John Wayne Orange County International Airport — Santa Ana, United States

John Wayne Airport, serving Orange County under the code SNA, takes its name from the Hollywood actor who lived nearby in Newport Beach and whose bronze statue still greets arriving passengers in the terminal. Wedged into a densely populated suburban area south of Los Angeles, the airport operates under some of the strictest noise regulations of any major American commercial field, a legacy of a landmark legal settlement between the county and nearby residents that caps annual passenger totals and dictates a distinctive steep-climb, power-cutback departure procedure. Despite those constraints, SNA remains one of the busiest airports serving Southern California, drawing travelers who prefer its compact single terminal and shorter security lines over the sprawl of Los Angeles International. Named Orange County Airport until 1979, the field sits close to Costa Mesa and Irvine, putting it within easy reach of the area's beaches, business parks, and shopping destinations.