25 Busiest Airports During the Thanksgiving Holiday

Millions of Americans will take to the skies to reach their Thanksgiving destinations this year. That means many of the nation's busiest airports are about to get even busier. Research from airfare-predicting mobile app Hopper reveals the country's busiest airports during Thanksgiving week based on the volume of scheduled departures.

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is far and away the busiest airport in the country come Thanksgiving week, handling nearly 1.4 million departing passengers in the days leading up to and following the November holiday last year.

Los Angeles International Airport is the most active airport on the West Coast around Turkey Day, handling over 1.1 million departing passengers over the course of Thanksgiving week 2017.

In the Midwest, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport also cracked the 1 million passenger milestone during Thanksgiving week 2017. Expect more crowds and long lines around this year's holiday, especially in the morning when traffic typically peaks.

Everything's bigger in Texas, including the Thanksgiving airport crowds. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, American Airlines' largest hub, will handle close to 900,000 passengers this upcoming holiday based on last year's data.

The busiest airport in one of America's busiest cities this Thanksgiving will be New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. It also doesn't help travelers suffering from enochlophobia (the fear of crowds) that JFK is the busiest international air passenger gateway into North America.

Denver International Airport is the largest in the U.S. by total land area and sits firmly in the top 10 when it comes to the busiest Thanksgiving transportation centers nationwide, hosting close to 800,000 outbound passengers during the holiday week a year ago. Fortunately, this airport is among the best for a long layover.

San Francisco International Airport draws a ton of attention around Thanksgiving, recording approximately three-quarters of a million departing passengers in 2017. Like O'Hare, 7:50 a.m. is typically the busiest time of day around the holiday.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is perhaps the biggest surprise in the top 10. However, this North Carolina airport is the seventh-busiest in the world by aircraft movements and sees an influx of air travelers around Thanksgiving.

Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport handles more than 45 million passengers annually and Thanksgiving week travelers make up a significant portion of that figure.

Miami International Airport is Florida's busiest around Thanksgiving, exceeding more than 615,000 departing passengers last year. The crowds and lines tend to reach their peak around 3:30 p.m. so consider heading out in the morning or evening.

Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines passengers can expect plenty of company when flying out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport this Thanksgiving holiday. The two airlines' busy hub ranks inside the top 15 busiest for Turkey Day travel.

If there's good news for travelers traversing Orlando International Airport this Thanksgiving, it's that the airport ranked highest in the Mega Airport category in the J.D. Power 2018 North America Airport Satisfaction Study for the second straight year.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is coming off of its busiest month ever in March 2018 and hosted more than 605,000 departing passengers during Thanksgiving week 2017. Expect its upward trajectory to continue this upcoming holiday season.

Newark Liberty International Airport can be a headache to navigate come Thanksgiving week and it's especially challenging just after 4 p.m. when it tends to be at its busiest. What's more, this airport is among the worst for on-time travel.

Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the second-busiest in Texas amid the chaotic Thanksgiving travel period. The airport saw approximately 560,000 outbound passengers during that time a year ago.

The crowds begin stacking up at Boston's Logan International Airport just before sunrise on the days before and after Thanksgiving. Well over 500,000 departing passengers will pass through New England's primary airport by the time the Thanksgiving holiday travel period is up.

Roughly half of a million passengers will arrive at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to catch a flight over the course of Thanksgiving week, with the South Florida airport becoming the busiest just before 9 a.m.

After O'Hare, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is the busiest in the Midwest around the Thanksgiving holiday, drawing close to half of a million air travelers during that infamous week-long stretch. Expect crowds to be at their worst around dinner time.

Having experienced roughly 465,000 outbound passengers during Thanksgiving week 2017, Detroit Metropolitan Airport can expect yet another busy holiday this year.

LaGuardia Airport is the least busy of New York City's Big Three airports. However, it's relatively busy morning to night around Thanksgiving, hosting about 415,000 departing passengers during the holiday travel period last year.

Maryland's busiest airport, Baltimore/Washington International Airport will see more than 400,000 departing passengers pass through its gates this Thanksgiving week. The airport is typically the busiest around 7:10 a.m. during the holiday.

Philadelphia International Airport is one of the busiest on the East Coast come Thanksgiving, with nearly 400,000 departing passengers passing through. The airport is usually at its busiest around 5 p.m. so rush hour is your enemy.

Although it sees fewer than one-third of the number of passengers O'Hare does around the November holiday, Chicago Midway International Airport is among the busiest in the country at Thanksgiving, especially in the morning.

If you're not a morning person, you might want to consider a later flight out of San Diego International Airport, which often sees its passenger crowds peak before 6 a.m. The airport hosted more than 320,000 outbound passengers during Thanksgiving week last year.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is the nearest commercial airport to the nation's capital so it makes sense that it becomes hectic around the busy Thanksgiving travel period. If passing through Reagan, it's best to avoid the 4 p.m. hour when it tends to be the most chaotic.