The 20 biggest US airports ranked from worst to best for passenger satisfaction

The 20 biggest US airports ranked from worst to best for passenger satisfaction Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is a favorite among passengers. Davslens Photography/Getty Images There are large airports, and then there are "mega airports."The annual JD Power North America Airport Satisfaction Study measured overall passenger satisfaction at US airports across three size categories: medium (4.5 to 9.9 million passengers a year), large (10 to 32.9 million passengers a year), and mega (33 million or more passengers a year).The 2026 study was based on 24,710 surveys of US and Canadian residents who traveled through at least one eligible North American airport in the 30 days before completing the survey. The segment average was 617 on a 1,000-point scale.While Canadian residents were surveyed for the 2026 study, Canadian airports, including Toronto Pearson, were not included in this year's rankings because the company changed its sampling methodology in Canada, a JD Power spokesperson told Business Insider.For the ranking, passengers were asked to evaluate their experiences across seven core factors, in order of importance:Ease of travel through the airportLevel of trust in the airportTerminal facilitiesAirport staffDeparture/to airport experienceFood, beverage, and retailArrival/from airport experienceOne takeaway from the 2026 study: airport renovations pay off.The highest-ranked airports in 2026 have either recently completed or are almost finished with capital improvement projects. Though these makeovers can cost upward of $1 billion and span multiple years, the results speak for themselves — JD Power found overall passenger satisfaction at mega airports increased 14 points, even as passenger volume remains at record levels.Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which ranked first for the third year in a row in 2026, recently underwent a $242 million terminal renovation in December 2025, refreshing gate areas, seating, flooring, lighting, signs, and other post-security spaces.More satisfied passengers also spend more money, JD Power found. Travelers who rated their airport experience "perfect" spent an average of $20.22 more than those who rated their airport trips "just OK." JD Power also found that high-scoring airports have a good balance of chain and local restaurants and shops, as well as clear signage."For the better part of the last decade, nearly every airport, from the largest international hubs to midsized airfields, has undertaken a significant capital improvement project aimed at streamlining passenger flow, adding attractive food and beverage options, and improving overall passenger experience," Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality, and retail at JD Power, said in a press release. "On the whole, those efforts are finally starting to pay off in the form of higher overall passenger satisfaction scores."Here are the best airports in North America, ranked by passengers. 20. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (tie) O'Hare International Airport. aoldman/Getty Images/iStockphoto Score: 585/10002025 passenger traffic: 84.8 million 20. New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport (tie) Newark Liberty International Airport. Mak Studio/Getty Images Score: 585/10002025 passenger traffic: 47 million 18. Denver International Airport Denver International Airport. ivanastar/Getty Images Score: 602/10002025 passenger traffic: 82.4 million 17. Charlotte Douglas International Airport Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Kaylee Greenlee/REUTERS Score: 603/10002025 passenger traffic: 53.6 million 16. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (tie) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images Score: 606/10002025 passenger traffic: 106.3 million 16. Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (tie) George Bush Intercontinental Airport. hapabapa/Getty Images Score: 606/10002025 passenger traffic: 48 million 14. Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport. Michelle Brittain/iStock Score: 607/10002025 passenger traffic: 73.7 million 13. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Boarding1Now/iStock Score: 612/10002025 passenger traffic: 32.2 million 12. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images Score: 616/10002025 passenger traffic: 85.6 million 11. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Mak Studio/Getty Images Score: 617/10002025 passenger traffic: 52.7 million 10. Orlando International Airport Orlando International Airport. Ancient Aftertone/Getty Images Score: 621/10002025 passenger traffic: 57.7 million 9. Boston Logan International Airport Boston Logan International Airport. Gabriel Giannelli/Getty Images Score: 622/10002025 passenger traffic: 43.2 million 8. New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport. travelview/Getty Images Score: 626/10002025 passenger traffic: 62.6 million 7. Miami International Airport Miami International Airport. Boarding1Now/Getty Images Score: 628/10002025 passenger traffic: 55.3 million 6. San Francisco International Airport San Francisco International Airport. Nate Hovee/Getty Images Score: 630/10002025 passenger traffic: 54.4 million 5. Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport Harry Reid International Airport. Boarding1Now/iStock Score: 634/10002025 passenger traffic: 55 million 4. New York's LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport. Boarding1Now/iStock Score: 638/10002025 passenger traffic: 32.8 million 3. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Terminal 3 of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Boarding1Now/iStock Score: 642/10002025 passenger traffic: 51.6 million 2. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. JHVEPhoto/Getty Images Score: 663/10002025 passenger traffic: 33.4 million 1. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Davslens Photography/Getty Images Score: 684/10002025 passenger traffic: 36.1 million Read next Airports air travel Flying More