By Hola America News
New FAA data shows Chicago’s main hub has overtaken Atlanta in total flights, underscoring the city’s role as a key gateway for Midwest travelers.
Chicago O’Hare airport has returned to the top of the national rankings. Preliminary data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), cited by national outlets, shows that the Chicago hub was the busiest airport in the United States in 2025, ending several years of dominance by Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson.
For millions of passengers who connect through Chicago from Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and the wider Midwest, the news confirms what many already experience: O’Hare is once again the center of U.S. air traffic and a crucial link to the rest of the country and the world.
Chicago O’Hare airport tops U.S. traffic in 2025
According to FAA data, Chicago O’Hare airport handled 857,392 total takeoffs and landings in 2025. That figure includes all arrivals and departures throughout the year.
CBS News previously reported that O’Hare saw 776,036 flights in 2024. The latest count represents a 10.5% increase in just one year, a sign of how quickly traffic has ramped up.
The new numbers push Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport out of the top spot it had held since 2020. O’Hare last held the “busiest” title in 2019, so the 2025 data marks a return to form for Chicago after the disruptions of the pandemic years.
How O’Hare compares to other major hubs
The rest of the FAA’s preliminary list shows how tight the race is among the country’s biggest airports. Behind Chicago O’Hare airport in 2025 were:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with 807,625 takeoffs and landings
- Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, with 741,286
- Denver International Airport, with 707,268
- Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, with 586,821
Chicago’s second commercial airport, Midway International, also appears on the list. It ranked 38th in the country, with 210,930 takeoffs and landings. Together, O’Hare and Midway help anchor air travel for the broader Chicago region and much of the Midwest.
For airlines, the ranking reflects the importance of Chicago as a hub. O’Hare serves as a major base for American Airlines and United Airlines. For passengers, it often means that when they leave cities like Des Moines, Omaha, Sioux City, Davenport or Peoria, their first stop on the way to either coast or to Mexico and beyond is Chicago.
Chicago O’Hare airport infrastructure and planned expansion
Beyond flight counts, Chicago O’Hare airport is already one of the largest and most complex facilities in the country. According to information cited by FlyChicago, the airport currently has 201 gates. United Airlines controls 90 of them, while American Airlines operates 71.
Inside the terminals, there are 146 food and beverage locations, along with 86 newsstands, gift shops, specialty retail, duty-free and service outlets. That mix gives travelers a wide range of options during layovers, but it also reflects just how busy and commercialized the airport has become.
The activity is expected to keep growing. A new Concourse D is planned as part of a larger modernization project, with a projected cost of $1.3 billion. The concourse would add 19 gates and is expected to be completed in late 2028. That expansion would increase O’Hare’s capacity to handle more flights and more connections in the coming years.
City leaders have tied these numbers to Chicago’s broader economic outlook. In a press release issued on January 20, Mayor Brandon Johnson said the FAA data is “more than a statistic” and called it a statement about “Chicago’s momentum.” He added that “from the runways of O’Hare to the neighborhoods across our city, Chicago is building, growing, and leading.”
What the busiest ranking means for Midwest travelers
For travelers across the Midwest, Chicago O’Hare airport being the busiest in the country has practical consequences. More flights typically mean more choices in schedules, routes and airlines, especially for passengers flying from smaller regional airports that rely on hubs for connections.
Families visiting relatives, students heading back to campus, and workers traveling for jobs often funnel through O’Hare on their way in or out of the region. For many of them, Chicago isn’t the final destination but the critical middle stop that links Iowa, Nebraska and downstate Illinois to both coasts and to international gateways.
However, higher traffic can also bring familiar challenges: crowded terminals, tight connections and longer lines at security and boarding. As the airport adds new gates and carriers expand their operations, how well O’Hare manages that growth will directly impact the travel experience for Midwest communities that depend on it.
Busiest doesn’t mean most stressful
Being the busiest hub doesn’t automatically make Chicago O’Hare airport the most stressful place to fly, but it does appear near the top of at least one stress ranking.
According to an analysis by iSelect, an Australian travel insurance comparison company, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey was identified as the most stressful airport in the world. New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Chicago O’Hare also made the list, ranking fourth and fifth respectively.
That list considers factors such as passenger volume, flight frequency and other elements that can add pressure to the travel experience. For frequent flyers from the Midwest, the survey’s results might confirm what they already feel during peak travel days.
Still, local leaders point to the busiest-airport ranking as a sign of strength. With Chicago O’Hare airport back on top in total flights and a major expansion on the horizon, the city is positioning itself to remain a central hub for U.S. and international travel, and a key link for Midwest communities that rely on Chicago to stay connected.
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