A 2026 nationwide study has ranked the best and worst airports for coffee quality, analyzing more than 470 cafés across 50 major hubs to determine where travelers can expect a reliable pre-flight experience.
The findings reveal a stark imbalance between availability and quality, with most airports failing to meet even modest expectations, despite growing passenger demand for premium food and beverage offerings.
How Were the Rankings Made?
According to Upgraded Points, the ranking in the study was built using a multi-metric evaluation framework focused on both quality and accessibility of airport coffee offerings.
First, researchers identified over 470 coffee shops and cafés located inside 50 major U.S. airports. Each listing was verified to ensure it was physically within airport premises and actively operational.
The primary ranking metric was the average Google review rating of all qualifying coffee outlets within each airport. Airports were then ordered from highest to lowest based on this average score.
To add depth beyond pure quality, the study also measured:
- Coffee shops per 10,000 daily passengers (to reflect accessibility relative to traffic volume)
- Coffee shops per square mile (to capture physical density within airport layouts)
However, these secondary metrics were used for context rather than determining the final ranking. The decisive factor remained the average rating, making the list a quality-first ranking system rather than a volume-based or convenience-based one.
Top Ranked US Airports for Coffee in the US
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) leads the rankings with an average coffee rating of 4.03, positioning itself as the highest-performing airport in the United States. The result is notable given its relatively small footprint of just five qualifying cafés, suggesting a deliberate emphasis on quality over quantity.
Kahului Airport (OGG) follows closely with a 4.00 rating, reinforcing the notion that limited scale does not preclude excellence. Its two cafés consistently achieve high customer satisfaction, indicating strong operational oversight.
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) ranks third at 3.83, combining above-average quality with relatively strong accessibility metrics, making it one of the most balanced performers in the dataset.
Mid Tier Performers
Miami International Airport (MIA) secures fourth place with a 3.56 rating while offering the largest café network among the top five. Its 12 coffee outlets provide scale without significantly diluting quality, a rare equilibrium in airport retail environments.
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) completes the top five with a 3.53 rating and ranks among the highest for café availability per passenger. This dual strength underscores its efficiency in serving high passenger volumes without compromising standards.
Together, these airports illustrate that performance depends on both operational discipline and strategic vendor selection, rather than sheer density of outlets.
Lowest Ranked US Airports for Coffee
At the opposite end, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) records the lowest average rating at 2.00, reflecting consistently poor consumer feedback across its limited offerings.
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) ranks second-lowest at 2.08 despite leading the nation in café density per square mile. This disparity highlights a systemic issue where accessibility fails to translate into quality.
Other underperformers include St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL), and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), each demonstrating that high outlet concentration does not guarantee customer satisfaction.
Study Insights of US Airports
The broader dataset reveals that the average airport coffee rating stands at just 2.94 out of 5, with only 23 of 50 airports exceeding the 3.0 threshold. Merely five airports surpass 3.5, and only two achieve a 4-star rating, underscoring the rarity of high-quality coffee in aviation settings.
Major hubs such as Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) offer the largest number of cafés but fail to rank among the top-tier performers, reinforcing the disconnect between scale and quality. Here are the rankings in full:
| Airport | Avg. Coffee Shop Rating | Coffee Shops (Per 10K Daily Passengers) | Coffee Shops (Per Sq. Mile) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) | 2.00 | 1.45 | 0.28 |
| St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) | 2.13 | 1.07 | 0.97 |
| LaGuardia Airport (LGA) | 2.08 | 1.51 | 12.50 |
| Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL) | 2.23 | 1.38 | 5.91 |
| Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) | 2.32 | 0.92 | 6.10 |
| Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) | 2.46 | 0.92 | 1.42 |
| John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) | 2.57 | 1.32 | 2.56 |
| Kansas City International Airport (MCI) | 2.56 | 1.85 | 0.30 |
| Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) | 2.59 | 1.56 | 1.68 |
| Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) | 2.59 | 1.44 | 1.89 |
| San Francisco International Airport (SFO) | 2.61 | 1.30 | 1.91 |
| Logan International Airport (BOS) | 2.67 | 1.92 | 5.56 |
| Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) | 2.68 | 2.01 | 8.08 |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) | 2.69 | 1.07 | 5.74 |
| George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) | 2.74 | 1.43 | 1.05 |
| Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) | 2.77 | 0.79 | 2.71 |
| Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) | 2.80 | 0.97 | 3.45 |
| Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) | 2.83 | 0.74 | 2.72 |
| Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) | 2.83 | 1.39 | 2.29 |
| Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) | 2.84 | 0.86 | 0.25 |
| Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) | 2.85 | 0.71 | 0.09 |
| Oakland International Airport (OAK) | 2.90 | 1.31 | 1.03 |
| Orlando International Airport (MCO) | 2.92 | 1.02 | 0.72 |
| San Diego International Airport (SAN) | 2.93 | 0.66 | 4.12 |
| Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) | 3.02 | 1.05 | 3.69 |
| Portland International Airport (PDX) | 3.04 | 1.72 | 1.56 |
| Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) | 3.05 | 1.59 | 3.27 |
| John Wayne Airport (SNA) | 3.05 | 0.64 | 2.74 |
| Indianapolis International Airport (IND) | 3.05 | 1.68 | 0.34 |
| Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) | 3.01 | 1.67 | 3.25 |
| Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) | 3.00 | 0.64 | 1.35 |
| John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) | 3.00 | 0.98 | 0.59 |
| Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) | 3.08 | 1.19 | 0.96 |
| Tampa International Airport (TPA) | 3.17 | 1.53 | 1.81 |
| Nashville International Airport (BNA) | 3.26 | 1.35 | 1.37 |
| Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) | 3.26 | 2.94 | 2.80 |
| Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) | 3.27 | 1.28 | 0.77 |
| San Antonio International Airport (SAT) | 3.28 | 1.54 | 1.16 |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) | 3.29 | 0.90 | 0.68 |
| Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) | 3.34 | 1.40 | 3.33 |
| Dallas Love Field (DAL) | 3.35 | 0.46 | 1.05 |
| Denver International Airport (DEN) | 3.47 | 0.79 | 0.29 |
| Miami International Airport (MIA) | 3.56 | 0.86 | 2.47 |
| Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) | 3.83 | 1.80 | 0.26 |
| Kahului Airport (OGG) | 4.00 | 0.86 | 0.96 |
| William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) | 4.03 | 1.39 | 2.65 |
Regionally, Texas emerges as a consistent performer, placing multiple airports in the top 10 and suggesting stronger alignment between concession strategy and passenger expectations.