Best Airport Access
Cities closest to the national air network
Distance to the nearest major airport and how many lie within reach, from FAA airport and runway data.
62 locations · Calculated September 15, 2026 · Download CSV
The supporting columns show on a wider screen, and every column is in the CSV.
62 places, ranked nationally.
| # | City | Score | Within 100mi | Nearest major airport mi | Shortlist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverside, CA | 99.9 | 10 | 9 mi | |
| Also rank 1, tied | San Bernardino, CA | 99.9 | 10 | 5 mi | |
| Also rank 1, tied | Fontana, CA | 99.9 | 10 | 9 mi | |
| Also rank 1, tied | Moreno Valley, CA | 99.9 | 10 | 4 mi | |
| Also rank 1, tied | Ontario, CA | 99.9 | 10 | 1 mi | |
| Also rank 1, tied | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 99.9 | 10 | 6 mi | |
| Also rank 1, tied | Pomona, CA | 99.9 | 10 | 9 mi | |
| Also rank 1, tied | Arvada, CO | 99.9 | 10 | 5 mi | |
| Also rank 1, tied | Westminster, CO | 99.9 | 10 | 4 mi | |
| Also rank 1, tied | Jurupa Valley, CA | 99.9 | 10 | 8 mi | |
| Also rank 1, tied | Rialto, CA | 99.9 | 10 | 9 mi | |
| 12 | Long Beach, CA | 99.9 | 9 | 3 mi | |
| Also rank 12, tied | Lancaster, CA | 99.9 | 9 | 7 mi | |
| Also rank 12, tied | Palmdale, CA | 99.9 | 9 | 3 mi | |
| Also rank 12, tied | Thornton, CO | 99.9 | 9 | 9 mi | |
| Also rank 12, tied | Downey, CA | 99.9 | 9 | 8 mi | |
| Also rank 12, tied | Centennial, CO | 99.9 | 9 | 2 mi | |
| Also rank 12, tied | Burbank, CA | 99.9 | 9 | 9 mi | |
| Also rank 12, tied | Highlands Ranch, CO | 99.9 | 9 | 7 mi | |
| 20 | Los Angeles, CA | 99.8 | 8 | 5 mi | |
| Also rank 20, tied | Fort Collins, CO | 99.8 | 8 | 7 mi | |
| Also rank 20, tied | Roseville, CA | 99.8 | 8 | 8 mi | |
| Also rank 20, tied | Springfield, MA | 99.8 | 8 | 5 mi | |
| Also rank 20, tied | Torrance, CA | 99.8 | 8 | 8 mi | |
| Also rank 20, tied | Greeley, CO | 99.8 | 8 | 8 mi | |
| Also rank 20, tied | Inglewood, CA | 99.8 | 8 | 4 mi | |
| 27 | Sacramento, CA | 99.6 | 7 | 8 mi | |
| Also rank 27, tied | Colorado Springs, CO | 99.6 | 7 | 5 mi | |
| Also rank 27, tied | Stockton, CA | 99.6 | 7 | 7 mi | |
| Also rank 27, tied | Irving, TX | 99.6 | 7 | 5 mi | |
| Also rank 27, tied | Lehigh Acres, FL | 99.6 | 7 | 9 mi | |
| Also rank 27, tied | Lakeland, FL | 99.6 | 7 | 6 mi | |
| 33 | Boulder, CO | 99.5 | 11 | 11 mi | |
| 34 | Carrollton, TX | 99.5 | 7 | 10 mi | |
| 35 | Dallas, TX | 99.4 | 6 | 6 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | San Jose, CA | 99.4 | 6 | 8 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Boston, MA | 99.4 | 6 | 2 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Mesa, AZ | 99.4 | 6 | 7 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Oakland, CA | 99.4 | 6 | 3 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Tampa, FL | 99.4 | 6 | 3 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Orlando, FL | 99.4 | 6 | 4 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Gilbert, AZ | 99.4 | 6 | 5 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Fremont, CA | 99.4 | 6 | 9 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Providence, RI | 99.4 | 6 | 7 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Pembroke Pines, FL | 99.4 | 6 | 8 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Hayward, CA | 99.4 | 6 | 9 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Sunnyvale, CA | 99.4 | 6 | 6 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Miramar, FL | 99.4 | 6 | 6 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | West Valley City, UT | 99.4 | 6 | 7 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Santa Clara, CA | 99.4 | 6 | 2 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | West Palm Beach, FL | 99.4 | 6 | 5 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Cambridge, MA | 99.4 | 6 | 6 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Manchester, NH | 99.4 | 6 | 4 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Springfield, IL | 99.4 | 6 | 4 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Lansing, MI | 99.4 | 6 | 5 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Davie, FL | 99.4 | 6 | 8 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | San Mateo, CA | 99.4 | 6 | 5 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | South Bend, IN | 99.4 | 6 | 3 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Quincy, MA | 99.4 | 6 | 7 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Daly City, CA | 99.4 | 6 | 8 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Lynn, MA | 99.4 | 6 | 8 mi | |
| Also rank 35, tied | Albany, NY | 99.4 | 6 | 6 mi |
Methodology
The AreaProfile Access signal: 70% the inverse national percentile of straight-line distance to the nearest major airport, 30% the percentile of major airports within 100 miles. "Major airport" is an AreaProfile classification derived from FAA data — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — and is not an FAA hub designation.
Some entries here hold the same value and therefore the same rank. Where that happens the rank is printed once and the rows beneath it are left blank, because the order they appear in carries no meaning — there is nothing in the measurements to separate them.
What is excluded, and why
Cities under 100,000 residents. Distances are straight-line, not driving time, and V1 does not measure air service quality.
The top 62 of the 351 cities that meet these criteria are listed.
Sources
- Federal Aviation Administration — Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service (NASR current cycle)
Full details of how signals and the Area Score are calculated are on the methodology page, and how rankings like this one are built and reviewed is on the editorial policy page.