Most travelers don’t willingly book a layover, but sometimes the extra hours mean saving money or a flight time that fits better with your schedule. Next time you find yourself wandering a concourse hunting for an outlet and a meal (that ideally costs less than your checked bag), you might want to re-consider which airport you book for your connection.
What travelers may not realize is just how different the layover experience can be from one airport to another. Like how far you’ll walk between gates or what’s available once you get there.
That’s why the Travel Bulletin team ranked the busiest airports in the United States based on metrics like available amenities, airport size and sprawl, and more.
Size alone doesn’t decide it. They're the airports that pack amenities close to the gate and keep flights moving. If you have any say in where you connect, here are the airports that earn your layover.
In this article
The Shortcut
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas ranks as the best U.S. airport for a layover, scoring 83.1 out of 100.
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) ranks last with a score of 30.7 and has the second-lowest ratio of shops and restaurants per gate in the study.
Airports in the top 10 average about 1.5 shops and restaurants per gate, nearly double the bottom's average of 0.8.
What We Looked At
We focused on the 50 U.S. airports that served the most domestic passengers, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Each airport was scored on six factors relating to size, airport amenities, and flight performance.
Number of gates: Total departure gates in active service. Fewer gates earned a higher score, since a smaller footprint usually means shorter walks between amenities and connections.
Restaurant and shopping availability: The number of restaurants and shops open to the public, divided by the number of active gates.
Lounge availability: The total number of lounges operating at each airport, regardless of access restrictions.
Nearby hotel availability: The number of hotels within 2 miles of each airport, which provide privacy and comfort for travelers experiencing especially extensive layovers.
Lengthy delays: The share of flights delayed an hour or more last year.
Flight cancellations: The share of flights canceled last year.
The Best Airports for a Layover
The airports worth spending time in have plenty of things to do, places to eat, and a comfortable area to wait, as well as the best chances of your connecting flight leaving on time.
The 10 Best U.S. Airports for a Layover
1. Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas
Overall score: 83.1
Shops and restaurants per gate: 2.2
Lounges: 14
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 6.9%
2. Miami International Airport (MIA), Miami
Overall score: 74
Shops and restaurants per gate: 1.93
Lounges: 14
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 9.5%
3. San José Mineta International Airport (SJC), San Jose
Overall score: 73.9
Shops and restaurants per gate: 1.53
Lounges: 2
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 4.7%
4. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Seattle
Overall score: 73.1
Shops and restaurants per gate: 1.11
Lounges: 12
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 5.2%
5. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Los Angeles
Overall score: 69.4
Shops and restaurants per gate: 1.09
Lounges: 15
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 6.4%
6. William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Houston
Overall score: 68.7
Shops and restaurants per gate: 1.53
Lounges: 2
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 6.4%
7. San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Francisco
Overall score: 67.6
Shops and restaurants per gate: 1.36
Lounges: 18
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 6.9%
8. San Antonio International Airport (SAT), San Antonio
Overall score: 66
Shops and restaurants per gate: 1.48
Lounges: 2
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 6.5%
9. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta
Overall score: 65.4
Shops and restaurants per gate: 1.4
Lounges: 15
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 8%
10. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston
Overall score: 63.2
Shops and restaurants per gate: 1.62
Lounges: 13
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 8.9%
Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) wins by a landslide, finishing more than nine points ahead of Miami. Only New York's JFK has more shops and restaurants per gate, though it also has long security wait times to match. Las Vegas also has 14 lounges and one of the lowest cancellation rates in the study. Harry Reid International (LAS) is located just a few miles from the famous Las Vegas Strip, giving travelers access to world-famous hotels and casinos should their layover afford them time to explore outside of the terminal.
California puts five different airports in the top 12: San Jose (SJC), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), John Wayne (SNA) in Santa Ana, and San Diego (SAN). Texas has three of the top 10, all with flight performance better than the national average.
Small airports are also great for layovers. San Jose, Houston Hobby (HOU), San Antonio (SAT), and John Wayne each have fewer than 40 gates, and every one of them has at least 40 hotels within 2 miles if a delay turns into an overnight. At the same time, Atlanta (ATL) shows that size alone isn’t always a problem. It has the second-most gates in the study, but 15 lounges and a solid dining ratio keep it near the top.
The Worst Airports for a Layover
While nobody plans to be stuck at the airport because of a delay or cancellation, at some airports the lack of amenities makes the wait especially rough.
The 10 Worst U.S. Airports for a Layover
1. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Detroit
Overall score: 30.7
Shops and restaurants per gate: 0.59
Lounges: 5
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 8.1%
2. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), Fort Myers
Overall score: 31.9
Shops and restaurants per gate: 0.68
Lounges: 0
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 8.1%
3. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas/Fort Worth
Overall score: 33
Shops and restaurants per gate: 0.64
Lounges: 22
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 10.6%
4. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), Cincinnati area
Overall score: 35.6
Shops and restaurants per gate: 0.84
Lounges: 3
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 8.3%
5. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Philadelphia
Overall score: 35.8
Shops and restaurants per gate: 0.74
Lounges: 9
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 9.4%
6. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), Cleveland
Overall score: 36.1
Shops and restaurants per gate: 0.89
Lounges: 2
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 7.6%
7. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Charlotte
Overall score: 37.2
Shops and restaurants per gate: 1.06
Lounges: 6
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 8.7%
8. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Washington, D.C. area
Overall score: 38.2
Shops and restaurants per gate: 0.73
Lounges: 10
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 8.5%
9. Orlando International Airport (MCO), Orlando
Overall score: 39.4
Shops and restaurants per gate: 1.04
Lounges: 7
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 9.3%
10. Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), Raleigh/Durham
Overall score: 39.8
Shops and restaurants per gate: 1.05
Lounges: 3
Flights delayed 60-plus minutes: 8.1%
The bottom 10 airports for layovers have consistent weaknesses. These airports offer thin dining and shopping options, and almost nowhere to stay nearby during an extended layover. They average fewer than five hotels within 2 miles, compared with more than 43 for the top 10.
Detroit (DTW) shows that lounges can only do so much. It has five, but it also has the second-lowest ratio of shops and restaurants per gate in the study and just two hotels within 2 miles. Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) makes the same point at a bigger scale. Its 22 lounges are the second-most in the study, behind only JFK, but it also has the worst hour-plus delay rate, one of the highest cancellation rates in the country, and barely more than one shop or restaurant for every two gates.
Nearly half of the 20 worst airports for layovers (including the lowest ranked airport overall) are located in the same part of the country, the Midwest. Weather plays a role here, as the middle of the country can experience harsh winters and stormy springs, which can drive up delay and cancellation rates at these airports.
Where Delays Do the Most and Least Damage
A 2-hour layover is one thing, but add a lengthy delay on top of that and you end up memorizing every gate in Terminal B.
Four airports had more than 10% of flights delayed by an hour or longer: Dallas/Fort Worth (10.63%), Reagan National (10.57%), O'Hare (10.31%), and Newark (10.15%). At the other end, Honolulu has the lowest hour-plus delay rate at 3.23%, less than a third of each airport where more than 10% of flights are delayed by an hour or more. Less than 5% of flights are delayed by 60 minutes or more at these other airports: Portland International (4.29%), San Jose (4.67%), and Oakland San Francisco Bay (4.9%).
Full Data
Here's how the busiest 50 U.S. airports scored.
Before You Book Your Next Connection
Choose the connection, not just the fare: Most booking sites let you filter by connecting airport, so you can take your layover destination into consideration when comparing prices. Just don't try to game the system by skipping your final leg; hidden-city ticketing can get you banned from an airline.
Protect your data while you wait: Long layovers mean more time on public Wi-Fi and charging stations, so know the airport habits that put your data at risk.
Pack like you might be there a while: A refillable bottle cuts down on overpriced terminal drinks, especially a water bottle that won't leak in your carry-on. If a long layover means leaving and coming back through security, TSA PreCheck's Touchless ID can help speed up the return.
Methodology
For this analysis, Travel Bulletin looked at 50 of the busiest U.S. airports based on passenger volume in 2025 according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. For each airport, we gathered data points for six different factors related to layovers. Each airport received a 0 to 5 score for every factor, with scores relative to all other airports in our evaluation. Individual factor scores were then weighted and added together to get a final score on a 0 to 100 scale.
Factors, data points, weights, and sources:
Number of gates score: Total number of airport departure gates in active service at each airport. Source: Official airport websites. Weight: 2.5.
Restaurant and shopping availability: The number of active gates divided by the number of restaurants and shops open to the public at each airport. Source: Official airport websites. Weight: 5.
Lounge availability: The total number of airport lounges operating at each airport, regardless of accessibility restrictions. Source: Official airport websites. Weight: 4.
Nearby hotel availability: The number of hotels located within 2 miles of each airport. Source: Yelp. Weight: 2.5.
Lengthy delays: The percentage of flights at each airport that were delayed by an hour or more in the last 12 months. Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Weight: 3.
Flight cancellations: The percentage of canceled flights in the last 12 months at each airport. Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Weight: 3.
