The United States has one of the largest aviation markets in the world. The country handles millions of flights each year and has one of the largest airport networks in the world. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there are more than 19,000 airports across the US, including commercial airports, general aviation facilities, and private airfields. For commercial airports specifically, the US has between 500 and 600, depending on how they are defined.

Many of us would know that airports such as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) sit at the busiest end of the spectrum. These airports serve as major airline hubs and handle tens of millions of passengers every year. But some commercial airports in the US see only a small number of passengers each year. Some have a much smaller network, fewer airline services, and relatively low passenger volumes. With that in mind, Simple Flying looks at the 10 quietest primary commercial airports in the US by passenger volume.

Gustavus Airport Has The Lowest Passenger Volume Among Primary Airports

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To find the quietest commercial airports in the country, we looked at the FAA’s Preliminary Calendar-Year (CY) 2025 Enplanement Data. An enplanement refers to a passenger boarding a commercial flight. The figure therefore counts passengers getting onto an aircraft rather than everyone who passes through an airport terminal. According to the data, Gustavus Airport (GST) is the quietest primary commercial airport in the US by passenger volume. The airport recorded just 10,243 enplanements in 2025.

The state-owned, public-use airport is located in Gustavus, Alaska, and serves as the main gateway to the town and nearby Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Gustavus Airport is a compact facility with a single passenger terminal handling both arrivals and departures. The single-story building houses the airport’s main passenger facilities, including check-in counters, the waiting area, the security checkpoint, and baggage claim; everything is in one building. The airport has a long history.

It was built in 1943 during World War II as Gustavus Army Airfield and was used by the US Army Air Forces. After the war, it was transferred to civil use and became an important connection for Gustavus, which has no road link to the rest of Alaska. The facility continues to provide local residents with access to the outside world, including passenger, mail, and cargo services. Two operators currently provide scheduled commercial service from Gustavus, although their services differ significantly.

According to Cirium schedule data, Alaska Airlines operates a seasonal service to Juneau from June through August using Boeing 737-700 aircraft. Notably, the route is considered one of the shortest mainline commercial jet routes in the US, covering only 41 miles in roughly 15 minutes. Air Excursions/Alaska Seaplanes provides year-round regional commuter and air taxi services using smaller propeller aircraft such as Cessna.

Which Other Airports Are Among The Quietest?

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Furthermore, the second-quietest primary commercial airport is Show Low Regional Airport (SOW), which recorded 10,345 enplanements in 2025. The airport is located two miles east of Show Low in Navajo County, Arizona, in the White Mountains. It sits at 6,415 feet (1,955 meters) above sea level, making it one of the higher-altitude commercial airports in the US. Currently, Contour Aviation provides scheduled flights from Show Low to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Notably, passenger numbers at the airport increased significantly last year.

Show Low recorded 3,655 enplanements in 2024, meaning the 10,345 recorded last year represented an increase of more than 183%. The increase followed Contour Aviation’s takeover of the government’s Essential Air Service (EAS) contract on October 1, 2024. Previous operators used nine-passenger propeller aircraft, including Cessna Caravans, while Contour introduced 30-passenger Embraer ERJ135 regional jets, significantly increasing capacity.

Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) is next on the list, with 10,385 enplanements in 2025. It sits about six miles west of the ski resort town of Telluride, Colorado, at 9,078 feet (2,767 meters) above sea level. Indeed, such high elevation makes commercial operations at Telluride more specialized than at most airports. Key Lime Air is the only scheduled carrier at the airport.

It offers services to Denver International Airport (DEN) and PHX using Fairchild Dornier 328JET aircraft. The remaining airports in the top 10 also recorded relatively low passenger numbers in 2025. Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, Devils Lake Regional Airport, and Jackson Regional Airport each recorded fewer than 11,000 enplanements during the year.

Billings Logan Recorded The Lowest Enplanements Among Small Hubs

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As seen above, the ten quietest airports on our list are all nonhub airports because of their relatively low passenger volumes and limited scheduled services. Now, let’s look at the next category: small hub airports, which handle between 0.05% and 0.25% of the country’s annual passenger traffic. In actual numbers, this means a small hub typically records between around 450,000 and 2.3 million enplanements each year.

Billings Logan International Airport (BIL), which serves as the primary aviation hub for Eastern Montana, the western Dakotas, and northern Wyoming, as well as a major gateway to Yellowstone National Park, recorded the lowest number of enplanements in this category last year, with about 503,097. The airport has a mix of major domestic airlines and regional operators serving different parts of the country and the surrounding region.

United Airlines, for instance, operates both mainline and regional services from Billings to DEN and ORD. American Airlines connects the airport with DFW, PHX, and ORD, while Delta Air Lines operates flights to Minneapolis-St. Paul and Salt Lake City. In addition, Horizon Air operates flights on behalf of Alaska Airlines, connecting Billings with Portland and Seattle. Ultra-low-cost carrier Allegiant also serves the airport with flights to Las Vegas and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA).

Besides, Billings is also a regional operations base for Cape Air, which operates multiple flights each day to smaller communities including Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, Wolf Point, and Sidney. In 2024, the airport also completed a $60 million renovation of Concourse B, adding new boarding gates and modernizing the jet bridges. The project doubled the terminal’s aircraft capacity to nine active gates.

Which Medium Hub Is The Quietest?

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Moving up from the small hub category, the next group is medium hub airports. A medium hub accounts for between 0.25% and 1% of total national passenger boardings, or enplanements, each year. In terms of actual traffic volume, this means a medium hub typically handles between around 2.3 million and 9.3 million enplanements annually. In 2025, Norfolk International Airport (ORF) recorded the lowest number of enplanements among the medium hubs, with around 2,466,474.

Despite having the lowest passenger volume in this category, Norfolk has a relatively strong airline network. The airport serves as a key focus city for Breeze Airways and is served by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United. Notably, the airport added a new international route earlier this year when Breeze launched flights to Cancun, Mexico, after receiving approval to operate international services.

It was the first direct international flight from Norfolk in 25 years. Richmond International Airport (RIC) was next, with 2,481,863 enplanements in 2025. It is the third-busiest airport serving the Washington region, after Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The airport accommodates nine major air carriers and their regional subsidiaries, operating roughly 150 daily flights across 39 destinations. American is Richmond’s largest carrier by volume, followed closely by Delta.

Which Large Hub Is The Quietest?

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On the large hub front, which accounts for 1% or more of total national passenger boardings, or enplanements, each year, Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) is the quietest in this category by passenger volume. The airport recorded 10.43 million enplanements in 2025, slightly lower than the 10.45 million recorded in 2024. That does not mean Honolulu has a small or limited airline network.

Virtually every major domestic carrier operates long-haul services from HNL, which has long served as a major crossroads for trans-Pacific travel. The airport offers frequent services to destinations including Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, Auckland, and various South Pacific island destinations. According to Cirium scheduled data, airlines have scheduled more than 77,800 flights from Honolulu in 2026, offering more than 13 million seats. In September alone, airlines are scheduled to operate around 5,965 flights and offer 998,579 seats.

Some of the busiest routes are to Kahului, with up to 22 daily flights; Molokai, with up to 20 daily departures; Lihue, with up to 18 daily flights; and Kona, with up to 17 daily flights. Other large hubs that recorded relatively low enplanement numbers compared with the busiest airports in the category are Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) with about 10.6 million, DCA with about 12 million, and Tampa International Airport (TPA) with around 12.1 million.

The US Aviation Market Continues To Handle Millions Of Passengers

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These airports recorded the lowest enplanements in their respective categories. At the same time, the US is home to some of the world’s busiest airports, with major hubs handling millions of passengers every year. ATL remains the busiest airport in the US by passenger volume, handling more than 50 million enplanements annually.

DFW, ORD, DEN, and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are also among the country’s busiest hubs, each handling tens of millions of passenger boardings. With such a large domestic market and strong international demand, the US aviation sector continues to see growth in passenger traffic.

According to the FAA, international enplanements grew by 33% over the 10 years ending in 2025, while domestic enplanements grew by 23%. Growth is expected to continue in 2026, though at a slower pace. The FAA is forecasting a 2.4% increase in passenger volume for US carriers this year.