Direct international flights are a dream, and it is what we travelers strive for. However, they tend to come with a price tag, and sometimes, depending on where you are traveling from, it is just not possible. So, what U.S. airport offers the most selection? Where can you travel in order to get to your international destination in a relatively painless way? American airports are great for U.S. travelers, landing in the number one through seven spots on the list of most connected airports in the world.
Of the twenty top-ranked hubs, starting at number seven and working our way up, we have:
- New York’s John F. Kennedy
- Los Angeles LAX
- Denver International Airport
- Seattle-Tacoma International
- Atlanta’s Hartfield Jackson
- Dallas Fort-Worth
Hot tip, if you are traveling on a budget, Denver, Las Vegas, and Orlando come in at third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, on the cost-friendly most connected list!
And now, for the number one most connected airport:
According to OAG, with a whopping 66 international flights, Chicago O’Hare is sitting pretty in the number one spot.
Taking over London Heathrow’s former glory in 2019. The best part is these results are derived from taking a list of the 100 largest airports in the world, only allowing one stop-over, and then narrowing your layover time to a maximum of six hours. So, we aren’t talking about long wait times, sleeping on airport benches, or debating whether you should spend the extra money on a hotel overnight.
So, where can you jet off to from O’Hare? Check out this list that includes each city within the countries that you can fly to!
- Abu Dhabi
- Stockholm
- Auckland
- Krakow
- Madrid
- Barcelona
- Mexico City
- Addis Ababa
- Brussels
- Toronto
- Cancun
- Beijing
- Paris
- Cozumel
- Liberia
- Doha
- Guadalajara
- Dubai
- Dublin
- Edinburgh
- Athens
- Rome
- Frankfurt
- Morelia
- Zacatecas
- Monterrey
- George Town
- Guanajuato
- Sao Paulo
- London
- Helsinki
- Hong Kong
- Huatulco
- Seoul
- Delhi
- Queretaro
- Istanbul
- Zihuatanejo
- San Jose
- Copenhagen
- Keflavik
- Guatemala City
- Puerto Vallarta
- Lisbon
- San Jose Del Cabo
- San Juan
- Milano
- Munich
- Nassau
- Tokyo
- Beograd
- Warsaw
- Ottawa
- Calgary
- Belize City
- Montreal
- Phillipsburg
- Providenciales
- Shanghai
- Punta Cana
- Quebec
- Amman
- Oranjestad
- St. Thomas
- Montego Bay
- Amsterdam
- Vienna
- Shannon
- Saint Lucia
- Taipei
- Tel Aviv
- Panama City
- Tokyo
- Vancouver
- Zurich
If that wasn’t impressive enough, they are also making improvements to the airport itself. O’Hare is demolishing current terminals to allow for the creation of their ‘Global Terminal’. Designed by Jeanne Gang, this new area will house international and domestic flights, with travelers in mind.
We all know how stressful it can be when you have a connecting flight, a short layover, and what feels like a million miles in between gates. This new area will allow for seamless connections without having to jump onto the ATS and hoping you remember the right stop to get off at.
In addition to this rebuild, two new satellite locations will be connected to the Global terminal. All of these areas will be connected to one another, making O’Hare one giant airport that is easy to navigate from one place to the next.
This ‘Terminal Area Plan’ has been approved with a $12 billion budget, allowing not only for new terminals, gates, and those swanky satellite concourses but for accommodations, too! Right now, they are on track for completion by 2028.
If you are looking for a variety of options on your return flights or want the ease of hopping on a plane to explore yet another destination, Juarez International Airport comes in eighth on the list. Americans are fortunate to have so many amazing airports on this side of the world. Thanks to the addition of new airlines, Delhi and Tokyo’s International Airports rank high on the list as well.
So, when you are planning your next international destination, Chicago’s O’Hare is your most connected airport to the rest of the world.
