When it comes to airports, it is clear that good things come in small packages.
For the third year in a row, the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) in Western New York has been named one of the best small airports in America.
The Rochester airport earned the No. 6 spot in the 2025 edition of 10Best’s ranking of the top small airports in the United States. It was the airport’s highest placement so far in the annual ranking, which was bookended this year by aerodromes in Fresno, California and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport has been named one of the best small airports in America for the third year in a row by USA Today’s 10Best. Photo courtesy of Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International AirportPhoto courtesy of Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport
The Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport announced the good news on Facebook.
“A huge thank-you to everyone who voted, and to our amazing team and partners who make ROC such an outstanding airport,” officials wrote Wednesday in a celebratory post.
The Rochester airport is small but mighty.
Located about 10 minutes from downtown Rochester, the airport offers non-stop flights to 19 destinations, including Las Vegas, Nevada; Washington, D.C.; and Miami, Florida. ROC handles about 120 flights a day and serves approximately 2.4 million passengers every year, according to statistics released by airport officials.
The Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport has been named one of the best small airports in America for the third year in a row by USA Today’s 10Best. Photo courtesy of Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International AirportPhoto courtesy of Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport
Thanks to a revitalization project launched in 2016, the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport offers travelers an upgraded experience.
The canopy outside the two-story terminal is a work of practical art designed to mimic wings. Lit with rainbow lights, the canopy looms over a covered walkway to the terminal and boasts surveillance cameras, license plate readers and devices that sense “luggage motion”, according to the airport.
The airport runs an impressive food court that includes Taste of Rochester, an eatery that sells Zweigle’s hot dogs, wings from The Distillery and other local favorites. The Rochester airport also features play zones created with the help of the Strong National Museum of Play, the beloved Rochester center that has been repeatedly named one of the best children’s museums in the nation.
The Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport has been named one of the best small airports in America for the third year in a row by USA Today’s 10Best. Photo courtesy of Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International AirportPhoto courtesy of Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport
In its ranking, 10Best called the Rochester airport a “visually intriguing complex” and recognized the terminal’s Frederick Douglass Legacy Mural, created in honor of the famous abolitionist and longtime Rochester resident the airport is named after.
The Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport was one of two New York airports to make 10Best’s ranking. The Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) in Ronkonkoma was voted the No. 2 small airport in America.
The airports included in 10Best’s contest were nominated by an expert panel and voted on by readers.
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The Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport has been named one of the best small airports in America for the third year in a row by USA Today’s 10Best. Photo courtesy of Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International AirportPhoto courtesy of Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport
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