These Are the Most Family-friendly Airports in the U.S.
The study looked at available play areas, breastfeeding stations, restaurants, family-friendly security line options, and more.When it comes to airport designs, the comfort of children—and the adults charged with looking after them—barely feels like it was a consideration. There are never enough breast feeding stations or play areas, and getting through security can feel like a nightmare. But not all airports are created equal, and a new study from iCandy identified one family-friendly southern airport that came out above the rest in the United States.
Memphis International Airport (MEM) took the top spot in the U.S. thanks to its nine restaurants, five nursing rooms, and security assistance. And while the airport doesn't offer rentable strollers and features just one play area, it stood at the top of the list for American airports. (The airport clocked in at No. 23 worldwide.)
To create its Little Flyers Index, the company evaluated more than 100 international airports, looking at the number of play areas, breastfeeding stations, restaurants, family-friendly security line options, availability of rentable strollers, and the total number of annual passengers.
The next best airport in the U.S. for families was Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), which tied for No. 26 on the list and also features nine restaurants and one play area, and (like Memphis), offers security options. However, Palm Springs only offers one breast feeding station.
That was followed by Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) by Washington D.C., which offers 43 restaurants to choose from, one play area, five breastfeeding stations, and rentable strollers. However, there are no options for family-friendly security so families with young children must navigate the lines alone.
These are the top 10 family-friendly airports in the US, according to the Little Flyer Index.
1. Memphis International, Memphis, Tennessee (No. 23 worldwide)2. Palm Springs International Airport, Palm Springs, California (No. 26 worldwide)3. Ronald Reagan Washington National, Washington, D.C., Virginia (No. 27 worldwide)4. San Diego International Airport, San Diego, California (No. 29 worldwide)5. John Glenn Columbus International, Columbus, Ohio (No. 37 worldwide)6. Charleston International, Charleston, South Carolina (No. 38 worldwide)7. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International, Minneapolis, Minnesota (No. 39 worldwide)8. Logan International, Boston, Massachusetts (No. 43 worldwide)9. John F. Kennedy International, New York, New York (No. 45 worldwide)10. O'Hare International, Chicago, Illinois (No. 46 worldwide)
Traveling with young children? Travel + Leisure has you covered with more family-friendly travel tips, including resort recommendations, beach suggestions, and top campground ideas.
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Buzz Feed
21 Things Americans Didn't Realize Were Only American
Recently, Redditor u/chopsticktalk asked Reddit community members from the US to share the things they didn't realize were "very American" until they visited another country, and some of the responses are mind-boggling: "Ranch dressing. Ranch-flavored Doritos are still sold, but they're labeled as 'American flavor.'" —sniper91 "Having air conditioning everywhere. I went on a business trip to Germany. It was 80 degrees outside, and my German coworkers simply opened up a window for some air exchange. I went to the mall to get a SIM card for my phone, and most of the mall didn't have air conditioning, either." "Red Solo Cups. When I studied abroad in New Zealand, everyone asked me about them. Granted, this was at the height of Jersey Shore's popularity." —fezfrascati "Here in the US, outside of big cities, it's pretty much required to drive a car. When I lived abroad for a few years, I was able to survive completely off public transport, the occasional taxi, and walking on my own two feet." "Portion sizes and taking home leftovers." —hubert--cumberdale "I moved to the Netherlands eight years ago. The biggest one I realized was probably working while sick. For 20 years, I came to work every day unless I physically couldn't. Like, I had to be so sick that I legitimately couldn't make myself get out of bed. Even then, I felt bad for not showing up. I was in the Netherlands for maybe three months already when I got a cold. My boss came around to my desk and sent me home. I was still on my probation period, so I was super worried that if I took a sick day, I'd be fired and sent back on a plane to the US." "How much water is in toilet bowls." —AcanthocephalaIcy516 "Billboards along the highways." "Ice cold beverages. I worked in China, and they did drinks with no ice and had room-temperature water. I was so excited when my translator turned to me while we were ordering and asked if I wanted ice with my drink. I said, 'They have ice? YES!' The translator and the guy behind the counter laughed and said, 'No, we don't have ice.'" —Delaneybuffett "A big culture shock to me in Europe was that there were many major cities that weren't filled with skyscrapers like in the US. I guess it isn't specifically American, but it definitely threw me for a loop." "Screens in windows. Does Europe not have bugs?" —Over_Dog24 "Advertising medical treatments for profit." "Unlimited refills of coffee at restaurants." —GoddessoftheUniverse "Eating a meal really quickly. I was just in England, and even in relatively casual restaurants, the waiter will only check up on you two or three times in an hour because they assume you're going to take your time and enjoy your meal. I walked into a restaurant an hour before close, and they specifically told me, 'We close in an hour, are you sure you will have enough time?' And my only thought was that I could eat my meal as fast as they could make it." "Garbage disposals." —Mysterious-Hawk6030 "I didn't truly appreciate the 24-hour grocery stores when I lived in the US. When I moved to Belgium, it was a weirdly hard transition being only able to shop during normal hours. I moved back to the US before COVID-19, and now we rarely have 24-hour grocery stores in the US anymore." "Competitive sports among high schools and colleges." —niels_nitely "The loudness. My fellow Americans talk SO LOUD ALL THE TIME." "Free public restrooms. I'm not saying they're clean or nice in the US, but it was annoying trying to remember to carry coins around Paris just so I can pee." —DrPorkchopES "Leaving out sales tax from prices in the stores." Lastly: "Chitchat. Americans can start conversations with random strangers and feel completely normal sharing their stories." —phage5169761 Honestly, yeah, the portion sizes in America are truly wild. If you're American, what are some things you didn't realize were "very American" until you left the US? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your thoughts using the form below!
Axios
2 days ago
- Axios
Sin City tourism slump signals wider economic slowdown
Tourism is down by roughly 11% in Las Vegas this year, with visitor numbers, convention attendance and hotel occupancy all lower than usual, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Why it matters: Las Vegas' financial health, with its large gambling market attractive to those with disposable income, is typically considered an indicator of the broader U.S. economy's strength. The lower numbers, released last week, come alongside President Trump's escalating trade war that has frustrated travelers and a broader decline in international tourism to the U.S. By the numbers: The destination experienced an 11% year over year decline in visitation, seeing roughly 400,000 fewer visitors in June of 2025, when compared to June of 2024. Context: More broadly, international spending in the U.S. tourism market is expected to fall by $12.5 billion this year, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, a UK-based organization that researches the global tourism industry. The projection estimated the industry will make $169 billion this year, down from $181 billion in 2024. The shortfall reflects a 22.5% drop compared to the previous peak. What they're saying: "This is a wake-up call for the U.S. government," Julia Simpson, president of the World Travel & Tourism Council, said in a statement. "While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. government is putting up the 'closed' sign," she added. The Trump administration did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. Zoom out: The president's trade war and its frequently changing deadlines have helped alienate traditional American allies, as Axios' Emily Peck previously reported.
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Buzz Feed
Americans Share Culture Shock Abroad
So much of traveling abroad is learning how to adapt to a new culture while you're visiting, and oftentimes, you discover differences that you never even expected would be unique to your own country's culture. So when Reddit user u/TJBullz asked the question, "Americans of Reddit, what is something you didn't realize was typically American, until you went abroad?" In r/AskReddit, I knew it would be full of some very interesting and unbelievable realizations: "Garbage disposals in sinks. When I moved to the UK, my flatmates asked how in movies people would stick their hands in the sink drain and it would be ripped apart. I told them about garbage disposals, and they were very weirded out." "Ranch flavor Doritos in the Netherlands are called 'Cool American' flavor." "Red plastic cups for parties. So much so that people outside the US use them as an accessory to American-themed parties." "Keeping the AC on 100% of the time in the summer. I visited Madrid for about a month to see the exchange student we housed, and found that they typically only turn on the AC at night to sleep or when it reaches a damned 105 degrees F." "Dressing like shit to do stuff like grocery shopping. We went to the Netherlands for about two weeks, and we never saw anyone dress in comfy shit. Like, everyone looked nice everywhere… at all hours. You catch me walking through Walmart at 3 a.m., and I'm wearing old PJs and whatever shirt I happen to exist in, and I'm probably not wearing socks." "At a buffet in Germany, I had to pay for ketchup." "Sugar. When I visited Japan, even some of their sweetest desserts paled in comparison to how much sugar is in American food." "I was struck by the extent to which nobody talks to strangers in northern Europe ... Even in big cities in the US, people will talk to each other sometimes in line, on the subway, etc. Not deep conversations, but it isn't weird to make casual conversation." "S'mores. I was in New Zealand having a bonfire on the beach, and someone went and grabbed a bag of marshmallows, and then everyone just ate them??! By themselves?! And someone from Sweden asked me if s'mores were a real thing or only on TV. I was flabbergasted. This all could be due in part to the fact other places don't tend to have graham crackers." "Water pressure. Y'all's showers are like a flower watering pot. I like to feel my shower. Like, make the pressure strong enough to tear my skin off, then back it off like ten percent." "Road least just jumping in the car and driving a few hours without giving it much thought. I live in a large western state, and it seems at least every other weekend my family and I were in the car traveling for a few hours to see some sights or go into Mexico or another state." "Cold drinks. Every European country I visited, the drinks would best be described as cool but definitely not cold like in the US." "Tailgates. I've lived in the States my entire life, but when my Spanish girlfriend came to visit, I wasn't sure what I could show her that really exhibited American culture. There are plenty of American stereotypes you see on TV, but it wasn't until I took her to a tailgate that I realized how violently American the whole experience is." "The fear of strangers. I was in Munich and chatted a girl up at the hotel bar. She asked me to walk her home, and I hesitated at first because I thought, 'We hardly know each other, and that's walking around in a large city at night alone together.' She saw NOTHING wrong with it, and no one looked at us funny. I did so, and it was fine. The Germans just are not paranoid about stranger danger the way Americans are." "Apparently, it's weird to carry around a reusable, non-plastic water bottle outside the US. When I studied in South America, the big joke at the university was, 'You can always tell who the Americans are by their water bottles.' I'm talking Nalgene, Swell, etc. with stickers on it. I was embarrassed by this, but not enough to not stay hydrated." And finally, here's an interesting one for everyone who loves to wine and dine while they're abroad: "Going out to a restaurant. In America, you are seated ASAP, and then they bring you drinks, appetizers, an entree, dessert, and then your check. It's as quick as possible (if it's good service) for a total time of 45 minutes to an hour and a half-ish. Staying past this time is seen as a bit rude." Are you an American who has also discovered some "distinctly American" things during your travels? Let me know in the comments!
