Ranking Airports I Have Visited (2026)
- Kimi's Travel Thoughts
- 9 minutes ago
- 9 min read
Several years ago I came up with this idea of ranking airports that I have visited throughout my lifetime. However, there has been so much other content to write about that I kept this post on the backburner. The time has finally come to produce rankings of the airports I have visited -- in my own special way. Rather than doing a traditional numeric ranking of best to worst (because I have visited a lot of airports), I am going to rank airports superlative style so there are defined categories to keep things organized. Are you ready? Here we go!
Small Airport
These are airports that had fewer than 3 terminals at the time I visited and are not hubs for any of the major U.S. airlines with only one or two short-lived peak travel seasons.
Favorite: Albuquerque (ABQ)
The Albuquerque, New Mexico airport is small and has spent the 2020s upgrading the amenities and food offerings. It's easy to navigate and doesn't see a ton of traffic outside of peak tourism season in the fall for Albuquerque's annual hot air balloon festival. The seating is lounge-style throughout the airport with plenty of options for charging your devices anywhere you sit and gorgeous views of the landscape. The adobe-style exterior is also something that emphasizes just how special ABQ is as a regional airport.
Least Favorite: Springfield (SGF)
The Springfield, Missouri airport actually looked very nice on the interior and has an incredibly smooth drop-off experience. I visited in 2017 and found that it had modern updates for that time with pretty blue and green windows. However, it lacked some character and isn't the most memorable regional airport I have visited.
Medium Airport
These are airports that had fewer than 5 terminals at the time I visited and may serve as a hub for a major U.S. airlines and has at least two peak travel seasons.
Favorite: Nashville (BNA)
I have experienced the Nashville, Tennessee airport for layovers and as my destination airport with each experience being a positive one. They have made nice upgrades to some terminals and offer local food and drink options that serve as friendly reminders that you are in the state of Tennessee and, more specifically, Nashville. While I wouldn't recommend eating something as spicy as a Nashville hot chicken sandwich before boarding a plane, you'll have plenty of options in airport for that and can even purchase duty-free Tennessee whiskey for souvenirs.
Least Favorite: Austin (AUS)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is my home airport and my least favorite medium-sized airport. There are surprisingly no terminals and only numbered gates at an airport that continues to regularly surpass its annual travel count. There are some active projects to upgrade the security experience in the airport and improve parking options, but the airport is not conducive to receiving the large swath of travelers that come through for peak fall and spring travel seasons. However, the airport does an excellent job of featuring beloved local businesses and live music that makes Austin, Texas special.
Large Airport
These are airports that had at least 5 terminals at the time I visited and serve as a hub for a major U.S. airline and have high traffic throughout the year in addition to multiple peak travel seasons.
Favorite: Denver (DEN)
I have spent a lot of time in the Denver airport in more recent years, but my first encounter was in 2010 as the layover on my roundtrip flight to and from Vancouver. The changes I have witnessed through the years include seating upgrades in the terminals, lovely outdoor spaces, and very nice restroom upgrades. I love how convenient it is to catch the train directly from the airport to downtown Denver, Colorado and the architectural style of the airport is my favorite of the standard design options (more on that in a future blog post). One of my favorite things about this airport is the therapy dog program which is very helpful for people who are anxious or nervous about airports or flying.
Least Favorite: Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)
Not only is this airport massive, but the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is my least favorite architectural design. The semicircle architectural design is a rough experience to navigate when you need to get to a connecting flight and have to rely very heavily on the tram to get to the next terminal. On top of this, the airport is out in the suburbs and is truly closer to Fort Worth than Dallas which are relatively close cities but far enough apart that they have unique identities. I imagine the distance comes as a shock to people that are flying to the DFW airport for the first time and are actually trying to get to Dallas rather than Fort Worth. The airport has nice, modern upgrades but the navigation to and around the airport leaves a lot to be desired (in my opinion).
Extra Large Airport
These are airports that had at least 5 terminals at the time I visited and serve as a hub for a major U.S. airline or are major international airports with very high traffic throughout the year in addition to multiple peak travel seasons.
Favorite: Bush Intercontinental - Houston (IAH)
The George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas is my original home airport and one that I have fond memories of. I have witnessed the growth of the airport throughout my entire life and continue to do so when I fly in and out of Houston alongside family and friends for trips. The airport features local food establishments that people from the Houston area know and love which visitors will surely enjoy. Navigating the airport is relatively simple because most things you want or need will be located within your terminal and there is a tram to get to other terminals when needed. The continuous construction can be frustrating if this is your home airport, but it's an airport that is rather empty and quiet for late flights which I really appreciate because it's a very large airport that can capture the feel of a smaller, regional airport at different times.
Least Favorite: London (LHR)
My flight to London in 2015 was pretty comfortable. However, Heathrow Airport is an overwhelming airport. They have so many flights that I had to bus over to the terminal after the plane landed because the plane could not park at a gate. Then, I had to go through customs which had long lines and was a bit complicated to navigate without some careful reading of the signage. Perhaps it would have been a better experience if I was there super early in the morning or catching a red eye flight, but either way that airport can be a lot, even for seasoned travelers.
Restrooms
Not all airport restrooms are created equally. I certainly have my favorites and and the ones that make me cringe. This category highlights my favorite and least favorite airports based on the women's restrooms.
Favorite: Baltimore (BWI)
I visited the Baltimore, Maryland airport a few years ago as they were finishing the first phase of restroom upgrades and it was an incredible experience. The restrooms had digital signage on the exterior to preview the number of available stalls with indicator lights above the stalls to signal which ones were occupied or available and the doors fully sealed the stall for added privacy. There was a shelf in the back of the stall and plenty of room for your luggage to be in the stall with you. All of the plumbing and hand sanitation stations were automatic and the restrooms had great lighting. It was a very pleasant, clean, and modern airport restroom experience.
Least Favorite: Miami (MIA)
I am a dedicated Miami Heat fan with plans to begin attending a home game at least once per season. However, the Miami International Airport is not one of my favorite airports to visit solely because of the restrooms. The women's restrooms are clearly designed by people of a different time period. They look like they have been the same since the 1980's. The stalls are incredibly narrow and just barely have enough space for a tight fit with your carry-on luggage and the stalls are also short which works semi-okay for me because I'm not very tall, but would not be ideal for taller people.
Local Identity
This category spotlights how the airport hones in on the city it represents brings the local identity of the city to the forefront. Additionally, this is the only category that will feature an honorable mention.
Favorite: Las Vegas (LAS)
The Harry Reid International Airport serves Las Vegas and captures the primary focus of its tourism industry in a way no other airport does. Vegas is known for gambling and is the main reason people travel to this desert city. From the moment you get off the plane, you are hit with the intense sounds and colorful lights of slot machines that are in every single public-facing area of the airport. The airport will play music from entertainers with current residencies in Vegas and past popular performers that frequented Sin City. For better or worse, LAS embodies what tourists know about Vegas to the extreme. There's no question that you are in Las Vegas when you arrive and it's all the more evident as you depart -- potentially finding yourself making one last attempt to win something before it's time to board the plane.
Honorable Mention: Vancouver (YVR)
Despite Vancouver being a more typical city modernized city, the province of British Columbia has a gorgeous naturescape and the Vancouver International Airport welcomes visitors with a small section of the airport that highlights this. I remember landing in 2010 and walking through the airport with my mom and grandma, pausing on our way to baggage claim to take a photo of a forest scene that was scaled down from what you would see in real life. There were trees, brush, bears, and other forest creatures along with a large sign that said "Welcome to Vancouver". It's something that stuck in my mind all these years and is the inspiration behind this blog post!
Least Favorite: San Francisco (SFO)
I have spent time throughout my life flying in and out of San Francisco and experiencing the airport's short runway to the water and beautiful views of the city. They have incorporated more local restaurants and artwork through the years, but I can't confidently say that there is enough about the airport that stands out as something that uniquely embodies San Francisco. That being said, I do enjoy SFO and always look forward to opportunities to visit.
Overall
The airports in this category represent my favorite overall airport and my least favorite overall airport. These are purely opinion-based and can easily change day-to-day, but this is what they are at the time I am writing this blog post.
Favorite: Dallas Love (DAL)
Dallas Love Field is an airport that I have come to appreciate through the years. It's not too big, close to downtown Dallas, has modern features, and really leans into the Texas theme. These days, it can be tough to find a flight out of Austin that doesn't have a layover at a Dallas airport. If I have to deal with a layover, I'd rather go through Dallas Love because it's easier to navigate and offers a much calmer experience than it's larger counterpart, DFW Airport. Plus, they have a Whataburger in the airport which is not the most common food establishment in Texas airports and that is something earns a few bonus points from this born and raised Texan.
Least Favorite: Charlton (CLT)
I have only ever been to the airport in Charlotte, North Carolina for a 20-minute layover where I had to change plans on my way to spend a summer in Toronto in 2018. That was an incredibly stressful experience because of the size of the airport and the lack of options for getting to the terminal I needed to be at. There was no tram and I had to walk to the other terminal by foot. I became increasingly concerned when I saw the signs throughout the airport that provided an estimated walking time to the gate I was going to. It was going to take the entire 20 minutes that I had before the next plane began boarding. I can only hope that this is aspect of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport has been improved since then.
Conclusion of Airport Rankings
This concludes my superlative-style rankings of airports I have visited through the years! I enjoyed getting to reminisce on trips I have taken in the past and reflect on various airports I have been to. One note to add is that the Large Airport and Extra Large Airport categories share airports with similar characteristics, but I did the best I could with assigning the airports to a category. I will eventually do an updated version of this some years from now with fresh perspective, more airports that I haven't been to as of 2026 (which will include airports in more countries), and likely new categories for my airport rankings. Are there any categories that you would like to see next time or airports you want me to feature? Feel free to let me know because I'm always open to suggestions!
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