CA Airport Ranks Best In The Nation — See Where Your Local Airport Lands

The best large airport in the nation is in California, where residents are spoiled with some of the highest-ranked airports in North America, according to new research from consumer data firm J.D. Power. One famous Golden State airport, however, is not winning any popularity contests among travelers, researchers concluded after looking at "overall passenger satisfaction with mega, large and medium North American airports."

John Wayne Airport in Orange County ranked highest in overall passenger satisfaction among large airports in North America, J.D. Power found. It's known for its spacious facilities and lines that zip along compared to other large airports.

Just up the 405 Freeway, Los Angeles International Airport may be famous for its celebrity sightings, but that doesn't mean people are happy to be there. LAX came in at 15th among 20 mega airports evaluated. Los Angeles International Airport dropped two spots in the rankings this year.

San Francisco International Airport, which also fell into the "mega airport" category, ranked highest in the Golden State for satisfaction, but was number nine nationally.

The firm's 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study draws on feedback from more than 30,000 U.S. or Canadian travelers between July 2024 and July 2025.

Aside from LAX, Airports in California ranked relatively well throughout the study.

Among other "large airports" in the Golden State, Sacramento International Airport ranked 11th out of 27 airports nationwide, while San Jose International Airport ranked 14th, followed by San Diego International Airport at 15th, and Oakland International Airport at 21st.

Ontario International Airport ranked second in the nation among medium-sized airports with 709 points out of 1,000, trailing Indianapolis International Airport by just four points. Hollywood Burbank Airport was ranked 9th out of 18 medium-sized airports nationwide.

The rankings are based on flyer satisfaction scores across seven broad categories.

For John Wayne Airport, top categories included: departure and arrival experience, ease of travel through the airport, terminal facilities and level of trust with the airport.

According to the report, JWA ranked first in all five of those categories.

"We spend a great deal of time here, as the administration, trying to engage with the passengers and upgrade our amenities," said Charlene Reynolds, the airport director at JWA, told The Orange County Register. "We’re really focused on the guest experience."