11 Weirdest Airports In the United States

Larry Mimosa August 11, 2024 | 20:28

The US has more airports than any other country. Some of them are very special and have interesting histories or locations.Have you ever tried to land or take off at one of these odd airports?

Top 11 Weirdest Airports in the World Today

Typically, we use the airports to get to the main attraction when we travel. But sometimes an airport is SO BIZARRE that it is the ...

An Overview of Airports in the USA

In 2024, the country had about 20,060 airports, most of which were private.

This is more than any other country in the world. Brazil comes in second with only about 4,000. Out of the 20,060 airports in the US, some are in strange places, are set up in strange ways, have strange terminals, need special training to fly into, and have crazy histories. People forget about these unique things in airports all the time, and they just become "normal" places we go to get where we're going.

Learn more: Top 10 Smallest Airports in the US by Area - 2024 Report

1. Dining and Playground - Palm Springs International Airport

Palm Springs gets a lot of visitors every year because it is known for having sunshine all year and being very hot in the summer. The airport says that 3.2 million people flew through in 2023, making it the busiest year ever. The outdoor courtyard with places to shop and eat is one of the "wonderful" things about PSP. Well, it's great when it's not too hot outside. The gate areas have air conditioning, so you can get out of the heat even when it's hot outside.

Outside, the airport has a playground for kids and a pet area, which is becoming more common in US airports these days. There is art, water features, and patio furniture in the area with the playground. On land, across from the main terminal, there is also a pet area.

2. Indoor train - Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

11 Weirdest Airports In the United States

The ExpressTram in this Midwest airport

To keep the "wonderful" theme going, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is a hub for Delta Air Lines and is known for its indoor ExpressTram. The ExpressTram starts in Concourse A of the McNamara Terminal and goes to three stations: one in the north of the terminal, one in the south, and the central terminal stop.

Since the whole A concourse is a mile long, the tram is the best way to save time. If you need to get to another concourse, you can also take the ExpressTram and then walk.

3. A Horse - Denver International Airport

The Weird-but-True Story Behind Denver Airport’s Scary Horse Statue

Denver International Airport, which most people call DIA even though the correct airport code is DEN, is always brought up when people talk about "weird" things. The airport code for Doha, Qatar, is DIA. It has the longest runway in the US and is the biggest airport in terms of land area. There are also a lot of conspiracy theories about it.

To draw attention to one thing, the airport has a statue of a huge horse whose eyes are glowing red. The horse is a 32-foot sculpture made of cast fiberglass by Luis Jiménez. Its name is Mustang, but because it is blue, some people have called it Blucifer. Some people think the statue is cursed because it kind of killed the person who made it. The statue was being worked on by Jiménez in 2006 when a piece broke off and hit an artery in his leg, killing him. After he died, his children finished the statue.

Learn more: Top 10 Largest Airports in the US by Area - 2024 Report

4. Aquarium - Orlando International Airport

The next one isn't weird, but it is definitely one of a kind. There is an aquarium at Orlando International Airport. It's not very big, but that doesn't make it any less interesting. An account for the airport called X (formerly Twitter) said in 2018 that the aquarium holds 3,000 gallons of water and had 40 to 50 fish at the time the post was made public.

The aquarium at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) in Canada is much bigger and has more than 20,000 animals and plants that live in the sea. Besides the main aquarium, there is another one that only has jellyfish.

5. Gravestones - Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport

Savannah Hilton Head International Airport in South Carolina is our first pick. Beginning at the beginning. The US government searched for new airports and military bases during World War II to expand its military.

The government considered Hilton Head Airport's location because Chatham Field was already operational. The military negotiated with Savannah for 1,100 acres because the land was insufficient.

After acquiring Chatham Field, the military acquired surrounding land to build a command base and heavy bombardment combat crew training station for the Army Air Corps' second bomb wing. Dotson family owned some land around the field.

A cemetery with over 100 graves was reportedly unique to this land. Because of family significance, the government negotiated with some living Dotson family members and moved all ancestors except four to another cemetery.

Today, the airport has two gravemarkers on a runway.

6. Deadly History - Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, Aspen, Colorado

Aspen-Pitkin County Airport is scary because it has a history of killing people. In 2001, a chartered plane crashed, killing all 18 people on board. There are a lot of tourists in Aspen, Colorado, in the winter who want to go skiing. But the mountains nearby require a steep angle to take off and land.

Everyone who flies into or out of Aspen-Pitkin needs to have a special license to show they can do the job. Furthermore, the snowy and windy conditions can cause chaos. A fiery crash happened again in 2014 because of this sometimes terrible mix.

Learn more: Top 10 Busiest AirPorts in the U.S Based on Passengers

7. Terrifying Airport - Yeager Airport, Charleston, West Virginia

Yeager Airport, Charleston, West Virginia

Once more, the layout of Yeager Airport is making it hard for pilots. It must also be scary for people sitting near a window on the way down. This small airport has one runway, which is set on top of a plateau with a steep 300-foot drop. Problems would arise if the plane went too far from the landing strip, which is not very long.

Even though this can't happen, the visceral reaction inside the vessel must be able to be felt as the plane gets closer.

8. Intimidating Airport - Chicago Midway International Airport, Chicago, Illinois

In the Windy City, Chicago Midway International Airport is a scary place to be. One group that might be a little upset here is the pilots. Midway International has short runways that cross each other, and it can get very cold in the winter. Which would you rather go through if you're going to Chicago? The crowded O'Hare or the squished Midway?

9. Highest Commercial Airport - Telluride Regional Airport, Telluride, Colorado

Telluride Regional Airport is the highest commercial airport in the United States. It is also the second highest airport overall, after Leadville, Colorado, which is its sister town. The simple airfield in this mountain town is also on a beautiful but dangerous plateau above the San Miguel River, which is 9,078 feet (2,767 meters) above sea level.

In order to stick the landing, pilots only have one chance to do a "touch-and-go" landing. The middle of the runway slopes down, so even after a successful landing, passengers will feel something different.

10. Worst Airport - LaGuardia Airport, New York City, New York

The plane has to put on a show just to land or take off at this New York City Airport, which is one of three in the area. The sky is crowded, and the skyscrapers of Manhattan get too close for comfort, forcing the plane to make tight turns (up to 180 degrees) at low altitudes.

Some of the main runways go out over the water in Flushing and Bowery Bays. Once you are safely on the ground, don't think that your peace of mind will get better. LaGuardia is always rated as one of the worst airports in the country for being too crowded, under construction, and not having enough ground transportation. Also, be aware that your return flight will be late. To its credit, LaGuardia has recently spent money on repairs (part of the construction problem) and making the airport look better.

11. Ominous Fog - Nantucket Memorial Airport, Nantucket, Massachusetts

A scene with ominous fog is perfect for making you feel uneasy. There are waves of fog that come up close to the tarmac at Nantucket Memorial Airport all the time. Pilots have to trust the instruments of the plane a lot of the time in these kinds of situations. During landing, it can be hard to see until the very end.

People inside the plane may also feel tense because they may not know how the approach is going until the cockpit shakes and the brakes begin to pull. During World War II, the U.S. Army Air Corps chose Nantucket as a training base because it was a good place to build character.