Airports In Every State: A Comprehensive Overview

The United States of America has over 5,000 public airports, which has helped the country bridge the gap with other countries for commercial purposes. These airports are divided into public-use and military airports, with the former defined by the FAA as airports that are 'available for use by the general public without a requirement for prior approval from the airport owner or operator'. The number of public airports in the US has decreased since 1990, while the number of private airports has increased. In 2022, there were 5,193 public airports in the US, a decrease from the 5,589 public airports in 1990.

Which states have the most airports?

While it is unclear how many airports there are in total across the United States, sources suggest that there are at least 19,859 airports across the country.

States with the Most Airports

The states with the most airports are:

• Alaska, with 352 airports
• California, with 139 airports
• Ohio, with 75 airports
• Kansas, with 73 airports
• Texas, with 69 airports
• Washington, with 66 airports
• Florida, with 59 airports
• Pennsylvania, with 57 airports
• Michigan, with 56 airports
• New York, with 52 airports

Airports by State

The number of airports in each state varies, with some states having significantly more airports than others. Here is a breakdown of the number of airports in each state, according to the US Department of Transportation:

• Alaska: 352
• California: 139
• Ohio: 75
• Kansas: 73
• Texas: 69
• Washington: 66
• Florida: 59
• Pennsylvania: 57
• Michigan: 56
• New York: 52
• Illinois: 45
• Georgia: 43
• Indiana: 41
• Wisconsin: 40
• North Carolina: 40
• Kentucky: 39
• Minnesota: 39
• Oregon: 38
• Virginia: 38
• Arizona: 36
• Tennessee: 35
• Iowa: 31
• South Carolina: 29
• Missouri: 27
• Alabama: 25
• Colorado: 25
• Idaho: 24
• New Mexico: 24
• Montana: 23
• Arkansas: 23
• Wyoming: 22
• Utah: 22
• Nebraska: 21
• Louisiana: 21
• Oklahoma: 19
• Mississippi: 18
• Maryland: 17
• New Jersey: 17
• Massachusetts: 16
• South Dakota: 15
• Hawaii: 15
• West Virginia: 15
• Nevada: 14
• North Dakota: 13
• Maine: 12
• New Hampshire: 9
• Connecticut: 9
• Rhode Island: 5
• Vermont: 3
• Delaware: 3

What are the different types of airports?

There are several types of airports, each serving different purposes and functions. Here is a detailed overview of the different types of airports:

Commercial Service Airports:

These airports are publicly owned and cater to a large number of passengers. They are further divided into two categories:

• Primary Commercial Service Airports: These airports handle more than 10,000 passenger boardings annually and include major airports like John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport. They also include smaller regional airports, ensuring flight availability for people in rural areas. Primary airports are further classified into four subsets based on the number of passenger boardings and the percentage of annual passenger boardings nationwide:
• Non-hub primary
• Small hub
• Medium hub
• Large hub
• Non-Primary Commercial Service Airports: These are non-hub airports that handle at least 2,500 but fewer than 10,000 passenger boardings annually. They serve smaller communities that lack primary commercial airport support.

Cargo Service Airports:

These airports specialize in handling cargo planes and shipping operations. To be classified as a cargo service airport, the airport must have an annual landed weight of more than 100 million pounds, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Landed weight refers to the weight of aircraft transporting only cargo. Some airports can be both commercial service and cargo service airports.

Reliever Airports:

These airports are designated to relieve congestion at larger commercial service airports and improve general aviation access for the community. They can be publicly or privately owned. Reliever airports often don't have well-defined roles beyond diverting flights from busier airports.

General Aviation Airports:

These airports are public-use facilities that do not have more than 2,500 annual passenger boardings or regularly scheduled services. They often serve niche purposes, such as granting access to remote areas, facilitating private flights, and supporting tourism. General aviation airports are further categorized into four types:

• National Airports: These airports provide communities with access to national and international markets, particularly in areas that are too small or remote to be served by primary commercial airports.
• Regional Airports: These airports facilitate interstate trade and support regional economies by connecting communities to statewide and interstate markets.
• Local Airports: Local airports handle intrastate trade within a state, typically in larger states like California, Texas, and Alaska.
• Basic Airports: These airports link communities to the national airport system and support general aviation activities, such as emergency response, air ambulance services, flight training, and personal flying.

Unclassified Airports:

This is a catch-all category for airports that don't fit neatly into the other defined categories. These airports offer access to the aviation system but may have unique features or serve specific purposes that set them apart.

What are the busiest airports in the US?

The US is home to some of the world's busiest airports. Here is a list of the top 15 busiest airports in the US, based on passenger numbers in 2023:

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Georgia: ~104.7 million passengers
• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Texas: ~81.7 million passengers
• Denver International Airport, Colorado: ~77 million passengers
• Los Angeles International Airport, California: ~75 million passengers
• Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Illinois: ~73 million passengers
• John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York: ~62 million passengers
• Orlando International Airport, Florida: ~57.7 million passengers
• Harry Reid International Airport, Nevada: ~57.6 million passengers
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport, North Carolina: ~53 million passengers
• Miami International Airport, Florida: ~52 million passengers
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Washington: ~50.9 million passengers
• San Francisco International Airport, California: ~50.2 million passengers
• Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey: ~49.1 million passengers
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona: ~48.8 million passengers
• Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Texas: ~46 million passengers

These airports are major hubs, connecting passengers to destinations across the US and the globe. They contribute significantly to their local economies, generating billions in revenue and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs.

What are airport codes and how are they assigned?

Airport codes are three-letter geocode designations for airports and metropolitan areas worldwide. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) assigns IATA codes, which are used for passenger-facing operations, while the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) assigns ICAO codes, which are used within the industry.

IATA Codes

IATA codes are determined based on how the airport wants to identify itself and the availability of the letter combination. The first three letters of the city an airport serves are usually used, for example, JFK for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and LHR for London Heathrow. However, some airports use a combination of letters in their name, such as JNB for Johannesburg or a reflection of their pronunciation, like NAN for Nadi, Fiji, where "d" is realised as the prenasalized stop [ⁿd].

Other airports are named after the airport itself, particularly those serving cities with multiple airports, such as JFK for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and CDG for Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Some airport codes are derived from an airport's former name, like Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, coded ORD for its original name, Orchard Field. A few even come from an airport's unofficial name, like Kahului Airport's OGG, named after local aviation pioneer Jimmy Hogg.

ICAO Codes

ICAO's four-letter location indicators have a more rigid structure, with the first two letters tied to an airport's geography. The first letter describes the country, and the remaining three letters mark the specific airport. For example, Florida's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is KFLL, with "K" indicating the U.S. and "FLL" as the specific airport code.

Which states have the most-used airports?

While every state has airports, some are busier than others. Here is a list of the most frequented airports in each state:

• Alabama: Birmingham International Airport (BHM)
• Alaska: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
• Arizona: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
• Arkansas: Little Rock National Airport (LIT)
• California: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Colorado: Denver International Airport (DEN)
• Connecticut: Tweed New Haven (HVN)

The District of Columbia, with Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Washington National Airport (DCA), is also a hub of aviation activity.

Some of the busiest airports in the United States include:

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
• Los Angeles International Airport
• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
• Denver International Airport
• O'Hare International Airport
• John F. Kennedy International Airport
• Orlando International Airport
• Harry Reid International Airport
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport
• Miami International Airport
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Frequently asked questions