A good cup of coffee can make an early flight a little easier or provide a much needed pick-me-up during a long travel day, especially when you have a layover. But airport coffee is a bit of a gamble. You might find a genuinely good local roaster just steps from your gate, or end up paying airport prices for something that tastes like it’s been sitting on the burner for hours. To help narrow down your options, a new study ranked the coffee scenes at 50 of the largest U.S. airports. Here are the five highest-rated and five lowest-rated airports in the study, along with coffee spots worth seeking out on your next layover.

The 5 Best U.S. Airports for Coffee

To compile this list, we turned to a 2026 study from the travel and credit card advice website Upgraded Points. The study’s authors analyzed Google ratings for over 470 coffee shops and cafes at 50 airports to calculate each airport’s rating. They also compared the number of coffee shops per square mile to assess how easy it is to grab a cup. The average rating was just 2.94 out of 5, proving a truly good airport coffee isn’t always easy to find.

5. Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU) 

Rating: 3.53

Raleigh Durham International Airport is particularly convenient for caffeine seekers. Though it landed at No. 5 overall, it ranked second in the study for the metric of coffee shops per 10,000 daily passengers, so you should have a decent chance of finding a cup without a long detour.

Where to go: Try Black and White Coffee Roasters, a North Carolina roaster with an airport-exclusive coffee called First in Flight. It’s a dark roast with tasting notes of dark chocolate, cherry, and marzipan. 

4. Miami International Airport (MIA)

Rating: 3.56

Miami International Airport offers the widest selection among the top five airports in the study, with 12 coffee shops to choose from. Beyond standard espresso drinks, travelers can try Cuban and Latin American coffee specialties.

Where to go: Cafe Versailles showcases Miami’s Cuban coffee culture, serving cafecito, a small, strong Cuban espresso, alongside pastelitos (Cuban pastries) and empanadas. There are five locations across the airport.

3. Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) 

Rating: 3.83

Pittsburgh scored highly for both coffee quality and availability, ranking No. 6 for the number of coffee shops per 10,000 daily passengers. That makes the airport a good choice if you want decent coffee without having to trek across the (shiny new) terminal to find it.

Where to go: Cafe Conmigo is a locally owned coffee and tea shop with a more neighborhood feel than the typical airport chain. 

2. Kahului Airport, Maui (OGG) 

Rating: 4.00

The airport serving Maui, the second biggest in Hawaii, may have a slim selection of coffee shops (just two), but chances are you won’t be disappointed. 

Where to go: Royal Kona Coffee serves Kona coffee and espresso drinks with Hawaiian twists, such as macadamia and coconut lattes. 

1. Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) 

Rating: 4.03 out of 5

Houston’s Hobby Airport takes the top spot in the Upgraded Points study. Its five coffee shops managed to average 4.03 stars on Google reviews, making it the highest-rated airport in the study.

Where to go: Look for local coffee options like Throughgood Bistro and Bar, located in the ticketing lobby before security, or Common Bond Bar, Bistro, and Bakery, located near Gate 1.

The 5 Worst U.S. Airports for Coffee

5. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) 

Rating: 2.32

Chicago’s Midway Airport has one of the highest concentrations of coffee shops per square mile, but more coffee doesn’t always mean better coffee. Coffee outlets at the airport generally had below-average Google reviews, leading to Midway’s ranking among the bottom five airports in the study.

4. Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL) 

Rating: 2.23

Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Airport has 12 coffee shops, so finding coffee shouldn’t be difficult. However, finding one that earns decent reviews may be a struggle. 

3. St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) 

Rating 2.13

St. Louis’ airport has only four coffee shops, and according to reviews, none of them is worth writing home about. If you need a caffeine fix, Midtown Cafe is probably your best bet for coffee, doughnuts, and pastries. 

2. New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) 

Rating: 2.08

LaGuardia’s ranking is particularly surprising because it has the highest concentration of coffee shops per square mile in the study. There are plenty of places to grab a cup, but more options have not translated into better reviews. High prices may have something to do with that — a 2025 study named LGA the most expensive airport in the U.S. 

1. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)

Rating: 2.00 out of 5

Cincinnati’s airport landed last in the study, with just three coffee shops and lower-than-average reviews. One option that may be worth seeking out is Braxton Brewing, which serves coffee from the Cincinnati-based Deeper Roots Coffee.

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