Commercial airports across America vary significantly in size and style. Some harbor only a few planes, others are giant international hubs.
For this list, we’ll name the top five largest airports in the United States based on their actual physical size.
#5 George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, Texas
This airport is spread across 15.6 square miles and is the second largest hub for United Airlines. Located 22 miles north of Houston, the airport sees more than 40 million passengers per year, as of 2017.
#4 Washington Dulles International Airport, Washington DC
Serving the DC area but located in Virginia, Dulles takes up 20.3 square miles and features an underground passenger transport system. It sees approximately 22 million visitors per year.
#3 Orlando International Airport, Florida
A hub for the visitors to Orlando’s theme parks, this 20.7 square mile airport is used by approximately 44 million passengers annually. Originally an Air Force base for military operations, it became a commercial airport in 1976.
#2 Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport, Texas
Spread across nearly 28 square miles, this metro airport is the world’s 12th busiest, serving 67 million passengers per year. The airport currently has room for expansion to include additional terminals and gates, but no plans have been made to expand.
#1 Denver International Airport, Colorado
Almost double the size of the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, Denver’s airport sprawls across 52.3 square miles. It’s the fifth busiest in the US, handling 61.4 million passengers as of 2017. Construction on a modernization of the airport began in 2018 and is scheduled to be completed in 2021.