America's Airports, Ranked From First to Worst
As Americans prepare for the great holiday air migration, The Daily Beast crunches the latest numbers to again determine the best—and work—airports in the country.
Karen Bleier / AFP / Getty Images
2009 rank: 3rd
On-time departures 2010: 84%
On-time arrivals 2010: 86%
On-time holiday departures: 85%
On-time holiday arrivals: 84%
Average security wait time: 10 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 5th out of 27
Safety: 4th out of 27
Amenities: 5th out of 27
Karen Bleier / AFP / Getty Images
2009 rank: 6th
On-time departures 2010: 89%
On-time arrivals 2010: 86%
On-time holiday departures: 86%
On-time holiday arrivals: 87%
Average security wait time: 7 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 8th out of 27
Safety: 8th out of 27
Amenities: 15th out of 27
Ted S. Warren / AP Photo
2009 rank: 7th
On-time departures 2010: 84%
On-time arrivals 2010: 85%
On-time holiday departures: 82%
On-time holiday arrivals: 76%
Average security wait time: 5 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 20th out of 27
Safety: 18th out of 27
Amenities: 7th out of 27
Al Behrman / AP Photo
2009 rank: 4th
On-time departures 2010: 83%
On-time arrivals 2010: 83%
On-time holiday departures: 83%
On-time holiday arrivals: 83%
Average security wait time: 7 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 1st out of 27
Safety: 15th out of 27
Amenities: 25th out of 27
Nick Ut / AP Photo
2009 rank: 9th
On-time departures 2010: 81%
On-time arrivals 2010: 81%
On-time holiday departures: 83%
On-time holiday arrivals: 81%
Average security wait time: 9 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 2nd out of 27
Safety: 7th out of 27
Amenities: 4th out of 27
Newscom
2009 rank: 4th
On-time departures 2010: 86%
On-time arrivals 2010: 85%
On-time holiday departures: 84%
On-time holiday arrivals: 82%
Average security wait time: 11 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 15th out of 27
Safety: 26th out of 27
Amenities: 8th out of 27
Douglas C. Pizac / AP Photo
2009 rank: 8th
On-time departures 2010: 81%
On-time arrivals 2010: 84%
On-time holiday departures: 82%
On-time holiday arrivals: 83%
Average security wait time: 13 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 4th out of 27
Safety: 5th out of 27
Amenities: 12th out of 26
Ethan Miller / Getty Images
2009 rank: 15th
On-time departures 2010: 83%
On-time arrivals 2010: 82%
On-time holiday departures: 85%
On-time holiday arrivals: 79%
Average security wait time: 8 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 18th out of 27
Safety: 17th out of 27
Amenities: 6th out of 27
Streeter Lecka / Getty Images
2009 rank: 1st
On-time departures 2010: 82%
On-time arrivals 2010: 80%
On-time holiday departures: 82%
On-time holiday arrivals: 77%
Average security wait time: 6 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 22nd out of 27
Safety: 2nd out of 27
Amenities: 11th out of 27
RNewsFoto / Houston Airport System
2009 rank: 13
On-time departures 2010: 83%
On-time arrivals 2010: 79%
On-time holiday departures: 84%
On-time holiday arrivals: 79%
Average security wait time: 8 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 21st out of 27
Safety: 3rd out of 27
Amenities: 17th out of 27
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
2009 rank: 17th
On-time departures 2010: 80%
On-time arrivals 2010: 83%
On-time holiday departures: 82%
On-time holiday arrivals: 80%
Average security wait time: 11 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 9th out of 27
Safety: 21st out of 27
Amenities: 3rd out of 27
George Rose / Getty Images
2009 rank: 5th
On-time departures 2010: 79%
On-time arrivals 2010: 79%
On-time holiday departures: 80%
On-time holiday arrivals: 76%
Average security wait time: 6 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 11th out of 27
Safety: 9th out of 27
Amenities: 1st out of 27
Walter Bibikow / Corbis
2009 rank: 14th
On-time departures 2010: 81%
On-time arrivals 2010: 80%
On-time holiday departures: 85%
On-time holiday arrivals: 79%
Average security wait time: 7 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 24th out of 27
Safety: 11th out of 27
Amenities: 22nd out of 27
Karen Bleier / AFP / Getty Images
2009 rank: 18th
On-time departures 2010: 82%
On-time arrivals 2010: 78%
On-time holiday departures: 82%
On-time holiday arrivals: 80%
Average security wait time: 5 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 16th out of 27
Safety: 25th out of 27
Amenities: 23rd out of 27
Michael Dwyer / AP Photo
2009 rank: 10th
On-time departures 2010: 76%
On-time arrivals 2010: 80%
On-time holiday departures: 83%
On-time holiday arrivals: 77%
Average security wait time: 6 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 14th out of 27
Safety: 12th out of 27
Amenities: 10th out of 27
Kainaz Amaria / Sipa Press
2009 rank: 12th
On-time departures 2010: 79%
On-time arrivals 2010: 78%
On-time holiday departures: 81%
On-time holiday arrivals: 79%
Average security wait time: 9 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 10th out of 27
Safety: 16th out of 27
Amenities: 2nd out of 27
Karen Bleier / AFP / Getty Images
2009 rank: 16th
On-time departures 2010: 76%
On-time arrivals 2010: 80%
On-time holiday departures: 80%
On-time holiday arrivals: 72%
Average security wait time: 7 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 19th out of 27
Safety: 1st out of 27
Amenities: 9th out of 27
Donna McWilliam / AP Photo
2009 rank: 19th
On-time departures 2010: 79%
On-time arrivals 2010: 78%
On-time holiday departures: 82%
On-time holiday arrivals: 79%
Average security wait time: 8 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 6th out of 27
Safety: 27th out of 27
Amenities: 16th out of 27
Lou Toman / South Florida Sun-Sentinel
2009 rank: 20th
On-time departures 2010: 81%
On-time arrivals 2010: 75%
On-time holiday departures: 79%
On-time holiday arrivals: 77%
Average security wait time: 6 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 23rd out of 27
Safety: 6th out of 27
Amenities: 27th out of 27
David Goldman / AP Photo
2009 rank: 11
On-time departures 2010: 72%
On-time arrivals 2010: 81%
On-time holiday departures: 78%
On-time holiday arrivals: 77%
Average security wait time: 8 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 7th out of 27
Safety: 22nd out of 27
Amenities: 14th out of 27
Jim Damaske / Newscom
2009 rank: 21
On-time departures 2010: 77%
On-time arrivals 2010: 74%
On-time holiday departures: 73%
On-time holiday arrivals: 76%
Average security wait time: 4 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 3rd out of 27
Safety: 20th out of 27
Amenities: 18th out of 27
George Rose / Getty Images
2009 rank:
23
On-time departures 2010: 80%
On-time arrivals 2010: 77%
On-time holiday departures: 82%
On-time holiday arrivals: 76%
Average security wait time: 10 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 25th out of 27
Safety: 10th out of 27
Amenities: 21st out of 27
William Thomas Cain / Getty Images
2009 rank: 22nd
On-time departures 2010: 77%
On-time arrivals 2010: 77%
On-time holiday departures: 80%
On-time holiday arrivals: 77%
Average security wait time: 10 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 13th out of 27
Safety: 14th out of 27
Amenities: 19th out of 27
Paul Beaty / AP Photo
2009 rank: 25th
On-time departures 2010: 78%
On-time arrivals 2010: 76%
On-time holiday departures: 81%
On-time holiday arrivals: 78%
Average security wait time: 9 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 17th out of 27
Safety: 23rd out of 27
Amenities: 13th out of 27
Erik S. Lesser / Getty Images
2009 rank: 24th
On-time departures 2010: 77%
On-time arrivals 2010: 76%
On-time holiday departures: 81%
On-time holiday arrivals: 77%
Average security wait time: 7 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 27th out of 27
Safety: 13th out of 27
Amenities: 20th out of 27
Mark Lennihan / AP Photo
2009 rank: 26th
On-time departures 2010: 74%
On-time arrivals 2010: 77%
On-time holiday departures: 75%
On-time holiday arrivals: 73%
Average security wait time: 13 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 12th out of 27
Safety: 19th out of 27
Amenities: 24th out of 27
Wilfredo Lee / AP Photo
2009 rank: 27th
On-time departures 2010: 76%
On-time arrivals 2010: 73%
On-time holiday departures: 77%
On-time holiday arrivals: 76%
Average security wait time: 7 minutes
Tarmac nightmares: 26th out of 27
Safety: 24th out of 27
Amenities: 26th out of 27
Mel Evans / AP Photo
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