The Most Crosswind-Prone Airports in the United States
Among 1,382 eligible U.S. airports with runway data analyzed by ATIS Alerts for 2006–2025, PADK (Adak Airport) most often faced a best-runway crosswind above 15 knots, in 11.6% of windy observations.
The share of windy observations where even the most favorable runway leaves a crosswind component above 15 knots, using each airport's actual runway headings.
- Airports ranked
- 1,382
- Study period
- 2006–2025
- Metric
- Hours xwind >15 kt
- Updated
- 2026-07-20
Top 10
| # | Airport | Location | Region | Hours xwind >15 kt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PADKAdak Airport | Adak, AK | Alaska Southwest & Aleutians | 11.6% |
| 2 | KAXXAngel Fire Airport | Angel Fire, NM | Desert Southwest | 11.4% |
| 3 | PAMDMiddleton Island Airport | Middleton Island, AK | Alaska Interior & Southcentral | 9.7% |
| 4 | KAKOColorado Plains Regional Airport | Akron, CO | Front Range | 6.5% |
| 5 | KBKLBurke Lakefront Airport | Cleveland, OH | Great Lakes | 6.1% |
| 6 | KMWMWindom Municipal Airport | Windom, MN | Northern Plains | 5.6% |
| 7 | PADUTom Madsen (Dutch Harbor) Airport | Unalaska, AK | Alaska Southwest & Aleutians | 5.6% |
| 8 | KDYTSky Harbor Airport | Duluth, MN | Northern Plains | 5.1% |
| 9 | KHQMBowerman Airport | Hoquiam, WA | Pacific Northwest Coast | 4.6% |
| 10 | KJKJMoorhead Municipal Airport | Moorhead, MN | Northern Plains | 4.4% |
Top 100 of 1,382 eligible airports
| # | Airport | Location | Region | Hours xwind >15 kt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PADKAdak Airport | Adak, AK | Alaska Southwest & Aleutians | 11.6% |
| 2 | KAXXAngel Fire Airport | Angel Fire, NM | Desert Southwest | 11.4% |
| 3 | PAMDMiddleton Island Airport | Middleton Island, AK | Alaska Interior & Southcentral | 9.7% |
| 4 | KAKOColorado Plains Regional Airport | Akron, CO | Front Range | 6.5% |
| 5 | KBKLBurke Lakefront Airport | Cleveland, OH | Great Lakes | 6.1% |
| 6 | KMWMWindom Municipal Airport | Windom, MN | Northern Plains | 5.6% |
| 7 | PADUTom Madsen (Dutch Harbor) Airport | Unalaska, AK | Alaska Southwest & Aleutians | 5.6% |
| 8 | KDYTSky Harbor Airport | Duluth, MN | Northern Plains | 5.1% |
| 9 | KHQMBowerman Airport | Hoquiam, WA | Pacific Northwest Coast | 4.6% |
| 10 | KJKJMoorhead Municipal Airport | Moorhead, MN | Northern Plains | 4.4% |
| 11 | KIBMKimball Municipal Robert E Arraj Field | Kimball, NE | Central Plains | 4.4% |
| 12 | KPNTPontiac Municipal Airport | Pontiac, IL | Ohio Valley | 4.2% |
| 13 | KNGUNorfolk Naval Station (Chambers Field) | Norfolk, VA | Mid-Atlantic | 4.0% |
| 14 | KBCEBryce Canyon Airport | Bryce Canyon, UT | Great Basin | 3.9% |
| 15 | KHLXTwin County Airport | Hillsville, VA | Mid-Atlantic | 3.7% |
| 16 | KRPJRochelle Municipal Airport - Koritz Field | Rochelle, IL | Great Lakes | 3.5% |
| 17 | KCNYCanyonlands Regional Airport | Moab, UT | Great Basin | 3.4% |
| 18 | KTIFThomas County Airport | Thedford, NE | Central Plains | 3.4% |
| 19 | KBDUBoulder Municipal Airport | Boulder, CO | Front Range | 3.3% |
| 20 | KGICIdaho County Airport | Grangeville, ID | Inland Northwest | 3.3% |
| 21 | KIENPine Ridge Airport | Pine Ridge, SD | Northern Plains | 3.2% |
| 22 | KGUSGrissom Air Reserve Base | Peru, IN | Great Lakes | 3.2% |
| 23 | KLHXLa Junta Municipal Airport | La Junta, CO | Front Range | 3.1% |
| 24 | PASDSand Point Airport | Sand Point, AK | Alaska Southwest & Aleutians | 3.1% |
| 25 | KLYVQuentin Aanenson Airfield - Luverne Municipal Airport | Luverne, MN | Northern Plains | 3.0% |
| 26 | KALSSan Luis Valley Regional Airport/Bergman Field | Alamosa, CO | Southern Rockies | 2.9% |
| 27 | KGDBGranite Falls Municipal Airport / Lenzen-Roe Memorial Field | Granite Falls, MN | Northern Plains | 2.7% |
| 28 | KACQWaseca Municipal Airport | Waseca, MN | Northern Plains | 2.7% |
| 29 | KSYNStanton Airfield | Dennison, MN | Northern Plains | 2.6% |
| 30 | KSHLSheldon Regional Airport | Sheldon, IA | Central Plains | 2.6% |
| 31 | KTVFThief River Falls Regional Airport | Thief River Falls, MN | Northern Plains | 2.6% |
| 32 | KMQBMacomb Municipal Airport | Macomb, IL | Ohio Valley | 2.5% |
| 33 | KHSEBilly Mitchell Airport | Hatteras, NC | Southern Appalachians | 2.5% |
| 34 | KGNTGrants-Milan Municipal Airport | Grants, NM | Desert Southwest | 2.4% |
| 35 | KDRODurango La Plata County Airport | Durango, CO | Southern Rockies | 2.4% |
| 36 | KAUMAustin Municipal Airport | Austin, MN | Northern Plains | 2.3% |
| 37 | KFKAFillmore County Airport | Preston, MN | Northern Plains | 2.3% |
| 38 | KLRJLe Mars Municipal Airport | Le Mars, IA | Central Plains | 2.3% |
| 39 | KITRKit Carson County Airport | Burlington, CO | Front Range | 2.3% |
| 40 | KOLFL M Clayton Airport | Wolf Point, MT | Northern Rockies | 2.3% |
| 41 | KCAGCraig Moffat Airport | Craig, CO | Southern Rockies | 2.2% |
| 42 | KEYEEagle Creek Airpark | Indianapolis, IN | Ohio Valley | 2.2% |
| 43 | PABRWiley Post Will Rogers Memorial Airport | Utqiaġvik, AK | Alaska Arctic | 2.2% |
| 44 | KDETColeman A. Young Municipal Airport | Detroit, MI | Great Lakes | 2.2% |
| 45 | KSBSSteamboat Springs Bob Adams Field | Steamboat Springs, CO | Southern Rockies | 2.1% |
| 46 | KIFAIowa Falls Municipal Airport | Iowa Falls, IA | Central Plains | 2.1% |
| 47 | KLPRLorain County Regional Airport | Lorain/Elyria, OH | Great Lakes | 2.1% |
| 48 | KJERJerome County Airport | Jerome, ID | Great Basin | 2.1% |
| 49 | KCNBMyers Field Airport | Canby, MN | Northern Plains | 2.0% |
| 50 | KILNWilmington Airpark | Wilmington, OH | Ohio Valley | 2.0% |
| 51 | KMTPMontauk Airport | Montauk, NY | Mid-Atlantic | 2.0% |
| 52 | KBHKBaker Municipal Airport | Baker, MT | Northern Rockies | 2.0% |
| 53 | KLNDHunt Field | Lander, WY | Northern Rockies | 2.0% |
| 54 | KTTFCuster Airport | Monroe, MI | Great Lakes | 1.9% |
| 55 | KEYWKey West International Airport | Key West, FL | South Florida | 1.9% |
| 56 | KAOHLima Allen County Airport | Lima, OH | Great Lakes | 1.9% |
| 57 | KTYQIndianapolis Executive Airport | Indianapolis, IN | Ohio Valley | 1.9% |
| 58 | KMCXWhite County Airport | Monticello, IN | Great Lakes | 1.8% |
| 59 | KTNUNewton Municipal Airport | Newton, IA | Central Plains | 1.8% |
| 60 | KVWUWaskish Municipal Airport | Waskish, MN | Northern Plains | 1.8% |
| 61 | KOWAOwatonna Degner Regional Airport | Owatonna, MN | Northern Plains | 1.8% |
| 62 | KLAMLos Alamos Airport | Los Alamos, NM | Desert Southwest | 1.8% |
| 63 | KRILGarfield County Regional Airport | Rifle, CO | Southern Rockies | 1.8% |
| 64 | KGGIGrinnell Regional Airport | Grinnell, IA | Central Plains | 1.8% |
| 65 | KHCDHutchinson Municipal Butler Field | Hutchinson, MN | Northern Plains | 1.8% |
| 66 | KBTABlair Executive Airport | Blair, NE | Central Plains | 1.7% |
| 67 | KLLJChallis Airport | Challis, ID | Northern Rockies | 1.7% |
| 68 | KPSKNew River Valley Airport | Dublin, VA | Mid-Atlantic | 1.7% |
| 69 | KDVNDavenport Municipal Airport | Davenport, IA | Central Plains | 1.7% |
| 70 | KREORome State Airport | Rome, OR | Great Basin | 1.7% |
| 71 | KCEZCortez Municipal Airport | Cortez, CO | Southern Rockies | 1.6% |
| 72 | KAUHAurora Municipal Al Potter Field | Aurora, NE | Central Plains | 1.6% |
| 73 | KHNDHenderson Executive Airport | Las Vegas, NV | Great Basin | 1.6% |
| 74 | KHCOHallock Municipal Airport | Hallock, MN | Northern Plains | 1.6% |
| 75 | KEHRHenderson City County Airport | Henderson, KY | Ohio Valley | 1.6% |
| 76 | KLVSLas Vegas Municipal Airport | Las Vegas, NM | Desert Southwest | 1.6% |
| 77 | KGGPLogansport Cass County Airport | Logansport, IN | Great Lakes | 1.6% |
| 78 | KVELVernal Regional Airport | Vernal, UT | Great Basin | 1.6% |
| 79 | KGUPGallup Municipal Airport | Gallup, NM | Desert Southwest | 1.6% |
| 80 | KLARLaramie Regional Airport | Laramie, WY | Northern Rockies | 1.6% |
| 81 | KMCOOrlando International Airport | Orlando, FL | Central Florida | 1.6% |
| 82 | KCFEBuffalo Municipal Airport | Buffalo, MN | Northern Plains | 1.5% |
| 83 | KAAOColonel James Jabara Airport | Wichita, KS | Central Plains | 1.5% |
| 84 | KCYSCheyenne Regional Jerry Olson Field | Cheyenne, WY | Front Range | 1.5% |
| 85 | KDFIDefiance Memorial Airport | Defiance, OH | Great Lakes | 1.5% |
| 86 | KDYLDoylestown Airport | Doylestown, PA | Mid-Atlantic | 1.5% |
| 87 | KTQETekamah Municipal Airport | Tekamah, NE | Central Plains | 1.5% |
| 88 | KBBWBroken Bow Municipal Airport | Broken Bow, NE | Central Plains | 1.5% |
| 89 | KOVLOlivia Regional Airport | Olivia, MN | Northern Plains | 1.5% |
| 90 | KDVOMarin County Airport - Gnoss Field | Novato, CA | Northern California | 1.4% |
| 91 | KLICLimon Municipal Airport | Limon, CO | Front Range | 1.4% |
| 92 | KHZEMercer County Regional Airport | Hazen, ND | Northern Plains | 1.4% |
| 93 | KGAGGage Heibeck Airport | Gage, OK | Southern Plains | 1.4% |
| 94 | PASISitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport | Sitka, AK | Alaska Southeast | 1.4% |
| 95 | KAXVNeil Armstrong Airport | Wapakoneta, OH | Ohio Valley | 1.4% |
| 96 | KOXVKnoxville Municipal Airport | Knoxville, IA | Central Plains | 1.4% |
| 97 | KBLFMercer County Airport | Bluefield, WV | Ohio Valley | 1.4% |
| 98 | KBJJWayne County Airport | Wooster, OH | Great Lakes | 1.4% |
| 99 | KJDNJordan Airport | Jordan, MT | Northern Rockies | 1.4% |
| 100 | KVGTNorth Las Vegas Airport | Las Vegas, NV | Great Basin | 1.4% |
How this ranking is calculated
The share of windy observations where even the most favorable runway leaves a crosswind component above 15 knots, using each airport's actual runway headings. Airports qualify only with at least 10 complete years of quality-controlled observations across 2006–2025 — 1,382 U.S. airports met the bar for this metric. Full details are on the methodology page, with attribution on the data sources page. This is a summary of past observations, not a forecast or safety rating.
Frequently asked
These questions reflect what pilots search about this ranking.
- How does ATIS Alerts rank the most crosswind-prone?
- The share of windy observations where even the most favorable runway leaves a crosswind component above 15 knots, using each airport's actual runway headings. We rank all 1,382 eligible U.S. airports — those with at least 10 complete years of quality-controlled observations across 2006–2025.
- Is this a forecast?
- No. This is a summary of past observed weather, not a prediction of current or future conditions. Always check the current METAR, TAF, and a weather briefing before flight.
- Does a high or low ranking mean an airport is safe or dangerous?
- No. These rankings describe historical weather frequency only. They do not evaluate airport safety, runways, procedures, or operations, and they are not a flight-planning tool.
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Educational use only. Historical weather rankings from ATIS Alerts are educational summaries of past observations — not a forecast, flight-planning tool, or safety rating. They do not replace current METARs, TAFs, NOTAMs, ATIS, or a weather briefing, and favorable history does not make any airport safe. Always check current conditions and use your own judgment before flight.
See what PADK is doing right now
Rankings show the long-term pattern. ATIS Alerts messages you the moment an airport's ATIS changes or it drops below VFR.