Plane Facts: Airports

To pilots, airports are magical places. It's where the dream of flight takes wing and becomes reality. Since 1903, the number of airports in the United States (and in the world) have grown steadily, though the exact number is hard to say. What constitutes an airport, anyways? Well, if you step outside the FAA's airport certification branch, it's clear that an airport is anywhere an airplane can operate from. Ranch strips, mountain top gravel patches and the come-and-go sandbars of summer rivers. Airports are special.

Total number of "airports" in 1903: 1

Total number of U.S. airports in 2014: 19,299

Total number of U.S. airports in 1980: 15,161

Number of public-use airports in 2014: 5,145

Number eligible for federal funding: 3,300

Number of public-use airports in 1980: 4,814

Number of airports used by U.S. in support of WWII: 2,308

State with the most public-use airports: Texas, 393

State with the fewest public-use airports: Rhode Island, 7

Oldest U.S. active airfield: College Park Airport, Maryland (KCGS), established in 1909

Oldest U.S. continuously operating commercial field: Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Minnesota (KMSP), since 1920

Busiest GA airport: Van Nuys, California (KVNY), 250,000+ annual operations

Number of towered U.S. airports in 2014: 516

Number of towered U.S. airports in 1974: 417

Highest-elevation airport in the 50 United States: Lake County Airport, Leadville, Colorado (9,934 ft.)

Highest-elevation airport in the world: Bangda Airport in eastern Tibet (15,548 ft. above sea level)

Lowest airport in the 50 United States: Furnace Creek Airport, west of Furnace Creek, Death Valley, serving Inyo County, California (-210 ft. MSL)

Lowest airport in the world: Bar Yehuda Airfield, west of the Dead Sea, Israel (-1,240 ft. MSL)

Most expensive landing fee in the United States: La Guardia Airport, New York: $3,950

First concrete runway: Ford Airport, Dearborn, Michigan (1928)

First operational ILS approach system: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1938)

Number of precision GPS approaches (LPV) in the United States: 3,628

Number of those at non-ILS airports: 1,016

Southernmost airport in the 50 United States: Hilo, Hawaii

Southernmost airport in the Lower 48 States: Key West International Airport, Florida

Southernmost airport in the world: Jack F. Paulus Skiway, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica

Northernmost airport in the Lower 48 States: H28, Whetstone International Airport, Montana

Northernmost airstrip in the 50 United States: Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport, Alaska

Northernmost airport in the world: Alert Airport, Nunavut, Canada

Number of runways at Chicago O'Hare: 8

Number of runways at JFK, LGA and EWR combined: 9

Number of GA airports in New York, 30-mile ring: 21

Number in D.C. Flight Restricted Zone: 5

Number of airports in the United States served by the Airbus A380: 8

Number served by Concorde before its retirement: 2

Longest paved public-use runway in the United States: Denver International Airport, Colorado (16,001 ft.)

Longest military runway: Edwards Air Force Base, Edwards, California (15,023 ft.)

Shortest airport with commercial service: Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport in Saba (1,300 ft.)

Number of U.S. airports with scheduled airline service (including territories): 358

Number of airports served by business jets versus those with commercial air service: 5,000/500

Most expensive airport built in the United States: Denver International Airport, Colorado ($4.8 billion)

Most expensive airport built in the world: Kansai International Airport, Osaka, Japan ($20 billion)

Number of backcountry strips the Recreational Aviation Foundation has opened: 8

Number it has kept from being closed: 6

Number of heliports in the United States: 5,418

Number of seaplane bases in the United States: 290

U.S. state with the most public-use airports per square mile: New Jersey (5.85 per 1,000 square miles)

Tallest air traffic control tower in the United States: Atlanta (398 ft.)

Tallest air traffic control tower in the world: New Bangkok International Airport, Thailand (434 ft.)

Public-use airports in the U.S.: 5,173
Towered: 550 (9.4%)
Percent lighted: 77%
Unpaved: 25%
State with the most: Texas, 394
Fewest: Rhode Island, 8

World's oldest continuously operating: College Park (KCGS), Maryland
Established by: Wilbur Wright, 1909
Nickname: "Cradle of Aviation"
Runway dimensions: 2,600 ft. x 60 ft.
Flights/week: 62

Top destination airport: Orlando (MCO), Florida
Probable cause: Disney World
Busiest non-commercial airport: Van Nuys (VNY), California
Size: 730 acres
FBOs: 4
Takeoffs & landings/year: ~230,000
Compared with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL): ~900,000/yr
Height of control tower at ATL: 398 ft.
Ranking: Third highest in the world

Elevation of highest public-use airport (KLXV): 9,927 ft.
Home of: RAVCO, the world's highest helicopter flight school
Runway dimensions: 6,400 ft. x 75 ft.
Longest runway: 16,000 ft.; Denver International (DEN)
Shortest (public use): 1,200 ft.; Red Creek Airstrip (034)
Surface conditions: Dirt
Elevation: 2,400 ft.

Most ominous name: Eek Airport (EEK)
Cheekiest airport code: BUM (Butler Memorial Airport)
Airport with six concert stages: Nashville International (BNA)
Musical performances/year: >1,500
Cowboy hats required: 0

Airport with runway gradient obscuring opposite end: Catalina Island (AVX)
Added challenges: Cliff-edged, no overrun protection, strong downdrafts
Nickname: "Airport in the Sky"
Fatal accidents since 1941 opening: 56
Cost of 2019 runway restoration project: $5 million
Time between reopening and another fatal crash: 36 days

Airport with beachside parking: Katama Airpark (1B2), Massachusetts
Established: 1924
Historic use: 1940s WWII pilot training facility
Runways available: 3
Surface: Grass

Airport owned by the Hualapai Indian Tribe: Grand Canyon West (1G4)
Landing fee: $100, waived if tour package purchased
Worth it? Definitely!

Plane & PilotStaff