The biggest airports in the US are the largest in terms of size. The United States has the most airports and boasts some of the world’s largest airports in terms of surface area.
The United States is home to five of the world’s top 10 airports. However, some of the country’s largest airports are not necessarily the busiest.
The ten most significant airports in the US by surface area are listed below.
1. Denver International Airport – 137.26km
DIA is the biggest airport in the US and the world’s third-largest airport.
It has the longest runway in North America, spanning 4.88 kilometers, and has a surface area of 135.7 square kilometers.
Its construction began in 1989 and was completed two years later, on February 28, 1995.
Additionally, it cost $4.8 billion, nearly $2 billion more than the amount initially authorized for its development. DIA is North America’s fifth busiest airport.
2. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas (DFW) – 69.63km
Dallas/Fort Worth is ranked second on this list, with a land area of around 70 square kilometers (27 square miles).
Furthermore, this airport, which is nearly half the size of Denver, has five terminals and 191 gates — and anyone who has visited DIA knows what a great experience it is!
Moreover, the Skylink people mover system, installed as part of the modernization project, connects all terminals.
However, the airport served about 70 million passengers in 2017, ranking it the world’s 12th busiest airport.
3. Orlando International Airport, Florida (MCO) – 54km
It is only a half-hour drive from Walt Disney World and many other tourist attractions in this tourist-heavy area, so Orlando International Airport is a bustling place.
MCO was founded in 1942 as McCoy US Air Force Base and converted to civilian use in 1976, covering approximately 54 square kilometers (21 square feet of space).
Typically, the airport has two terminals, four concourses, and 129 gates. MCO receives approximately 50 million passengers annually, and the airport wants to develop another terminal shortly to accommodate the growing demand.
4. Washington Dulles International Airport – 52.6km
Dulles Airport is 42 kilometers west of Washington, DC, in Virginia. It is considered the 4th biggest airport in the US.
John Foster Dulles, the 52nd Secretary of State of the United States, is honored at the airport.
The airport, which opened in 1962 and covers 52.6 square kilometers, is one of the largest in the country.
Furthermore, it consists of the main terminal and two middle terminals, each with two concourses.
United Airlines uses Concourses C and D exclusively, while international and domestic flights not handled by the company use the main terminal and Concourses A and B.
Regarding passenger volume, Dulles Airport is the 29th busiest in North America.
5. George Bush International Airport – 40.5km
Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport is 37 kilometers north of Huston. At 40.5 square kilometers, it is United Airlines’ second-largest hub after Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
It is also Atlas Air’s hub. Although the land for the airport was purchased in 1957, it did not open until 1977 as Houston Intercontinental Airport.
The airport was renamed George Bush in 1997 in honor of the 41st president of the United States.
IAH is the 14th busiest airport in the United States and the first in North America to offer direct flights to every inhabited continent.
6. Salt Lake City International Airport – 31.1km
Outside of Salt Lake City, the SLC airport is around 12 square miles (31 square kilometers) in area. It’s also one of the country’s largest airports.
Furthermore, this appealing airport is linked to the Utah Transit Authority’s TRAX system, allowing citizens to park outside the airport and travel in without paying hefty parking costs.
However, with roughly 24 million passengers passing through each year, SLC is likely one of the most crowded airports on our top ten list.
The airport, which opened in 1960, has lately undergone a series of improvements to guarantee that it can handle rapidly increasing traffic.
7. O’Hare International Airport, Chicago – 30.9km
With its relatively central location in the Midwest, O’Hare International Airport is a popular airport with approximately 80 million travelers annually.
Furthermore, O’Hare is nearly the same size as SLC but has just a quarter of the foot traffic, so you can imagine how crowded it may be.
Furthermore, ORD currently has seven runways, with the development of a new eighth runway expected to be completed soon.
In addition, there are 191 gates in all, spread over four terminals. Engineers are collaborating with architects to improve future traffic flow.
8. San Francisco International Airport – 21.07km
San Francisco International Airport is a significant hub for flights to Asia and Europe and the US’s eighth busiest airport.
Furthermore, it is the second busiest airport in California, after Los Angeles International Airport.
With a land size of 21.07 square kilometers, SFO is located 21 kilometers south of San Francisco.
The airport is also owned and controlled by the City and County of San Francisco and serves the San Francisco Bay Area. Furthermore, it was opened in March 1927 as an experimental airport.
Alaska Airlines’ and United Airlines’ maintenance hubs are located there. LAS has four runways and two terminals.
9. John F Kennedy International Airport – 21km
Another popular choice among the country’s main airports is New York City’s John F Kennedy Airport, also known as “JFK.”
This airport covers 8 square miles, has eight terminals, and serves roughly 60 million passengers annually.
However, Governor Cuomo is collaborating with the city to expand the airport, add more ground transit, and upgrade the runways.
Additionally, this five-year project is expected to result in two new terminals for the Queens-based airport, which will help with foot traffic and capacity.
10. Detroit Metropolitan Airport – 19.6km
The DTW is a 19.6-square-kilometer facility near Romulus, Michigan. It is Michigan’s busiest airport and serves flights to 30 international destinations.
Furthermore, there are 129 gates spread over two terminals and six runways. The McNamara Terminal is used only by Delta Air Lines and its partners, Air France and Aeromexico.
Meanwhile, non-Sky Team carriers use the North Terminal. In addition, the first flight landed at DTW in February 1930, even though the airport’s construction was finished in 1929.
In conclusion, Denver International Airport, with a surface area of 137.26 km2, is the largest airport in the United States by size (33,917 acres).
It is the third busiest airport in the world after Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) and King Fahd International Airport (DMM).
