LaGuardia Airport — New York, United States

Tucked along the shore of Flushing Bay in Queens, LGA has spent the better part of a century as one of the New York area's principal airports, named for Fiorello La Guardia, the combative mayor who pushed for its construction in the 1930s after growing frustrated that transatlantic flights bypassed the city for New Jersey. For decades the airport suffered from cramped, aging terminals that drew public criticism, prompting a sweeping, multibillion-dollar rebuilding program completed in the early 2020s that replaced most of the old structures with new concourses, expanded gates, and improved roadways. A long-standing perimeter rule still limits most nonstop flights from LaGuardia to destinations within about 1,500 miles, keeping its traffic largely domestic and business-oriented compared with nearby Kennedy Airport. Its proximity to Manhattan, a shorter ride than the alternatives, keeps it popular with travelers despite its historically tight layout.