USA TODAY 10Best
Huntsville International Airport named Best Small Airport
Best Small Airport (2020)
While giant airports like JFK, LAX and Chicago O’Hare often dominate the travel scene due to the sheer number of passengers who pass through them each day, the United States is home to many smaller, friendlier airports that take some of the headache out of travel. These 10 airports serve fewer than 10 million passengers each year, yet excel with their commercial flight offerings, easy access and amenities.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Small Airport are as follows:
Photo courtesy of Long Beach Airport
No. 10: Long Beach Airport - Long Beach, Calif.
Long Beach Airport is a favorite in the LA area. It’s on I-405 for easy access, just four miles from the beach and has only a single, easy-to-navigate terminal served by American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue and Southwest. It’s a great alternative to LAX for those visiting Orange County or flying to Honolulu.
Photo courtesy of iStock / izusek
No. 9: Manchester-Boston Regional Airport - Manchester, N.H.
This small regional airport is less than an hour from Boston and has earned a reputation among travelers for its easy access, friendly airport staff, comfortable seating and excellent rental car facility.
No. 8: Paine Field - Everett, Wash.
With just two gates, this newly reopened airport just 45 minutes from downtown Seattle offers daily flights to destinations like Las Vegas, Orange County, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose aboard Alaska and United.
Photo courtesy of Indianapolis International Airport
No. 7: Indianapolis International Airport - Indianapolis
The Indianapolis International Airport frequently outranks much bigger airports as one of the best in the U.S., thanks in part to its spacious concourses, children’s play areas, live music performances and excellent food hall filled with local food choices.
Photo courtesy of Long Island MacArthur Airport
No. 6: Long Island MacArthur Airport - Islip, N.Y.
Travelers wishing to avoid the big, crowded New York area airports (JFK and LaGuardia) will find a peaceful alternative in the town of Islip. Long Island MacArthur Airport, about 50 miles from Midtown Manhattan, is served by Southwest, American and Frontier.
Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Michael C. York
No. 5: Bangor International Airport - Bangor, Maine
This small airport, serviced by Allegiant, American, Delta and United, offers a convenient gateway into Maine, with benefits like inexpensive parking (free for pick-ups and drop-offs) and stellar views while landing (especially during leaf peeping season).
Photo courtesy of Piedmont Triad International Airport
No. 4: Piedmont Triad International Airport - Greensboro, N.C.
Allegiant, American, Delta, Spirit and United serve this airport in Greensboro, N.C. The airport’s motto is “fly easy,” which is easy to do thanks to short lines, sparse crowds and eight rental car options onsite.
Photo courtesy of Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport
No. 3: Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport - Wichita, Kansas
Passenger approval ratings are almost always high at this airport, especially for its parking facilities, ease of security, cleanliness, rental car facilities and concessions in the relatively new terminal. The airport also scores points for its high percentage of on-time departures.
Photo courtesy of T.F. Green Airport
No. 2: T.F. Green Airport - Warwick, R.I.
Loyal fans of T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island love it as an alternative to Boston Logan for its lack of crowds and lines and quick access to Providence and Boston via a dedicated train station. It’s also an excellent option for travelers heading to Cape Cod.
Photo courtesy of AP Photo/The Huntsville Times, Eric Schultz
No. 1: Huntsville International Airport - Huntsville, Ala.
Delta, American, United, Silver Airways and Frontier all fly into this small Alabama airport with nonstop service to 10 major destinations across the country. The airport is small and easy to navigate, with an onsite hotel and a nice range of food and beverage options for an airport of its size.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning airports!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Gilbert Ott
Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of... Read More
Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly featured on Good Morning America, BBC, The Sunday Times, Travel & Leisure, CNN and other leading news outlets. Obsessed with deals, destinations and luxury travel – Ott is constantly in search of an edge, and shares every travel trick here on GodSaveThePoints.com. Catch him in airports around the world, if you can.
Gilbert Ott
Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly featured on Good Morning America, BBC, The Sunday Times, Travel & Leisure, CNN and other leading news outlets. Obsessed with deals, destinations and luxury travel – Ott is constantly in search of an edge, and shares every travel trick here on GodSaveThePoints.com. Catch him in airports around the world, if you can.
John E. DiScala
John E. DiScala, aka Johnny Jet, has traveled over... Read More
John E. DiScala, aka Johnny Jet, has traveled over 100,000 airline miles a year since starting his newsletter in 1995 and has visited close to 100 countries. He and his website JohnnyJet.com have been mentioned thousands of times in major publications, including USA Today and The Los Angeles Times. He has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNBC, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, NBC, PBS and the Travel Channel. He was named one of Forbes’ Top 10 Travel Influencers and writes about everything travel, from finding the best deals and innovative new products to family travel and traveling on a budget. Johnny travels the world with his wife @NatalieDiScala, their son Jack and daughter Olivia.
John E. DiScala
John E. DiScala, aka Johnny Jet, has traveled over 100,000 airline miles a year since starting his newsletter in 1995 and has visited close to 100 countries. He and his website JohnnyJet.com have been mentioned thousands of times in major publications, including USA Today and The Los Angeles Times. He has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNBC, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, NBC, PBS and the Travel Channel. He was named one of Forbes’ Top 10 Travel Influencers and writes about everything travel, from finding the best deals and innovative new products to family travel and traveling on a budget. Johnny travels the world with his wife @NatalieDiScala, their son Jack and daughter Olivia.
Ramsey Qubein
Ramsey Qubein is a freelance travel journalist... Read More
Ramsey Qubein is a freelance travel journalist covering hotels, cruises, airlines, and loyalty programs from around the globe. His work has appeared in numerous publications including Conde Nast Traveler, Travel+Leisure, Forbes.com, CNBC.com, AFAR, Robb Report, Readers Digest, BBC Worldwide, USA Today, NerdWallet.com and Business Traveler magazine among others. Ramsey flies more than 450,000 miles per year and has traveled to 166 countries, all seven continents, and 50 U.S. states. Follow Ramsey's adventures on Instagram and Twitter.
Ramsey Qubein
Ramsey Qubein is a freelance travel journalist covering hotels, cruises, airlines, and loyalty programs from around the globe. His work has appeared in numerous publications including Conde Nast Traveler, Travel+Leisure, Forbes.com, CNBC.com, AFAR, Robb Report, Readers Digest, BBC Worldwide, USA Today, NerdWallet.com and Business Traveler magazine among others. Ramsey flies more than 450,000 miles per year and has traveled to 166 countries, all seven continents, and 50 U.S. states. Follow Ramsey's adventures on Instagram and Twitter.
Sara Rathner
Sara Rathner is NerdWallet’s travel and credit... Read More
Sara Rathner is NerdWallet’s travel and credit cards expert. She appeared on the “Today” show, Nasdaq and CNBC’s “Nightly Business Report,” and has been quoted in Yahoo Finance, TIME, Reuters, NBC News, Business Insider and MarketWatch. Sara’s held a total of 23 credit cards, using travel rewards points to see the world on a budget. A proud Northwestern University alum, she also has a certificate in financial planning from Boston University.
Sara Rathner
Sara Rathner is NerdWallet’s travel and credit cards expert. She appeared on the “Today” show, Nasdaq and CNBC’s “Nightly Business Report,” and has been quoted in Yahoo Finance, TIME, Reuters, NBC News, Business Insider and MarketWatch. Sara’s held a total of 23 credit cards, using travel rewards points to see the world on a budget. A proud Northwestern University alum, she also has a certificate in financial planning from Boston University.