Which North America Airports Are Truly Best in Class? Travelers Have Spoken

This past Labor Day weekend, 10.4 million passengers passed through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints, with the agency reporting that it’s on track to break an all-time annual passenger volume record this year. In other words, more travelers are heading into the skies than ever before.

So, what does that mean for the air travel experience? According to a new study released by consumer insights, data, and analytics firm J.D. Power this week, overall air passenger satisfaction remains high despite soaring traveler numbers. That is thanks largely to improvements in the food scene at airports—mostly driven by bringing in more local culinary talent—and increased ease in navigating the airport.

The survey of 30,439 travelers from the United States and Canada conducted from July 2024 through July 2025 found that “a decades-long trend of bringing unique, local flavor to the passenger experience” is having a positive impact on the airport experience “with these local touches having a major influence on passenger satisfaction,” according to a statement from Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality, and retail at J.D. Power.

Taylor added that passengers are also benefiting from massive airport improvement projects that are finally coming to fruition.

For the 2025 study, airports were judged based on several factors: how easy it is to travel through the airport; the level of trust travelers have in the airport; terminal facilities; airport staff; what the airport departure experience is like; food, beverage, and retail offerings; and what the arrival experience is like.

Based on those key determinants, one airport (again) came out on top: Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP), which received a score of 660 on a 1,000-point scale. The Midwestern hub also topped the list last year. The Twin Cities excels not only in international travel, but also in happiness, as Minneapolis was recognized as the happiest city in the United States last year.

A total of 37.2 million passengers traveled through MSP in 2024, and the airport has welcomed several new transatlantic routes recently. They include the first-ever nonstop flight to Copenhagen with Delta Air Lines, which kicked off this past spring, as well as new service to Dublin with Delta and a new year-round route to Frankfurt with Lufthansa. In 2023, Terminal 1 at MSP was completely overhauled in partnership with the terminal’s resident Delta Air Lines; it now includes a beautiful new Sky Club lounge. The renovations are part of a larger $242 million airport modernization program currently underway that will update design across six of the terminal’s seven concourses (A, B, C, D, F, and G) by the end of this year.

So, what other airports are travelers impressed with? The top-performing airports from the J.D. Power ranking all focus on design details, stores, and restaurants that showcase the surrounding region.

Here’s the full list of the best airports in North America, based on the J.D. Power 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study. Airports were divided into three size categories: mega, large, and medium. Mega airports are defined as those handling 33 million or more passengers annually; large airports handle 10 million to 32.9 million passengers annually; and medium airports handle between 4.5 million and 9.9 million passengers each year.

The best mega airports in North America

1. Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (660 points)
2. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (649 points)
3. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (634 points)
4. Dallas–Forth Worth International Airport (620 points)
5. Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas (619 points)
6. John F. Kennedy International Airport (618 points)
7. Orlando International Airport (618 points)
8. Miami International Airport (615 points)
9. San Francisco International Airport (613 points)
10. Boston Logan International Airport (608 points)

At the bottom of the J.D. Power list for mega airports are Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, Toronto Pearson International Airport, and Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

The best large airports in North America

1. John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California (730 points)
2. Tampa International Airport (709 points)
3. Dallas Love Field (705 points)
4. Kansas City International Airport (691 points)
5. Raleigh-Durham International Airport (688 points)
6. Oregon’s Portland International Airport (683 points)
7. Nashville International Airport (676 points)
8. Vancouver International Airport (671 points)
9. Salt Lake City International Airport (665 points)
10. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (664 points)

The lowest-ranked large airports on the J.D. Power list are Philadelphia International Airport, Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, and St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

The best medium airports in North America

1. Indianapolis International Airport (713 points)
2. Ontario International Airport (709 points)
3. Buffalo Niagara International Airport (698 points)
4. Jacksonville International Airport (695 points)
5. Palm Beach International Airport (688 points)
6. Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (685 points)
7. Southwest Florida International Airport (683 points)
8. Bradley International Airport in Connecticut (675 points)
9. Hollywood Burbank Airport (663 points)
10. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (660 points)

The lowest-ranked medium airports are Edmonton International Airport, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport.

This story was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated regularly, most recently on September 18, 2025, to include current information.