
Airports are either the bane of one’s existence or magical places that capture the imagination. Or both.
Large commercial airports feature lines snaking through the TSA, long lines at the snack bar, and a John Muir Trail-length hike to baggage claim.
Smaller airports can still provide the magic of a large airport — the excitement of heading to some exotic destination, watching the planes take off and land, and going to the gift shop (if there is one) — without the headaches.
Airports come in all sizes, from the sprawling and crowded JFK in New York to more laid-back vibe airports like Hilton Head/Savannah’s airport.
According to FAA data, which tracks “enplanements” (passenger boardings), the nation’s busiest airport is Atlanta’s Hartsfield/Jackson International, with 50,950,068 enplanements. That’s roughly the entire population of Spain (48.3 million).
Meanwhile, some of the smallest commercial airports in the USA (ones that receive regular commercial, not charter, service) can see as few as 5,000 passengers come through annually.
Using FAA data, we’ve selected some of the smallest.