There are thousands of airports, big and small, strewn across the enormous expanse of the USA. We get into that and a few more facts in this article.
The rather unique honor of hosting the smaller airport in the US goes to Montana. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Dawson Community Airport is the smallest in America. It covers a mere 413 acres and is at an elevation of 2,458 feet, and is five miles northwest of Glendive in Dawson County.
Dawson Community Airport
The only airline that serves Dawson Community Airport, Cape Air, which offers two daily flights to Billings, Montana, charges $52 for a round trip. In 2016, Cape Air transported over 5,000 passengers. Unfortunately, even after arriving at Billings Airport, travelers will only be able to connect on domestic flights.
Fun fact, despite its diminutive size, it has a 4.8-star rating on Google. This has probably something to do with the TSA wait times, which are less than a minute, according to the TSA official site.
Perhaps it’s time to take a flight from the smaller airport in the U.S. proves that size certainly doesn’t matter!
This is tiny one has plenty of challengers! Jostling for the top spot in the smaller airport in the U.S. are some others, including
Trenton-Mercer, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey, has one of the smaller airports in the U.S. At this tiny little airport, baggage claim is a trailer! Also, passengers have to walk down a ramp instead of strolling from the plane to the jetway and into the airport. Trenton–Mercer covers 1,345 acres at an elevation of 212 feet. The best thing about this one, other than the waiting times, is that the parking lot is just right next to the airport. No shuttles, y’all!
Morgantown Municipal Airport, West Virginia
According to its website, Morgantown Municipal has just the one restaurant. The free wifi and complimentary coffee make up for the fairly limited meal selections. It covers 494 acres at an elevation of 1,244 feet. Folks traveling to Washington, D.C., will find it convenient.
Arcata-Eureka, California
The Arcata-Eureka was built during WWII to test defogging methods. It is located 300 miles north of San Francisco. It covers 745 acres at an elevation of 222 feet. Arcata-Eureka has two asphalt runways and handles around 150,000 passengers per year. SkyWest is the only commercial airline that serves from here, with three or four departures every day. Airport parking, including long-term parking, is absolutely free here, by the way.
Garden City Regional Airport, Kansas
Forget the old adage that you should arrive two hours before your airline’s departure time for a domestic flight. According to the Garden City Regional, arrive 90 minutes before departure if you’re checking a bag and 60 minutes if you only have a carry-on. It covers 1,848 acres at an elevation of 2,891 feet. Guess what another advantage of flying out of this small airport is? All parking, long term or short term, is free. (Starting to see a theme here, people!)
So, the next time you choose a large airport over these smaller ones, think twice. Free airport parking and less than minute TSA lines are only a pipe-dream at most of the larger ones!
Check out more blogs for info on finding top-rated airport parking, best parking spots in your city, the most affordable insurance for your car, and top-rated car washes near you.
