Many of today’s wide-body commercial airliners require runways of at least 8,000 feet in length, but some runways are much longer, like Denver International Airport’s 16,000-foot runway, the longest in the U.S. However, not all airports have the space or resources available to construct long runways. In some cases, these unusually small runways are thousands of feet shorter than the ones you’d find at most larger airports. Here are five commercial airports with some of the shortest commercial runways in the United States.
Hollywood Burbank Airport – California
Shortest runway length: 5,802 feet
Hollywood Burbank Airport was formerly known as Bob Hope Airport, after the famed comedian who kept his private jet there. The airport has served the greater Los Angeles area since 1930 and has two asphalt runways, both of which are significantly shorter than those you’d typically find at busier airports.
There’s Runway 15/33, which is 6,886 feet long. Then there’s the smaller runway 08/26, which only measures 5,802 feet long. (For more information on how runways are numbered, check out this explainer.) This shorter-than-average length has resulted in several nonfatal, and thankfully rare, accidents over the years, in which airplanes have skidded past the runway. Boeing 737s are the most frequent type of commercial aircraft to land here, and larger models avoid the airport entirely due to the short runway length.
John Wayne Airport – California
Shortest runway length: 5,700 feet
Located in Orange County, California, a few miles south of Anaheim, John Wayne Airport has two runways, though only one services commercial aircraft. Runway 2R/20L, which is only 2,886 feet long, primarily serves general aviation aircraft. The main landing strip, Runway 2L/20R, handles commercial flights despite being a mere 5,700 feet long. Interestingly, Runway 2L/20R was even shorter when it was originally built, measuring just 4,800 feet long. Its length was extended by 900 feet during airport renovations in 1964, thus allowing it to handle larger jets.
Due to the short runway length and strict noise regulations in the surrounding communities, John Wayne Airport has a reputation for being one of the country’s scariest airports, with pilots required to make a steep incline during takeoff. While most planes take off at around a 10-degree angle, planes depart John Wayne Airport at an angle closer to 15 degrees.
Key West International Airport – Florida
Shortest runway length: 5,076 feet
Key West International Airport is located at the southern tip of the Florida Keys, where there’s little land space available. The airport has a single runway — Runway 09/27 — which is only 5,076 feet long. The abbreviated length of this runway means that strict weight restrictions are in effect on any aircraft flying into and out of the airport.
Many major airlines — such as Delta, United, and American — offer flights from Key West International, but despite the name, there are currently no international routes. However, there is a U.S. customs facility on site, which would allow for international flights. Due to the restrictive runway, though, no plane larger than a Boeing 737 or an Airbus A319 can arrive at Key West International Airport.
Hilton Head Island Airport – South Carolina
Shortest runway length: 5,000 feet
The runway at Hilton Head Island Airport in South Carolina requires precise landing and takeoff due to both its length and width. Here, Runway 03/21 is only 5,000 feet long and 100 feet wide, a width that’s 50 feet thinner than a standard commercial runway. To complicate the approach even further, nearby trees limit the actual landing distance to just 4,703 feet or 4,597 feet, based on the direction the aircraft is flying.
That said, Hilton Head’s runway was extended from 4,300 feet to 5,000 feet in 2008, and there are ongoing efforts to increase that by an additional 400 feet. The airport, located 35 miles from Savannah, mostly offers flights to East Coast cities such as Atlanta, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Washington National Airport – Virginia
Shortest runway length: 5,000 feet
One of the country’s shortest commercial runways is found at one of its busiest airports, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which is located in Virginia just outside of Washington, D.C. Upon opening in 1941, the airport had four runways, ranging from as long as 6,855 feet to just 4,100 feet. In 1956, the airport’s shortest runway was closed to make room for parking, leaving three runways that remain.
Today, Runway 1/19 is 7,169 feet long, Runway 15/33 measures 5,204 feet, and Runway 4/22 is 5,000 feet. The airport is surrounded on three sides by the Potomac River, thus making it quite difficult to extend the length of the runways any further. Despite these limitations, the airport sees upwards of 300 flights fly in and out daily, making it one of the 20 busiest airports in the country.
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