One Of The Best Small Airports In America Is On The East Coast

Sometimes, the best airport for your trip may be a huge one with a ton of amenities and a staggering number of flights. However, bigger airports have a lot more traffic, massive crowds, and really long walks to your gate. You may use every airport hack to get through TSA quickly and do everything you can to make yourself more comfortable while traveling, but it's just exhausting. A smaller airport can be a much more relaxing experience. 

One such spot is the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) in Rochester, New York, which is listed on USA Today's 10 Best Small Airports in 2024. This is the second consecutive year the airport has been featured on the list, moving from No. 10 to No. 7. Their reasons for voting for Rochester include a Legacy Mural inspired by the life of local abolitionist Frederick Douglass (for whom the airport was named in 2020), improved security checkpoints, and a beautiful canopy made of solar panels, fabric, and glass. Over 2.6 million passengers went through this airport in 2023, the highest number in more than 15 years. 

The airport may be small, but it is not short on amenities. In the parking area, there are lights that allow you to see which spaces are open and which are not, while the airport itself has a variety of food and beverage options. It is a 10-minute drive from the town itself, and there are some art and interactive installations, as well as an emphasis on accessibility. This is the perfect airport to use for vacations and ski trips to Upstate New York and the Finger Lakes Region.

The airport has a number of nonstop flights to major destinations like Las Vegas, New York City, Philadelphia, Newark, Miami Detroit, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, and Boston. There are wheelchair accessible parking spaces, shuttle buses, and elevators, as well as hearing loops and counter loops at all airline and car rental counters. There are also LED lights for visual cues at gates, and you can get visual information on demand from a remote agent through the Aira Airport Network App.

There are certain airport amenities you'll want to utilize while traveling, and the Rochester airport has plenty. Free Wi-Fi is available, and there are charging stations and lots of food choices, including Taste of Rochester, Dunkin' (of course), the Flight Deck Diner, and On the Rocs Sports Bar and Grill. It has partnered with the Rochester Public Library on the lower level, offering a place where you can take books that you don't have to return for free or donate ones you've already read for other passengers. It also has wellness activities and coloring pages. There is even a pet therapy program to help with stress during peak times.

Airports are often great places to experience public art, and Rochester is no different. A wonderful Frederick Douglass Legacy Mural was made in December 2021, depicting his life and family. Other exhibits include the National Toy Hall of Fame with a giant Etch-A-Sketch and the World Video Game Hall of Fame with old games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and a giant Lite-Brite. You can also see the Curtiss Pusher plane from 1911. It's worth getting there early just to enjoy the airport.