4 FL Airport Soar Among The Best In U.S.: New Ranking

TAMPA, FL — One of the nation's top-notch airports calls Florida home, according to a new ranking from the Washington Post, which lists the best 50 airports in the U.S.

The national news outlet released its analysis Thursday, saying Tampa International Airport is 11th overall in the country.

While Tampa International did not crack the top 10, the central Florida airport bested those like it in Dallas, Kansas City and Pittsburgh.

Other Florida airports on the list are:

• No. 27. PBI Palm Beach International Airport
• No. 30. JAX Jacksonville International Airport
• 42. SRQ Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

To determine the standings, the Washington Post considered reader responses and data that focused on what people value at airports, according to the report.

Analysts filtered through at least 450 airports that all served 1,000-plus passengers in 2024. Once the list was slimmed down to 50, gate capacity, Yelp reviews and parking were among the factors examined.

The Washington Post also took into account the fact that travelers most preferred airports that were "easy to get to (and through) above all else," according to the report.

In Florida, three other airports joined Tampa International on the national ranking. They were Palm Beach International (No. 27), Jacksonville International (No. 30) and Sarasota-Bradenton International (No. 42).

Tampa International serves about 25 million passengers annually and has at least 100 nonstop domestic and international destinations, according to its website. The airport named friendly employees, short walking distances to gates and fast wait times at security checkpoints as some of its best features.

The Washington Post's survey was released just in time for the 4th of July busy season as travelers prepare to fly across the sky to celebrate Independence Day with others.

Florida Travel Trends

AAA projects 72.2 million Americans will travel domestically during the Independence Day holiday period (Saturday, June 28 to Sunday, July 6). This represents an increase of 1.7 million travelers (2.4%) over last year and 7 million more than in 2019.

Florida travel is expected to reach historic levels, with nearly 4.6 million Floridians hitting the road, skies, and rails for the holiday – that’s up 146,000 (3%) from last year.

• Driving: More than 4 million Floridians will take a road trip (+127,000 from last year, up 3%).
• Flying: Nearly 330,000 Floridians will fly domestically (+4,000, up 1%).
• Other Modes: Nearly 204,000 Floridians will take buses, trains, or cruises (+15,000, up 8%).

The Washington Post's top 10 airports in the U.S. were:

1. Portland International Airport
2. Long Beach Airport
3. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
4. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
5. Seattle Paine Field International Airport
6. Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport
7. Albuquerque International Sunport
8. Indianapolis International Airport
9. Salt Lake City International Airport
10. Detroit Metro Airport

See the full list via the Washington Post.

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