Looking for a comprehensive comparison between LAX and SFO? Let’s dig in quick!
Is LAX Bigger Than SFO?
No, SFO is bigger than LAX. The Los Angeles airport (LAX) covers 3,500 acres while San Francisco airport (SFA) covers 5,207 acres of land. That makes SFO 1.5 times bigger than LAX.
Another valid consideration in the LAX vs SFO discussion is the passenger traffic that went through each airport in 2022. Let’s find out.
Passenger Volume: LAX vs SFO
In 2022, LAX did 65,924,298 in passenger volume while SFO served 42,281,641 passengers in the same period. Hence, in terms of passenger traffic, LAX is bigger than SFO.
You certainly also would agree that, aside land area covered and passenger volumes, we can also talk about facilities in place. Airports have terminals, runways, gates, and lounges, for example.
Let’s see how both airports size up in the areas of terminals and runways.
Terminals
The Los Angeles airport has 9 terminals. SFO on the other hand is served by 4 terminals. Certainly, it’s a bigger number for LAX which and it makes sense for the higher number of passengers going through the airport annually.
Runways: LAX vs SFO
When talking runways, it’s interstingly the same for both airports. SFO and LAX have 4 runways each.
It’s always a good idea to explore and decide the best airport to fly to for a give destination. And I hope that this quick overview of the two airports considered would facilitate your choice.
I’ve found that folks like often want to know the answer the following question(s).
What is the largest airport in California?
The largest airport in California is the Sacramento International Airport (SMF). SMF covers an impressive 6,000 acres of land.
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