Making potential use of the vast areas they are spread over, such big airports in the United States offer a range of facilities to passengers. Fulfilling most requirements, it is only beneficial to fly via the biggest airports in the region.
Which are the 10 Biggest Airports in the United States?
In the United States, Denver International Airport (DEN) is an enormous building in terms of size. In addition, DFW and MCO are among the biggest airfields. They cover vast areas of land. Including these, there are 10 biggest airports in the US that come with significant attributes to note.
- Denver International Airport (DIA)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Harry Reid International Airport or LAS
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
- Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
1. Denver International Airport or DIA
With a total area of 52.4 square miles or 33531 acres, Denver International Airport (DEN) in Colorado is considered the most massive building in the USA. This area is more than 1.5 times the size of Manhattan. Additionally, DIA is bigger than the US cities of Boston, San Francisco, and Massachusetts.
- Within this area, the airport in Colorado features 6 runways.
- Of these, the size of Runway 16R/34L is 16000 feet, making it the longest in the U.S.
- The Jeppesen Terminal of this airfield has around 34.34 acres of land.
- This complex has 3 big concourses and 179 gates.
- In 2021, the terminal underwent a modernization project that included the construction of:
- New check-in desks
- Commercial spaces
- Screening areas
- As of 2023, it witnessed more than 75 million fliers.
2. DFW or Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
In Texas, DFW or Dallas Fort Worth International Airport spans 17207 acres of land. It is the largest airport in the US with 5 terminal buildings and 174 gates overall. The automated Skylink people mover system, spanning 7.74 km or 4.8 miles, connects these complexes.
3. Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Located in 1961, MCO has a land size of 11605 acres. Considering the same, it is among the biggest commercial airports in the US. Orlando International Airport has 3 terminals to regulate commercial operations. Beyond regulating these, it uses the area over which it stands to give rise to several operations.
- There are 93 gates across 4 airside concourses to handle fliers’ movement at MCO.
- Moreover, it has 4 runways with a maximum of 12005 ft.
- In addition, the airfield has a significantly big Hyatt Regency Hotel within its premises.
- MCO serves as the international gateway for the Florida region.
4. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport or ATL
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, United States, is the main airfield in the region. It serves Atlanta as well as its surrounding areas. With 5 parallel runways oriented East-West, it has 4700 acres or 1900 HA of land.
- Of these, 3 runways measure 2743 meters or 9000 feet in length.
- 1 runway measures 3048 meters or 1000 feet long.
- ATL is regarded as the largest airport in the US that manages more than 104.6 million travelers.
5. LAX or Los Angeles International Airport
LAX is situated in the Los suburb of Westchester. Also known as Los Angeles International Airport, it has 4 parallel runways spread across 3500 acres or 1400 HA of land. Being the biggest airport in the US, it serves as a significant entry point for flyers coming from other countries including East and Southeast Asia.
- The airfield has 9 passenger terminals, which are arranged like a horseshoe/the letter U.
- At these complexes, over 150 gates are featured.
- Los Angeles International Airport is the base for more than 70 airlines.
- There are 101 food outlets located.
- This big airport in Los Angeles has 76 convenience and retail stores.
- Throughout the terminals, there are 35 Bank of America ATMs.
- About 2,22,138 sq feet are devoted to concessions, of which 32,138 sq feet are used by DFS.
6. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
With 5200 acres of land, JFK is the largest airport in the US State of New York. Its structure supports nonstop or direct flights to locations on all 6-inhabited continents. More notably, John F. Kennedy International Airport is home to over 90 airlines.
- The airport has 4 massive runways and 5 passenger terminals.
- These complexes are organized in a distorted U-shaped wavy pattern.
7. Harry Reid International Airport or LAS
LAS is one of the biggest airports in the US with a land size of 2800 acres. It has 2 terminals, 110 gates, and 5 concourses. In addition, Harry Reid International Airport, Nevada, has a wide people mover system connecting all of them.
- Also known as McCarran Airport, more than 30 airlines fly to or from here.
- It is an operating base for 5 reputed air carriers.
- As of 2023, LAS handled its highest number of passengers, i.e. 57.6 million.
- The airfield has 4 big runways made of concrete.
- Of all the civil runways in the nation, 8L/26R at LAS is the 3rd longest.
- LAS has the Marbell Air Cargo Center, having the capacity to accommodate 1,00,000 short tons of freight.
8. MIA or Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport is a large airport in the United States that witnesses the arrivals and departures of more than 1000 flights daily to around 185 locations. This airport in Florida occupies 3300 acres or 1335 hectares of land. MIA is the primary airport for long-haul international travel, mainly from South Florida.
9. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
In North Carolina, United States of America, CLT Airport is run by the aviation department of the city of Charlotte. Also called Charlotte Douglas International Airport, it is as big as 5558 acres/2249 hectares. It is notable for 3 operational and 1 non-operating runway. In addition, it has 1 passenger terminal and 5 concourses with 115 gates, making it the largest airport in the U.S.
- The main terminal’s structure houses ticketing, baggage claim, and security that are connected to 5 concourses.
- Moreover, American Eagle’s CLT operation occurs at Concourse E. It is the biggest express flight operation.
10. Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
SEA is an airport with a land area of 2500 acres. Within this area, it has 3 runways. These runways are located West of the passenger terminal. They are 2600-3600 meters long. Through these, the airfield handles 1158 aircraft operations on a daily basis.
- As of 2022, flights to 91 domestic and 28 international locations were served by SEA Airport.
- It comprises 2 satellite buildings, 4 concourses, and 103 gates.
- The SEA Underground, a three-line automated people mover system, links concourses to the 2 satellite buildings.
- Additionally, this is the largest airport in the US due to its huge parking areas and numerous outlets.
To Conclude
In the United States, there are 10 airports known as the nation’s enormous buildings. Some of them include SEA, CLT, and MIA. Each year, these airfields serve millions of fliers as their wide structures support broad connectivity and massive operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although JFK is sizable, it is not the biggest airport in the United States.
Denver International Airport or DIA is considered the biggest in the United States of America.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is as big as 4700 acres (1900 hectares).
In Texas, United States, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is regarded as the largest.
Miami International Airport (MIA) is large. However, it is not the largest in the US.