{"id":145518,"date":"2026-06-10T07:02:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T01:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=145518"},"modified":"2026-06-09T23:51:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T18:21:21","slug":"best-and-worst-us-airports-for-layovers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/10\/best-and-worst-us-airports-for-layovers\/","title":{"rendered":"Best and Worst US Airports for Layovers in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

HOUSTON-<\/strong> George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)<\/a> requires the longest layover buffer of any major US airport at 2 hours and 17 minutes, narrowly ahead of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) at 2 hours and 16 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study, reported by Upgraded Points<\/a>, scored 25 of the most connected US airports across 14 factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C., ranked the easiest to connect through at just 50 minutes, showing how airport size and layout shape connection time as much as flight traffic does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Best
Photo: Skansha<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Top 10 Airports Requiring the Longest Layovers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The analysis assigned each airport a difficulty score out of 50, with higher scores pointing to longer recommended layovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Houston (IAH) and Dallas (DFW)<\/a> led by a clear margin, scoring 36.13 and 36.09, respectively, and both crossed the 2-hour mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their size explains the gap, as DFW spans 16,838 acres across five terminals, and IAH covers 9,769 acres, also with 5 terminals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 10 airports where travelers should allow the most layover time are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rank<\/th>Airport<\/th>IATA Code<\/th>Recommended Layover<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1<\/td>George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston<\/td>IAH<\/td>2 hrs 17 mins<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>Dallas Fort Worth International Airport<\/td>DFW<\/td>2 hrs 16 mins<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York<\/td>JFK<\/td>2 hrs 2 mins<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport<\/td>ATL<\/td>1 hr 57 mins<\/td><\/tr>
5<\/td>Denver International Airport<\/td>DEN<\/td>1 hr 56 mins<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>Chicago O’Hare International Airport<\/td>ORD<\/td>1 hr 54 mins<\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>Charlotte Douglas International Airport<\/td>CLT<\/td>1 hr 51 mins<\/td><\/tr>
8<\/td>Los Angeles International Airport<\/td>LAX<\/td>1 hr 50 mins<\/td><\/tr>
9<\/td>Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas<\/td>LAS<\/td>1 hr 45 mins<\/td><\/tr>
10<\/td>Newark Liberty International Airport<\/td>EWR<\/td>1 hr 39 mins<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

JFK ranked third as a major international gateway with six terminals and 169 gates, paired with one of the lowest on-time rates in the study at 69.68 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Atlanta (ATL) followed closely and stood out for carrying the highest passenger volume in the dataset at 93.6 million, along with the longest average walk between terminals at 35 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denver (DEN)<\/a> earned its high ranking through sheer scale, covering 33,182 acres, by far the largest footprint of any airport measured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why These Airports Require More Time<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Several characteristics consistently appear among the highest-ranked airports:<\/p>\n\n\n\n