Owais Crawford
The United States is known for its extensive aviation network, with around 925 million passengers travelling by air in 2019. While Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest airport in the US and the world, it is not the largest in terms of surface area. The biggest airport in the US by surface area is Denver International Airport, covering 135 square kilometres. Denver Airport is followed by Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Orlando International Airport in terms of size.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Biggest airport in the US by surface area | Denver International Airport |
| Surface area of Denver International Airport | 52.4 sq. mi or 135 sq. km |
| Second biggest airport in the US by surface area | Dallas Fort Worth International Airport |
| Surface area of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport | 26.9 sq. mi |
| Third biggest airport in the US by surface area | Orlando International Airport |
| Surface area of Orlando International Airport | 20.8 sq. mi |
| Fourth biggest airport in the US by surface area | Washington Dulles International Airport |
| Surface area of Washington Dulles International Airport | 20 sq. mi |
| Fifth biggest airport in the US by surface area | George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston |
| Surface area of George Bush Intercontinental Airport | 15.6 sq. mi |
| Busiest airport in the US by passenger traffic | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport |
| Number of passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport | 50.9 million |
| Busiest airport in the US by aircraft movements | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport |
| Busiest airport in the US by variety of airlines | John F Kennedy International Airport, New York |
| Airport with most daily flights in the US | Chicago O'Hare International Airport |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Busiest vs biggest
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest airport in the US and the world for passenger traffic and aircraft movements. However, it is not the biggest in the US. The Hartsfield-Jackson airport covers just 7.34 square miles, while the biggest airport in the US, Denver International Airport, covers 135 square kilometres. Denver International Airport is also the second-largest airport in the world.
The second busiest airport in the US, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, is also the second-biggest airport in the US. However, it handles about 70 million passengers annually, making it the 12th busiest airport in the world.
The third busiest airport in the US, Denver International Airport, is the biggest airport in the US. It handled 58.8 million passengers in 2021.
The fourth busiest airport in the US, Los Angeles International Airport, is not among the biggest airports in the US.
The fifth busiest airport in the US, O'Hare International Airport, is the ninth-biggest airport in the US.
While there is a slight correlation between how busy an airport is and its size, bigger doesn't always mean busier. For instance, New York's JFK Airport, the sixth busiest airport in the US, is the fourth-biggest airport in the US.
Uber at Prague Airport: Pick-Up and Drop-Off Simplified
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Denver International Airport
Denver has traditionally been home to one of the busier airports in the US, as its central location is ideal for an airline hub. United Airlines and Continental Airlines, for example, had hubs at the former Stapleton International Airport, which DEN replaced. However, Stapleton had little room for expansion and suffered from long delays due to its runway configuration. From 1980 to 1983, the Denver Regional Council of Governments investigated areas for a new airport, and in 1989, a vote transferred the land that would become DEN from Adams County to Denver.
Canadian Airport Codes: Decoding the Meaning Behind the Letters
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Airport: The Complete Collection [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81-nvGF8wgL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
![Airport [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Dj3FIXrvL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, also known by its airport code ATL, is the busiest airport in the United States. With just over 1,000 flights a day to 225 destinations, it is the world's largest airline hub and is considered America's first mega-hub. The airport is located in Clayton County, with extensions into Fulton County, Atlanta, College Park, and Hapeville.
The airport was named after Atlanta mayor William B. Hartsfield in 1971, following his death. The name was later changed to William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport as the airport grew in popularity for international flights outside North America. In 2003, the airport was renamed Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport to honour former mayor Maynard Jackson.
Hartsfield–Jackson is the primary hub and corporate headquarters of Delta Air Lines. It is also the home of Delta's Technical Operations Centre, which is the airline's primary maintenance, repair, and overhaul arm. Aside from Delta, the airport is a base for Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Spirit Airlines.
The airport was designed to accommodate up to 55 million passengers per year and covers 2.5 million square feet (230,000 square metres). It has five runways, including a 9,000-foot (2,700-metre) runway completed in 1984 and another extended to 11,889 feet (3,624 metres) in 1985. The fifth runway has increased the capacity for landings and take-offs by 40%, allowing for an average of 237 flights per hour. To accommodate international traffic, a southern extension of Concourse T opened in 1987, and Concourse E opened in 1994.
Hertz at MSP Airport: Where to Find Them
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, also known by its IATA code DFW, is one of the largest airports in the United States. Located between Dallas and Fort Worth, the airport covers 26.9 square miles (71 km2) and has five terminals.
The airport is the largest hub for American Airlines, which is headquartered nearby. In 2022 and 2023, it was the second-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic and the third-busiest by aircraft movements. As of 2025, it is the busiest international gateway in Texas and the eighth-busiest in the United States.
The history of the airport dates back to 1927 when Dallas first proposed a joint airport with Fort Worth. However, Fort Worth declined, and both cities opened their own airports, Love Field in Dallas and Meacham Field in Fort Worth. In 1940, the Civil Aeronautics Administration allocated funds for the construction of a joint airport, but the project was abandoned due to disagreements between the two cities. After World War II, Fort Worth developed Amon Carter Field, which later became Greater Southwest International Airport (GSW). However, GSW struggled to compete with Dallas' Love Field, and by the mid-1960s, the idea of a joint airport was revisited.
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport finally opened for commercial service on January 13, 1974, at a cost of $875 million. At the time, it was the largest airport in the world in terms of land area. The airport has continued to expand, with ongoing projects such as the Terminal C expansion and the development of Terminal F, demonstrating its importance as a major transportation hub in the United States.
Airport Shuttle Access to Atlantis Bahamas: What to Know
You may want to see also
Explore related products
John F Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport, commonly known as JFK Airport, is one of the biggest and busiest airports in the United States. Located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, JFK borders Jamaica Bay. The airport covers 5,200 acres (2,104 ha) and is the largest in the New York metropolitan area.
JFK Airport is the sixth-busiest airport in the US and the busiest international commercial airport in North America. Over 30.8 million passengers pass through each year, with nonstop or direct flights to destinations on all six inhabited continents. More than 90 airlines operate from the airport, which features five passenger terminals and four runways.
The airport opened in 1948 as New York International Airport, but was commonly known as Idlewild Airport. It was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1963, a month and two days after the assassination of President Kennedy.
JFK Airport is known for its unique architecture, including the Sundrome (formerly Terminal 6), which was designed by I.M. Pei and featured all-glass mullions dividing the window sections—a design unprecedented at the time. The airport also boasts the tallest control tower in the world, standing at 320 feet (98 m).
How Uber Pool Airport Rides Work
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Covering a surface area of 135 square kilometres, Denver International Airport is the biggest airport in the US.
The second-biggest airport in the US is Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
Orlando International Airport is the third-biggest airport in the US.
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was named the busiest airport in the US and the world in 2024.
