Three Florida airports are among the best in the country. See the list
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- USA Today 10Best named three Florida airports among 2025’s top resort hubs
- Key West, Sarasota-Bradenton and Panama City earn praise for convenience
- Public voting for top 10 resort airports runs daily through noon on Oct. 6
Florida has three of the best “resort airports” in the country, according to a new list compiled by travel experts.
The list includes Key West, Sarastota-Bradenton and Northwest Florida. They are among 20 small airports that USA Today 10Best said were selected by travel experts for their convenience, charm and effortless feel.
Now, they are asking readers to vote on their favorite airport for the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards 2025 to find the top 10.
Here’s the breakdown:
Key West International Airport
Key West has “a small, easy-to-navigate airport that is close to the island’s resorts,” according to the nomination. The list also says the airport offers convenient flights including service by Breeze Airways.
MORE: There’s a new way to get to Key West. Take a look at the travel options
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport
The nomination cites the airport as “a popular choice for those flying to this high-end destination, a manageable small airport with only 18 gates. With restaurants, bars, markets, and gift shops adding choices to while away the time before a flight and nine car rental companies on hand for arrival transportation needs, SRQ has everything travelers need for an easy transition from work to play mode.”
MORE: A Florida airport just opened a one-airline terminal with 3 restaurants and a pet room
Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport
The list describes the the Panama City airport dropping Panhandle travelers “right into the mix, with resort towns like Seaside, Destin, and Fort Walton Beach not too far away.”
Airports on the list
The 20 airports that made the 2025 nomination list:
- Aspen/Pitkin County Airport in Aspen, Colorado
- Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Belgrade, Montana
- Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport in Brainerd, Minnesota
- Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, Michigan
- Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
- Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, Idaho
- Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton, Maine
- Hilton Head Island Airport, South Carolina
- Jackson Hole Airport in Jackson, Wyoming
- Key West International Airport, Florida
- Martha’s Vineyard Airport in West Tisbury, Massachusetts
- Monterey Regional Airport in Monterey, California
- Myrtle Beach International Airport, South Carolina
- Nantucket Memorial Airport in Nantucket, Massachusetts
- Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in Panama City, Florida
- Palm Springs International Airport in Palm Springs, California
- Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport in South Burlington, Vermont
- Redmond Municipal Airport in Redmond, Oregon
- Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in Sarasota, Florida
- Springfield-Branson National Airport in Springfield, Missouri
What to know about the voting process and winner announcement
After the nomination list is selected and announced, the public is invited to vote for their favorites over 28 days.
Polling for the best resort airport is now open online, and folks can cast their votes once per day until noon Oct. 6. Once all votes are cast, USA Today will review the list and announce the winner on Oct. 15.
To ensure a fair voting process, USA Today states that participants must:
- Be 18 years old or older.
- Only vote once per category, per day.
- Use of script, macro or any other automated system to vote is prohibited, and all such votes will be void.
- Businesses/nominees cannot obtain votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means.
Any fraudulent votes or votes cast by any form of automated system are disregarded and disqualified, according to the USA Today 10Best rules webpage.
How does USA Today create the nomination list?
The USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards is an award program that is designed to highlight top locations across various travel and lifestyle categories, including destinations, food, drinks and attractions.
The selection of top locations for readers to cast their vote is curated by a panel of travel experts, with the final set of nominees selected through editorial review by USA Today 10Best editors.
This story was originally published September 12, 2025 at 7:07 AM.
