Plane Facts: Airports

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.)