Airports, in theory, should be one of the places folks spend the least time. After all, they’re crossroads for those flying from one location to another, so there shouldn’t be a lot of downtime for those waiting to board their flight. However, as anyone who has flown could tell you, getting stuck in an airport for an extended period is not only possible, but extremely common.
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If you end up in such a scenario, you’ll want something to keep yourself occupied. A book or magazine can do the trick, and you should have the must-have gadgets for airport layovers. For most, though, a phone, tablet, or laptop is perfect. Not only can offline apps help time go by, but an internet connection is immensely helpful. And airports typically have free public Wi-Fi to connect to.
While there are things you shouldn’d do or should stop doing on public Wi-Fi, so long as you’re responsible, there’s no harm in connecting. But airport Wi-Fi isn’t the same across the board, and Wi-Fi speed vary from airport to airport. So you can plan for your next trip, these are the U.S. airports with the fastest free Wi-Fi, as compiled by data-research company Ookla, across the United States.
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Honorable mentions
The most pertinent airports in this conversation have the top five speediest free public Wi-Fi in the U.S. However, Ookla doesn’t just keep tabs on the nation’s absolute quickest rates. It goes a bit deeper than that, covering the next five airports, which deserve some recognition but aren’t the best of the best. (All of these results involve data from the third quarter of 2024.)
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At the bottom of the top 10 is New York’s LaGuardia Airport, in Queens, one of the best-known and busiest airports in the country. Be that as it may, its median download speed only came in at 152.77 megabits per second.
For Pittsburgh International Airport, the median download speed is 154.02. Rounding out the bottom three of the top 10, we find Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, in Kenner, Louisiana, wiht a median download speed of 157.68.
Just above that is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with a 160.39 Mbps median rate. Finally, just missing the top five is Broward County, Florida’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, specifically Terminal 3, with a median download speed of 162.18 Mbps.
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5. San Francisco International Airport
As a tourist destination, California has more than a few key airports. Los Angeles International Airport, often shortened to LAX, and San Diego International Airport are among its most notable, as is San Francisco International Airport. Over 53 million passengers yearly fly from this airport in San Mateo County, south of the city, to over 125 locations around the world. It’s been a California staple since 1927, but don’t let its age fool you — it has very much kept up with the times in technology.
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More specifically, it aims to please with its wireless internet capabilities, and while it’s not the fastest in America, it’s still pretty quick. During the third quarter of 2024, Ookla recorded San Francisco International Airport’s median download speed as around 166.37 Mbps. This was a significant jump over the previous year. In 2023, it came in at just 155.99 Mbps – respectable but not quite exceptional.
4. John Glenn Columbus International Airport
Ohio isn’t quite the tourist destination California is. But the state has several busy airports, with John Glenn Columbus International Airport one of the best-known. This airport began serving the public in 1929, and was known as Port Columbus International Airport before it took on its new moniker in 2016. It’s named after the late astronaut and U.S. Sen. John Glenn, who in 1962 became the first American to orbit the Earth in his capsule, Friendship 7.
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While John Glenn Columbus International Airport can’t offer you a historic spacefaring experience, its flights can take you to a host of destinations around the world. Not only that, but it can provide you with some pretty fast Wi-Fi. Per Ookla’s data, the airport came in at a median download speed of 173.52 Mbps. Unfortunately for those curious, John Glenn Columbus International Airport was added to Ookla’s data set only last year, so previous median download speeds weren’t recorded. Nevertheless, where it is now should serve you just fine.
3. Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International Airport
Most American airports take on the name of the city they’re in or a major city nearby, or are named in honor of a well-regarded public figure. Meanwhile, there are anomalies like Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International Airport, which is named after both a city in Ohio and a region of Kentucky. The airport is in Boone County, Kentucky — south of the city, across the Ohio River — and has been in operation since January of 1947, handling billions of dollars’ worth of passenger and cargo flights each year.
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This flight hub also has some pretty solid Wi-Fi speeds. Ookla says it had a median download speed of around 176.29 Mbps in the third quarter of 2024, which is nothing to scoff at. But this is a significant drop from where its Wi-Fi speeds were only a year ago – 210.09 Mbps. Still, it stands to reason you won’t have any trouble on your Wi-Fi device during your time at Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International Airport.
2. Daniel K. Inouye International Airport
Hawaii is a major tourist hub. The small island chain hosts countless tourists every year, with just a handful of airports to receive folks from mainland regions. Alongside Kahului Airport on Maui, Lihue Airport on Kauai, and Hilo International Airport and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, both on Hawaii Island is Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Dating back to 1927 and named after the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, it’s located in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. And it has some seriously impressive Wi-Fi speeds for those on their way to taking in the island’s breathtaking sights.
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Coming in just below the airport with the fastest current free Wi-Fi speeds in the U.S., Inouye International doesn’t disappoint in the internet department. Ookla’s data shows it had download speeds of 181.94 Mbps in Q3 2024. This marks only a minor decrease from the airport’s previous-year speed of a strong 187.58 Mbps.
1. San Jose Mineta International Airport
Less than an hour from the aforementioned San Francisco International Airport is San Jose Mineta International Airport. Named after Norman Y. Mineta, the late former congressman, San Jose mayor, and U.S. secretary of both transportation and commerce, the airport opened its doors in 1939.
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Like so many other airports across the U.S., San Jose Mineta International has free public Wi-Fi — the fastest in the nation. According to Ookla, its Wi-Fi boasted median download speeds of approximately 195.89 Mbps. As great as this number is, it’s a pretty sizable step down from the previous year, when it clocked peak speeds of 259.37 Mbps. Time will tell if those who frequent this airport can look forward to the speed increasing again down the road.
Air travel isn’t for the faint of heart. Airports are hectic, flying can be scary, and you could get stuck in one of the absolute worst seats on a plane. But at least airports have embraced free Wi-Fi connectivity, with some providing standout speed to keep you occupied, entertained, and otherwise connected through the chaos.
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