Two Of The Least Crowded Airports In America Are Unexpectedly Located In California

There are many aviation hubs across California, including America's coolest airport, and some of the nation's busiest, too. For instance, Los Angeles International (LAX) ranks as the fourth-busiest airport in the United States, welcoming some 36.7 million travelers in 2023. San Francisco International (SFO) follows as the second-busiest in the state, with about 24.2 million flyers passing through its terminals that same year, placing it just outside the country's 10 busiest airports.

SFO is not the only commercial airport in the San Francisco Bay Area. There is also Oakland International Airport (OAK) — a major hub for Southwest Airlines located around 25 minutes from downtown San Francisco — and San José Mineta International Airport (SJC), a two-terminal facility in Silicon Valley that's the Bay Area's smallest commercial airport. Together, these airports cater to a metropolitan population of some 7.6 million people and one of the most important regional economies in the world. 

Despite this, both airports have a remarkably tranquil atmosphere. In fact, these airports are so sparse that they consistently rank among the least crowded airports in the United States. Even sparser is Hollywood Burbank Airport, which has the thinnest crowds of any airport in the contiguous United States. So, if you're California bound anytime soon, check out these airports for stress-lite travel.

Frequent flyers across the United States will have likely suffered the enormous crowds of Dallas-Fort Worth, Hartsfield Jackson, Chicago O'Hare, and Los Angeles International — one of the worst airports in the world, according to Reddit. Fortunately, Oakland International Airport, San Jose Mineta International Airport, and Hollywood Burbank Airport offer a respite to such chaos. 

According to Lending Tree, Oakland Airport had 7.3 million available seats but only 5.4 million passengers, which is an occupation rate of 74.0%. Nearby San Jose Airport had slightly higher figures, with 5.8 million passengers using 7.7 million seats, resulting in a marginally greater 75.3% occupancy. Hollywood Burbank, meanwhile, registered 3.2 million passengers accessing 4.5 million seats, working out at 71.8% occupancy, just above the 70.6% rate of Hawaii's Kahului Aiport.

Lending Tree surmises that fewer routes and higher fares cause these airports' thin crowds. However, Oakland flies to dozens of cities across the United States and North America, from Albuquerque and Idaho Falls to Cancun, San Salvador, and Puerto Vallarta. San Jose goes further, connecting travelers to Tokyo, Washington D.C., and airports across Hawaii. Burbank Airport is strictly U.S.-based, but it still offers non-stop services to major hubs across the country.

If you're flying from California to Europe, Asia, or beyond, then there will likely be no avoiding LAX and SFO. The latter may be busy, but is also one of America's best airports for live music. If your travel plans are within North America, though, then consider these relaxing alternatives.