Chicago's O'Hare claims U.S.'s busiest airport title, but Atlanta disputes losing crown
Has a new airport taken the crown for America's busiest airport away from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson? That depends on who you ask.
Last week, Chicago officials announced that O'Hare International Airport was the busiest airfield in the United States, taking the honor from Atlanta.
The Midwest city pointed to data from the Federal Aviation Administration, which showed that 857,392 planes took off or landed at O'Hare in 2025, a massive increase of 10.5% compared to 2024. The data showed that Atlanta has 807,625 arrivals and departures, putting it in second place. Atlanta had held the top spot since 2020.
"This is more than a statistic, it's a statement about Chicago's momentum," Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement announcing the title claim. "From the runways of O'Hare to the neighborhoods across our city, Chicago is building, growing, and leading. We are open for business, open to the world, and once again setting the pace for the nation."
Flights versus passengers
However, officials at the Atlanta airport had a different perspective, arguing that flights aren't the way you determine who is busiest.
According to the latest Airports Council International (ACI) data, Hartsfield-Jackson ranked first in passenger traffic. While the numbers for 2025 have not been released, the Atlanta airport saw 108.1 million passengers in 2024. In this metric, O'Hare ranked eighth with 80 million.
The latest figures from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics in October showed Atlanta still in the lead passenger-wise, with a reported 89.5 million to O'Hare's 66.8 million.
"Hartsfield-Jackson remains the world's busiest airport by total passenger traffic—the global standard used to measure 'busiest,' said Hartsfield-Jackson General Manager Ricky Smith. "Some recent comparisons are based on aircraft operations, meaning takeoffs and landings, which is a different metric and can be influenced by flight frequency and aircraft size."
Smith said he respected other major transit hubs, but Atlanta continues to lead the nation and world when it comes to moving people.
"We're focused on sustaining that performance every day," he said.
So which one is actually the busiest? Both airports have a claim to the title. It may just be whether you live in the South or the Midwest that determines which you think is right.