From sea to shining sea, the United States is a beautiful, expansive country.
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That’s great for fans of wide open space but otherwise terrible for travelers.
Just take it from me. I’m from Saint Louis, Missouri—one of those small cities with a modest airport. Since moving to Europe, heading home has become a complicated setup.
I have two choices, either to pay for another flight to Saint Louis or to land in Chicago and then take an Amtrak train home.
Neither is ideal, especially not after crossing the Atlantic.
Worst of all, flights to and from Saint Louis are egregiously pricey. For example, I paid around $600 for round-trip flights to and from Chicago and Barcelona… and another $300 for a round trip to and from Saint Louis.
That being said, those price points aren’t the same across the board. In fact, flying in and out of some regional US airports is an absolute steal.
Regional airports are less busy than major hubs, aren’t usually exorbitantly priced, and can even get you home faster after long international flights.
If you’re thinking about sampling one of the smaller regional US airports to streamline your travels, start with the options below. (Just a heads up on my metrics for this article – I’m counting international airports as long as the bulk of their flight routes are regional.)
Switch these hubs for regional picks
If you’re used to flying into a major hub but want to sample a more affordable option nearby, check out these regional selections.
- Swap LAX for Long Beach Airport in Long Beach, CA
- Swap Boston Logan for Manchester-Boston in Manchester, NH
- Swap Boston Logan for TF Green Airport in Warwick, RI
- Swap Seattle Tacoma for Paine Field in Everette, WA
- Swap JFK for Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, NY
Best regional US airports
What makes these picks the best? According to a study from Value Penguin, these airports offer affordable tickets, aren’t overly busy, and don’t experience too many flight delays.
- Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in Kailua-Kona HI; Kahului Airport in Kahului, HI; and Lihue Airport in Lihue, HI
- Boise Airport ID
- Spokane International Airport WA
- Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport MT
- Long Beach Airport CA
- Glacier Park International Airport MT
- Palm Springs International Airport CA
- Sarasota Bradenton FL
Worst regional US airports
According to the same study, these regional airports fall behind competitors because they’re pricier, busier, and experience more delays. Avoid them if you can.
- Aspen Airport CO
- McAllen Miller Airport TX
- Corpus Christi International Airport TX
- Lafayette Regional Airport LA
- Lubbock Preston Smith Airport TX
- Midland Airport TX
- Northwest Arkansas National Airport AR
- Springfield-Branson Airport MO (only runs flights in summer)
- Durango-La Plata County Airport CO
- Shreveport Regional Airport LA
