PDX best airport in the country

Nor is LAX.....

MSP ranked number 4. It is a good airport and why I drive 2 1/2 hours to get there instead of flying out of Duluth. One thing I especially like is that there are a lot of local restaurants at the airport, and not just chains.

Here's a gifted link to the article for any who wants to see all the rankings. https://wapo.st/40ukB4z

You might have to register (just use a burner email) but you won't have to pay.

I’m not surprised that TPA Tampa International made the list at #11!

We're #1! (my home airport!) It is very nice. they are still finishing up some details (there's always construction at every airport) Baggage claim hasn't changed much at all. That's right...I said it....I check my bags sometimes.....

LA made it on the list....Long Beach!
And Seattle did too! Paine Field

Yogi Berra famously said, "No one goes there any more, it's too crowded."

The problem with WaPo's list is it features basically airports that are easy to use because no one wants to go to there.

What good is Portland to me. Last week I went from Denver to Bellevue, Wash. I flew into SeaTac, and it was a half hour trip on I-405 to Bellevue. It would have been an almost 3 hour trip from PDX. I could have flown one stop via their highly ranked SLC or SFO, but then it wouldn't have been non-stop. So how good an airport is, is pretty academic when you have to get somewhere else.

And speaking of DIA, it's a great airport, well laid out for the amount of traffic it handles, but it's one of the busiest airports in the world, so naturally it's a little more difficult to navigate.

Colorado Springs is a great airport, only six gates. You can park right in front and easily walk to your gate. But most United flights to eastern cities have a change at DIA. You might as well start at DIA.

Nor is LAX.....

I hate LAX.

Who thought using an unmarked bus system, where there's no announcement of which stop is next and the international terminal is not so named, to get from terminal to terminal was a good idea?

I'm never flying out of, or in to, that airport again.

PDX is fantastic, 'tho.

-- Mike Beebe

Since PDX is my Home airport, that's kinda nice to know!! Thanks for the heads up!

Laughing at DCA being #3. Whoever said that didn’t fly Southwest there, that part of the airport feels very 1940s, toilets are a joke (wife won’t pee there). And saying it has a scenic approach?? SEA, New York LGA, and Chicago Midway have a scenic approach, DCA is mostly water and the National Harbor Center + beltway, not that scenic.

Other recent rankings

https://airlinepolicies.com/best-airports-in-the-us/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2024/09/18/ranked-the-best-airports-in-the-us-and-canada-according-to-jd-power/

SAN Diego has one of the most scenic approaches of any U.S. Airport with planes literally flying adjacent to the downtown. That’s why I question how these lists are even compiled. As for WaPo picking PDX for best airport—you have to wonder what their methodology was to come to that conclusion. Is it because PDX isn’t really a hub for anywhere else, and therefore isn’t highly trafficked? If that’s the criteria, maybe the airport in Medford, Oregon is even better!

If one is wondering what their methodology was to come to their conclusions, no wonder necessary. The methodology is pretty well spelled out in the article. The reasons why it was chosen are also pretty well spelled out in the article. Suppositions about traffic and hubs are not relevant to the intent of the ranking.

I've been to a handful of the top 10 and based on the criteria in the article, the ones that I have visited, were a cut above.

I agree, Mr. E. The article was clear about the criteria they used to make the list. I like that smaller airports get some recognition. Maybe Duluth airport will step up its game a bit.

The Portland (PDX) site for those who want a look:

https://www.travelportland.com/plan/portland-international-airport-pdx/

I flew out of PDX in March and was very impressed.

Huh, my two airports are on the list - IAD is #17, and RIC is #37. I like them and whether they're on the list or not, isn't important. "Shopping" or "cool things" as criteria do nothing for me personally.

PDX has always been my preferred airport, but SEA is closer. I detest SEA except the lounges. PAE is great, but I wish the flights operated out of there were where I need to go. It’s 15 minutes from our home and would be so much more convenient.

I fly to PDX at least once a year to visit family. The new renovation is absolutely stunning! It really captures the feel of the natural beauty of the area.

FWIW: This what I value in an airport.

1. Clean, colorful, spacious and uncrowded toilets with artwork on the walls and partitions between the urinals. No shrieking wet hands blow dryers a plus. (MSP wins on this account, best airport toilets in US, no fresh flowers though).

2. Solid ground access, by freeway, only minor issues w/traffic backups when accessing, and rail transit connection. Incidentally DCA has the rail connection but is poor on road access, often congested and I am related to people who have had to abandon their rides and walk between unmoving cars to get to terminal.

3. Speedy baggage handling, quick delivery at carousel, MSP does this well.

4. Rental cars walking distance and no shuttle. MSP has this, also DCA, Grand Rapids, Dayton, Orange County, Charleston, others. Dislike PHX, LAX, LGA, ABQ, LAS, Sacramento, Midway, others with mandatory shuttle. It adds so much time on both ends.

Mardee, thanks for the gifted article. It was a fun read.

Carol, you're welcome. Yes, I enjoyed it, too!

Rental cars walking distance and no shuttle...

Toby, I agree with everything you said. I'm not sure if you've ever flown out of Cincinnati (CVG) but their rental cars used to be 10-15 minutes away by shuttle. It seemed to take forever to get there, and I hated it. However, about 5+ years ago, they had a major renovation and now it's just a quick walk past security to get there. It is so much nicer now.

PDX...been there...last time earlier this month. It's OK.

I vote for Easterwood. Hands down winner.

PDX is my home airport. It has always been a pretty efficient place and with the new terminal nearly complete it is one of the most beautiful in the county. The rebuilt terminal even includes a patch of the original carpet for us to take 'footsies' on when departing or arriving home!

Mardee: Somehow I have missed Cincinnati (including the airport), and the cities of Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Tampa, Houston and Dallas. Maybe someday.

My husband and I were discussing this list the other day. It's a nice list for airports to brag about, but it's not helpful to us in a practical sense. We are unwilling to drive 1.5 hours to another airport, so we use our local mid-sized airport. (It didn't make the list, and it doesn't belong there anyway.) We're literally stuck with this airport. If I want to enjoy PDX or ABQ, I have to fly to those specific destinations, and from my poorly connected airport, that requires a connection. This means I'm spending most of my time in a hub airport. I think this list would have been more useful if it compared airports of similar size. LGB is #2 and only has 11 gates. Why is it ranked two spots higher than MSP, which is a Delta hub? The size and traffic seem too different to compare.

Concerning the methodology, I've got two bones to pick. Unless the surveyed readers are pilots, flight attendants, or frequent business travelers, how can they know enough about all the airports to vote? Also, who uses Yelp anymore?

"Sure, PDX is nice. It is my "home airport" - but do I "enjoy" the airport experience at PDX. Are you kidding?"

Some people don't. Some do. I've had people tell me they did.

I suspect they hadn't flown much and the "newness" was still boosting things. Don't know.

And another award for PDX from UNESCO Prix Versailles - details at prix-versailles.com. I was happy to have PDX as my home airport long before the remodel and all this attention!

We fly into PDX several times a year to visit our son. It's a beautiful airport that's easy to navigate. My only complaint is that Peet's coffee is never open (because we fly weird hours).

Having said that-SeaTac is also a beautiful airport with great restaurants and shopping!

Mardee: Somehow I have missed Cincinnati (including the airport), and the cities of Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Tampa, Houston and Dallas. Maybe someday.

toby, I do highly recommend Cincinnati, but I'm a bit biased as that is where I was born and grew up. It's a beautiful city, though, with one of the oldest fully preserved downtown districts in the US, including the largest collection of Italianate architecture, great parks, breweries and wonderful restaurants galore, and hosts the largest Oktoberfest outside of Munich. I just love it.

I also love Toronto. I used to go there regularly for work and it's one of my favorite cities in North America. I was thinking a few weeks ago that I would love to go back and visit there, as it's been quite a while since I was there.

A younger relative was the Project Manager for the PDX remodel.

Two of my favorite smaller airports are Omaha and Fairbanks. We just flew in/out of Fairbanks again last week and it is always so relaxing. No waits, friendly TSA, just super low key. I often take a case of wine with me to take to family there, so I appreciate that the baggage claim is so easy and the oddball packages like the wine (and firearms) get picked up right next to it. No traipsing across half the globe;)

Probably one of the most attractive points of PDX is that they have a rule about food & drink pricing. Vendors charge the same price as their outlets in town, so visitors to the airport aren't reamed like the case at the vast majority of airports across the world. This rule hasn't hurt the vendors, as there is always a waiting list for the spaces at PDX. Traveling is stressful enough, and feeling like you are getting ripped-off at each opportunity is my impression of airports in general.

Apparently other people like the new Portland Airport (PDX) as well. I'm not familiar with the Prix Versailles but the newspaper seems impressed.

"Portland airport earns prestigious international honor"

https://www.oregonlive.com/travel/2025/07/portland-airport-earns-prestigious-international-honor.html

https://www.prix-versailles.com/_files/ugd/a1118c_3f885c0b4637461b9680cbbf710e0d72.pdf

[snip]
The Portland International Airport was included on the 2025 World’s Most Beautiful Airports List compiled by the Prix Versailles, an organization that hands out a series of international architecture awards.