General Abelardo L. Rodriguez International Airport — Tijuana, Mexico

Straddling one of the busiest border regions on earth, TIJ serves the Mexican city of Tijuana and, through an unusual cross-border arrangement, millions of travelers from Southern California as well. The Cross Border Xpress, a pedestrian bridge terminal, lets ticketed passengers walk directly from a building on the San Diego side of the boundary into the Mexican terminal without a separate crossing, sidestepping notoriously long land-port lines. Named for Abelardo L. Rodríguez, a former Mexican president and Baja California governor, the airport has grown into one of Mexico's busiest by several passenger measures, powered largely by Volaris and other low-cost carriers offering fares that undercut flights departing from San Diego itself. Beyond the bridge gimmick, TIJ functions as a genuine regional hub, connecting northwestern Mexico to destinations throughout the country and parts of the United States and Central America.