- Flights to remote islands or locations in Florida, Alaska, and Hawaii take the top spots for the shortest flights.
- The shortest scheduled flight is only one mile.
- The longest flights stretch between the East Coast and Hawaii and between Seattle and Miami.
Not all flights require hours in the air—some are over in minutes. A newly released list reveals the shortest commercial routes in the U.S., many of which span less than 200 miles and serve as lifelines for remote communities.
The briefest of them all? A scheduled one-mile flight between the Alaskan towns of Point Baker and Port Protection, operated by Taquan Air. This is followed by the four-mile flight between Twin Hills, Alaska, and Togiak, Alaska.
The data was collected by aviation analytics company Cirium and shared with Travel + Leisure.
The single-digit mile scheduled flights, all under 10 miles, operate mostly throughout Alaska and Hawaii. Many travelers may not recognize the small aviation companies by name—such as Bering Air or Grant Aviation—but these air carriers often provide critical help and support to the small communities they serve (like transporting goods) while also offering unique opportunities for travelers to visit off-the-beaten path destinations.
When it comes to major commercial flights, most of the shortest in the U.S. are between small islands and remote destinations. In fact, the top four shortest flights operated by major carriers are all within remote parts of Alaska on Alaska Airlines, with the shortest being just 31 miles.
Beyond Alaska, flights between Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) clock in at just 67 miles. Other short routes include Denver International Airport (DEN) to Colorado Springs Airport (COS) as well as San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Monterey Regional Airport (MRY).
Slightly further down the rankings is a quick 126-mile hop between Miami International Airport (MIA), and Key West International Airport (EYW).
At the opposite end of the spectrum, some of the longest flights in the U.S. tend to be operated from the East Coast all the way to Hawaii. The absolute longest recorded flight within the country is a 5,095-mile-long trip flown by Hawaiian Airlines between Honolulu and Boston.
Once other carriers’ Hawaii routes are excluded, Atlanta to Anchorage ranks high as one of the longest routes with a total distance of 3,416 miles. The longest flight within the contiguous U.S. is flown between Seattle and Miami at 2,724 miles and is operated by several carriers, including American Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
If travelers are preparing for a long—or short—flight, experts have previously recommended to T+L they consider downloading movies and podcasts before boarding, and charge all of their electronics in advance. Regardless of the flight length, experts recommend staying hydrated and stretching throughout the flight to prevent dehydration or the potential for a blood clot to form.
