Going the Distance: Which Airports Have the Longest Walks?

You’re in between flights and ready to find a coffee and your next gate and settle in. But then you find the signs to your gate and look down the impossibly long corridor and wonder how you managed to have the gate at the opposite end of the airport.

Have you actually wondered just how far you walk in some airports? Some of the busiest airports in the country actually boast some of the longest walks, many more than 1.5 miles long from end to end. Wearing comfortable clothes and shoes becomes all the more important when keeping this in mind.

But which airports are actually the longest?

According to a recent study, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport might take you the longest to traverse, measuring in at 2.16 miles thanks to its staggering 182 gates.

In fact, the five longest airports in the United States are:

1. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (2.16 miles)
2. Washington Dulles International Airport (1.62 miles)
3. George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston (1.52 miles)
4. Denver International Airport (1.45 miles)
5. John F. Kennedy International Airport (1.38 miles)

Many of these airports shorten the distance with concourse trains, moving walkways and wheelchairs for easier use. But for those coming off long flights, the long walk is much needed and welcomed.

Want to know which airports have the shortest walking distance?

Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky; Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York; and Harrisburg International Airport in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, all clock in at less than 0.15 miles. Blue Grass Airport measures at only 0.11 miles thanks to its one terminal with only 16 gates.

This study, conducted by Kuru Footwear, also noted 66 percent of Americans wear sneakers when traveling, with 74 percent of Americans feeling they walk more when traveling. Only 40 percent of Americans are annoyed by a long walk to an airport departure gate, so it seems the distances might not be entirely bad.