The Most Traveler-Friendly Airports In The Midwest, Ranked

Air travel used to be synonymous with glamor, but in the modern world, it is more likely to be a subject that brings up feelings of frustration and annoyance. For many who are traveling, cancellations, long lines at check-in, and often poor service on cramped planes can mean a whole load of stress, which, if severe enough, can partly erase the sense of relaxation you were hoping to feel by traveling in the first place.

But not every airport has to be a nightmare. Indeed, the analytics company J.D. Power has for years provided insightful data for those looking to discover where to fly from. And for the Midwest, which already boasts top-class destinations including a majestic collection of islands and spots where you might be lucky enough to spot the northern lights, J.D. Power has revealed in its North America Airport Satisfaction Study 2025 that there are some top international airports when it comes to traveler satisfaction (based on ease of travel through the airport, level of trust with the airport, terminal facilities, staff, departure experience at the airport, food and shops, and arrival experience). Here are the top five Midwestern international airports to keep in mind when booking your next flight.

The mega airport Minneapolis-Saint Paul International processed nearly 35 million passengers in 2023, almost hitting its record of 39.5 million which occurred the year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. It may be surprising, then, to find that even with this sort of traffic, the airport has come out on top in terms of traveler satisfaction, scoring a grand total of 660 out of 1,000 in the North America Airport Satisfaction Study 2025 compiled by J.D. Power. That is the best score of any mega airport in North America.

The airport has retained its crown from 2024, when it scored a total of 671 and beat out all other mega airports across key performance indicators, as listed above. Though it has dropped a handful of points — J.D. Power has not published from which metrics — it remains the best major airport you can fly from in the U.S. if you're looking to have a relaxing and enjoyable trip.

J.D. Power has reported an overall improvement in traveler satisfaction with airports in recent years, citing better and more locally focused food options as one of the reasons for this. And indeed, online reviewers tend to score MSP highly, praising the wide range of restaurants available, especially in Terminal 1, as well as other aspects of the airport that make it comfortable, such as the cleanliness of the restrooms.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is also listed as a mega airport in the J.D. Power report, serving an estimated 33 million passengers in 2024, which puts it in the same league as Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. It ranks second overall among mega airports in 2025, just behind MSP, having earned a total of 649 points to MSP's 660.

Like MSP, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport has scored highly in recent years; in fact, it was top of the list in 2023 but has narrowly lost out to its Midwestern rival for two years running, coming second each time. But it is a performance that can't be sniffed at, and customers do reflect the airport's reputation for quality and care in their comments online, noting that it is clean and efficiently run.

In a press release published in November 2024, Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Chad Newton reiterated the work that the airport had put in to make the experience of air travel more pleasant, even during the busy holiday season. "We continue to see growth in passenger traffic during the holidays, and we're determined to wow our customers as we enter the busy travel season. ... From new flights and shopping options to a Multi-Sensory Room, our entire team at DTW has been working hard to make our award-winning customer experience even better." The Multi-Sensory Room is especially designed as a safe and calm environment for those with sensory or cognitive issues that might be challenged by the airport environment. Elsewhere, the airport provides seasonal music, as well as a wide array of shopping opportunities.

Kansas City International is the highest ranking Midwest airport in the large airport category in 2025. It ranks No. 4 in the category of J.D. Power's North America Airport Satisfaction Study 2025, having held third place the previous year — both of which represent a huge improvement over 2023, when it ranked just 13th. However, 2023 did see Kansas City ranked the best overall airport in the United States according to TravelAwaits, which highlighted the opening of the airport's new terminal as one of the major reasons why flyers find it such a stress-free experience.

It has been a dramatic turnaround in the J.D. Power ranking, which now mirrors the findings of TravelAwaits by placing Kansas City with a score of 691 only behind Dallas Love Field (DAL), which scores 705; Tampa International Airport (TPA), which scores 709; and John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA), which scores 730, taking the title of the best large airport in North America.

Even when it comes to medium-sized airports, the Midwest is blessed with what J.D. Power claims is the best in the whole of North America. According to its 2025 ranking, Indianapolis International Airport comes out top in the research, with a grand score of 713 out of 1,000. It beats Ontario International Airport (ONT), which comes in a close second place with 709 points, and Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), which comes in No. 3 with 698 points.

Indianapolis International came out on top in 2024, too, but with a notably lower score of 687. As Michael Taylor, the managing director of Travel, Hospitality, and Retail at J.D. Power, told Forbes back then, "Indianapolis airport's trophy case is weighed down with all the J.D. Power awards it has received. ... Passengers value its convenient location at the junction of Highways 465 and I70. It has a great design with open spaces and sufficient space for TSA to do its job. Upgrades to food, beverage and retail have kept IND at the top."

Of course, not all analytics companies come to the same conclusion. See which beautiful, efficient, and spacious airport Skytrax claims is No. 1 in 2025.

Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) in Wisconsin is the second medium-sized airport in the Midwest to make the rankings in the 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, coming in No. 6 with a grand total of 685 points out of a possible 1,000. Milwaukee has retained the same position it had in the 2024 ranking, but its overall score has improved considerably since then, when it scored 669.

Reviewers praise Milwaukee Mitchell International as a good local airport that's compact and easy to navigate. The airport has a range of interesting shops before you go through security, meaning even those only at the airport to collect an arrival have the opportunity to pick up a few items. It also has a high-quality play area for children, making it an ideal airport for traveling families. Additionally, travelers have said they are impressed by the local food choices of MKE, which also features interesting decor, including mosaic works, that make the airport more easy on the eye than some of its rivals.

This article refers to the North America Airport Satisfaction Study, which has been compiled annually by the data analytics company J.D. Power. Using the metrics of "ease of travel through airport; level of trust with airport; terminal facilities; airport staff; departure/to airport experience; food, beverage and retail; and arrival/from airport experience," J.D. Power surveys airline customers for their individual experiences of North American airports, and then assesses these metrics for overall customer satisfaction. Over 30,000 surveys were used in the 2025 analysis, all respondents being travelers passing through U.S. and Canadian airports. Their analysts then tally these scores into a 1,000 point system by which to rank North American airports, which are then broken down into the categories "mega," "large," and "medium," based on the number of passengers each airport receives annually. We looked at these points and rankings and narrowed down the airports that were located within the Midwest region of the U.S.