The 5 US airports with the longest walks to the gate — and the 5 airports with the shortest

Talia Lakritz
·3 min read

  • Kuru Footwear compiled a list of the US airports with the longest and shortest walks to the gate.

  • Dallas Fort Worth International Airport featured the longest walk at 2.16 miles.

  • Blue Grass Airport in Kentucky had the shortest walk, measuring 0.11 miles.

Airports often feature moving walkways and shuttles to help transport passengers across large distances, but it can still take a while to walk from the check-in area to boarding.

As Business Insider previously reported, most airports are designed to get passengers to spend money rather than for efficiency. Lining huge airport terminals with shops and restaurants forces travelers to walk past them, increasing the likelihood of those travelers making a purchase.

Non-aeronautical revenue — the commercial side of airports including retail concessions, food and beverages, and parking — accounted for 34% of all airport income in 2021, according to Airports Council International's 2023 Airport Economics Report.

Kuru Footwear determined the largest and smallest US airports by land area, then measured the distance between check-in and boarding at the gates using airport maps and Google Maps.

Here are the five US airports with the longest walks to the gate, and the five airports with the shortest walks, according to its report.

John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City features the fifth-longest walk from check-in to gates at 1.38 miles.

John F. Kennedy International Airport subway station
The John F. Kennedy International Airport subway station in New York City.Andriy Prokopenko/Getty Images

Denver International Airport has the fourth-longest walk, measuring 1.45 miles.

Travelers pass through a TSA security checkpoint during a winter storm at Denver International Airport on February 22, 2023 in Denver, Colorado.
A TSA security checkpoint at Denver International Airport.Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

Travelers at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston walk 1.52 miles, the third-longest distance.

Passengers make their way through the security lines at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
Passengers make their way through the security lines at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images

Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia features the second-longest walk at 1.62 miles.

Main terminal of Washington Dulles International Airport.
Washington Dulles International Airport.Joe Ravi/Shutterstock

Passengers at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport have the longest walk of any US airport with 2.16 miles between check-in and their gates.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.Shutterstock

The distance between check-in and gates at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California is 0.2 miles, making it the fifth-shortest walk in the US.

Hollywood Burbank Airport
Hollywood Burbank Airport in Burbank, California.AaronP:Bauer/Griffin/GC Images/Getty

At 0.18 miles, Hawaii's Lihue Airport has the fourth-shortest walk.

Lihue Airport on Hawaii's Kauai island.
Lihue Airport on Hawaii's Kauai island.Matteo Colombo/Getty Images

Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania features the third-shortest walk: 0.13 miles.

Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania
Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania.Andrej Safaric/Shutterstock

New York's Westchester County Airport has a 0.12-mile walk, making it the second-shortest in the US.

A gala at Westchester County Airport in New York.
A gala at Westchester County Airport in New York.Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

Travelers at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, walk just 0.11 miles to their gates, making it the shortest distance of any US airport.

Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky.
Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky.Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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