Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is not only the most expansive airport by the number of runways in the United States, but also in the world. Its eight landing strips make it the record-holder, and it is unmatched wherever you look.

However, Chicago O’Hare is far from the only option the US offers for complex, multi-runway designs. Several of the largest airports by runway count are in the United States, thanks to the simple fact that surplus space was available when many were under construction. Cut to today, population growth and a simultaneous rise in both domestic and international flight demand have made it necessary for airports across the country to handle more traffic. So, what are the top five airports by number of runways across the country?

5

Orlando International

Four runways, all north-south facing

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Orlando International Airport (MCO)’s four runways do not actually qualify the airport for the top five in the US by number of landing strips. Orlando is included here to represent airports with four runways, providing a more diverse list than one limited only to those with six or more strips.

Orlando airport itself covers 11,605 acres (4,696 hectares), making it the fourth-biggest commercial airport by landmass in the United States and a key gateway to the state of Florida. According to the airport, its central location puts it within a two-hour drive of 60% of Florida’s population, contributing to a $41 billion-plus regional economic impact. Its four runways are all north-south facing and run parallel to each other, with two on the east side and two on the west side. The two outboard runways, 18R/36L and 17L/35R, are primarily used for landings during normal conditions, while 17R/35L and 18L/36R handle takeoffs.

Though those on the western side of the airport, runways 18R/36L and 18L/36R, are too close to each other to allow for parallel operations, efficiency is maximized through a pattern where one aircraft lines up as another comes into land and then takes off after its peer has crossed the runway threshold. All told, this aided the airport in serving 57.7 million passengers in 2025 and handling 220,832 tons of cargo.

4

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta

Five runways, all east-west facing

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Another included in this list, in the interest of providing more comprehensive rankings, is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). Five runways allow the airport to accommodate over 200 aircraft movements per hour, with all runways running parallel and oriented east-west.

In all, the airport spans 4,700 acres, and its runways each measure between 9,000 and 12,390 feet (2,743 and 3,776 meters). Runway 9L-27R is the only Category I strip at Atlanta, requiring a decision on landing at a height and visual range of at least 200 feet (61 meters) and 1,804 feet (550 meters), respectively. All the others then fit into the Category II and III brackets, so they offer lower minimums for visibility and decision height prior to pilots committing to landing.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta runways, from the airport’s own figures:

Atlanta’s five runways match up to approximately 176 acres (71 hectares) of terminal complex space at the airport, which boasts some 155 domestic and 43 international gates. According to its website, an average of 286,000 passengers pass through the airport, via roughly 2,100 departures and arrivals, a day, in part fueled by Atlanta’s convenient location within a two-hour flight of 80% of the United States population.

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3

Boston Logan, Denver, Detroit Metropolitan

All six runways

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Three US airports actually boast six runways, so have been grouped in this article for the purpose of creating a more comprehensive list. Among these is Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), which, interestingly, is among the nation’s busiest despite having the second-smallest footprint among the US’ top 20 major airports, of 1,700 acres (688 hectares). Weather-dependent, Boston Logan can accommodate up to 120 air movements an hour when a three-runway configuration is authorized. This is thanks to its intricate, six-runway layout, of which five intersect, allowing for adaptability to various wind conditions.

Denver International Airport (DEN), another with six landing strips, boasts the longest commercial runway in the United States, 16R/34L, which stretches 16,000 feet (4,877 meters) or over three miles. Each of the airport’s other five runways, all of which are non-intersecting, measure at least 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) and span such distances due to the site’s high altitude at over 5,400 feet (1,646 meters) above sea level. The airport itself opened just over 30 years ago in 1995 and now covers a hefty 34,000 acres (13,759 hectares), leaving room for up to six additional runways when demand calls for it, per Denver itself.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), like Boston, boasts a mixture of parallel and crosswind configurations thanks to its six-runway layout. Three of these run north-south and are adjacent, with the final two providing crosswind options. Detroit’s largest runway, 04R/22L, is 12,003 feet (3,659 meters), with the shortest, 03L/21R and 09R/27L, measuring 8,500 feet (2,591 meters). Some 33.4 million passengers passed through the airport last year, as 160,835 tons of cargo was handled.

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2

Dallas/Fort Worth

Seven Runways

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Onto the next US airport by number of runways, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) naturally sits in second, thanks to its seven runways. These are predominantly laid out in a north-south configuration and are accompanied by two diagonal runways.

Among the seven runways, the four longest measure 13,400 feet (4,084 meters) each. Runway 17L/35R is the shortest at 8,500 feet (2,591 meters), with 13L/31R and 13R/31L measuring around 9,000-foot (2,743-meter). Combined, these allow for 170 operations per hour under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations, but this can stretch to 264 when Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions are in place.

Dallas/Fort Worth Runways, from the airport’s own figures:

Altogether, Dallas/Fort Worth covers 17,183 acres (6,953 hectares) and boasts five terminals, as well as over 160 gates. Per the airport, some 86.3 million passengers flew in and out last year via 746,000 flights. These would have been to and from 193 domestic and 79 international nonstop routes that carriers offer from the airport. In turn, these helped fuel a total of $78 billion for the North Texas region, with the airport supporting some 684,000 jobs and $48 billion in payroll alone.

1

Chicago O’Hare

Eight Runways (The most among any civilian airport in the world)

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As mentioned, Chicago O’Hare is not just the US’ top civilian airport by number of runways, but also the world’s. A total of eight runways give it this status, with several adjustments made in recent years. This included the closure of runway 32R/14L in 2016, after a new strip, 10R/28L, was opened a year earlier. 2018 then saw 9,676-foot (2,949-meter) 14L/32L decommissioned, ahead of the opening of 9C/27C in 2020. Six of the airport’s runways run parallel in an east-west configuration and are ideal for handling heavy traffic, while the remaining two sit diagonally to allow for operations during variable wind conditions.

Despite boasting so many runways, Chicago O’Hare is well off the US’s largest, at just 7,200 acres (2,914 hectares) and well below the likes of Dallas/Fort Worth and Orlando. That said, the airport still boasts impressive traffic statistics, having accommodated 84.9 million passengers in 2025 through 857,392 air movements, per its website. Those traveling domestically largely made up the figure, accounting for just over 70 million of those who passed through the airport, marking a 6.8% increase from 2024. At the same time, the airport processed a total of 2.1 million tons of cargo, with international shipping accounting for the majority of courier flights.

Runways at Chicago O’Hare, from the airport’s own figures:

As of April 2026, Chicago O’Hare had some 199 gates spread across four passenger terminals. These were largely in use by just two carriers – American Airlines and United Airlines. Respectively, the two airlines leased 66 and 99 of the gates each.