Forty percent of surveyed Americans are “annoyed” by a long walk to their airport departure gate, according to a February 2024 survey conducted by KURU Footwear.
With busy summer travel just around the corner, KURU Footwear sought to measure the top 10 largest and smallest U.S. airports by land area (excluding those focused on private jets). Researchers analyzed airport maps and Google Maps to determine the walking distance in each terminal to the nearest and farthest gates.
Unsurprisingly, the busiest airports, known as major connecting hubs, had the longest walking distances for travelers, like Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Denver International Airport. Thankfully, most of these major airports offer concourse trains and moving walkways to make traveling between terminals easier.
Airports with the longest walks
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Dallas, Texas – 2.16 miles
Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia – 1.62 miles
George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas – 1.52 miles
Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado – 1.45 miles
John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, New York – 1.38 miles
Airports with the shortest walks
Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky – 0.11 miles
Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York – 0.12 miles
Harrisburg International Airport in Middleton, Pennsylvania – 0.13 miles
Lihue Airport in Kauai, Hawaii – 0.18 miles
Hollywood Burbank Airport in Burbank, California – 0.20 miles
