Five of the largest airports in the world are in the U.S.
Ever wondered why you need to travel long distances to get to an airport? Commercial airports are massive and require an area as big as a neighborhood (or a city) to safely manage operations. Around the world, there are over 40,000 airports and airstrips (the U.S. leads by a wide margin with more than 19,000). But not all airports are built the same—some handle millions of international passengers each year, while others support much smaller airports that facilitate domestic travel. Hence, all the shuttle, bus, and train services that connect different terminals.
Here, you’ll find some of the world’s largest airports by land area (including runways, terminals, and undeveloped land).
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1 OF 10
King Fahd International Airport
WHERE: Saudi Arabia
The world’s largest airport is King Fahd International Airport near Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It is spread across 300 square miles; that’s roughly the size of New York. The area includes its terminals and runways, but much of it is undeveloped land reserved for future expansion. It serves 13.7 million passengers annually, a fraction of the 106 million Atlanta Airport, the world’s busiest, serves.
2 OF 10
Denver International Airport
WHERE: Colorado
Denver Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, and it’s also one of the world’s largest. Compared to the Saudi Arabian airport, it might look tiny at 53 square miles, but it’s bigger than Boston or Miami. It has 172 gates, 51,000 public parking spaces, and 300 lane miles of roads. In 2025, over 82 million passengers traveled through this airport.
3 OF 10
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
WHERE: Malaysia
Southeast Asia’s largest airport is Kuala Lumpur International, which opened in 1998. It is spread across 38 square miles, and last year the airport handled 63 million passengers, making it one of the 20 busiest airports in the world.
4 OF 10
Istanbul Airport
WHERE: Turkey
The mint-new Istanbul airport, opened in 2019, is widely considered one of the world’s best. Home to Turkish Airlines, it offers strong connectivity for long-distance travelers and is known for favoring layover passengers. The sprawling 29.5-square-mile airport has an enormous terminal with shops, restaurants, rest areas, and even a museum. It served 84 million passengers last year, but its current phase has a capacity of 90 million, which will rise to 200 million once it completes all phases. It is Europe’s busiest airport.
5 OF 10
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
WHERE: Texas
When Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport became operational in 1974, it was the biggest in the world. It’s still one of the world’s largest, spread across 26.9 square miles. Over 86 million passengers passed through the airport last year, and it’s the fourth busiest by passenger volume.
6 OF 10
Washington Dulles International Airport
WHERE: Virginia
Just 26 miles from Downtown D.C., Washington Dulles Airport covers around 18 square miles. It’s among the largest in the U.S., with 46 airlines connecting it to 160 nonstop destinations. In 2025, it served a record-breaking 29 million passengers.
7 OF 10
Beijing Daxing International Airport
WHERE: China
China built a massive airport in Beijing to reduce the load on its older airports. With a price tag of $11 billion, it opened in 2019 with four operational runways, expandable to seven. The 18-square-mile airport can handle 72 million annual passengers and, in the future, it will serve 100 million, making it one of the busiest airports in the world. Its terminal, shaped like a starfish, is said to be the world’s largest single-building terminal.
8 OF 10
Orlando International Airport
WHERE: Florida
The seventh busiest airport in the U.S is Orlando International Airport, which serves 57 million passengers annually. It connects Florida (and Disney parks) to the world and serves as a lifeline for the state. At 18.1 square miles, it’s one of the largest in the world.
9 OF 10
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport
WHERE: Texas
Texas, of course, can’t be ignored when it comes to size. George Bush Intercontinental Airport covers 17.2 square miles, earning it a spot here. Houston’s main airport served 48.7 million passengers in 2025, making it one of the busiest in the country.
10 OF 10
Shanghai Pudong International Airport
WHERE: China
China’s financial hub has an airport capable of handling huge passenger volumes. At 15.4 square miles, it’s one of the world’s largest. In 2025, it jumped to the fifth spot on the world’s busiest airports list from its previous ranking of 10, after 84.9 million passengers traveled through it.