How LA is laid out
Five commercial airports serve the Los Angeles region, and which one you should fly into depends far more on where you are staying than on ticket price. LAX handles nearly all long-haul international traffic; the other four are mostly domestic, smaller, and often dramatically easier to get through.
The five airports compared
| Airport | From downtown | Airlines | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAX — Los Angeles International | ~18 mi SW | All major domestic and international | The long-haul gateway; biggest, busiest, slowest kerb-to-gate |
| BUR — Hollywood Burbank | ~14 mi NW | Southwest and other domestic carriers | Closest to Hollywood, Burbank and the Valley; famously quick |
| LGB — Long Beach | ~22 mi S | Domestic, limited slots | Small and calm; handy for the South Bay and the cruise port |
| SNA — John Wayne, Orange County | ~40 mi SE | Major domestic carriers | Best for Disneyland, Anaheim and Orange County |
| ONT — Ontario International | ~38 mi E | Domestic plus some international | Best for the Inland Empire; cheap parking |
Which one should you fly into?
Flying long-haul international, you almost certainly have no choice: it is LAX. For domestic trips, match the airport to your destination rather than defaulting to LAX. Staying in Hollywood, Burbank or the Valley, Burbank saves you an hour of freeway each way. Anaheim and the Disneyland area are far closer to John Wayne. The Inland Empire is Ontario territory. Long Beach suits the South Bay and anyone boarding a cruise.
The trap to avoid is booking LAX purely because the fare was $30 cheaper. Between the LAX-it rideshare detour, longer security lines and heavier traffic around the horseshoe, the smaller airports frequently win on total door-to-door time — and occasionally on total cost once ground transport is included.
Distances are not drive times
The mileage figures above are straight-line guides; Los Angeles traffic decides the rest. The same trip can take 35 minutes at dawn and two hours at 5pm. Whichever airport you choose, check live drive times before you leave rather than trusting the map’s optimism.
Questions
Which Los Angeles airport is closest to downtown?
Hollywood Burbank (BUR) at roughly 14 miles, followed by LAX at about 18. Traffic matters more than mileage, so check live drive times.
Which LA airport is best for Disneyland?
John Wayne (SNA) in Orange County is by far the closest to Anaheim and the Disneyland resorts.
Do any LA airports other than LAX have international flights?
Ontario (ONT) has a small number of international routes. For long-haul international travel, LAX is effectively the only option.