This Massive Airport Has The Longest Possible Entrance-To-Gate Walk In America

It's no secret that travel requires a lot of time on your feet. Even before you arrive at your destination and begin sightseeing, you'll likely rack up a few thousand steps while at the airport. Those long, snaking lines and mini treks to your gate can really add up.

If you're at one U.S. airport in particular, you can expect to spend extra time on your feet. According to a study conducted by footwear brand KURU, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has the longest walk of any airport in the country. The hub — one of the busiest airports in the world — spans over 17,000 acres and contains a whopping 182 gates, per the study. You can think of DFW as its own city, considering its total area exceeds that of Manhattan.

The walk from the entrance to the furthest gate totals 2.16 miles, long enough to skip the gym for the day if you ask us. DFW has even embraced its massive walking space by implementing the LiveWell Walking Path. The route is located in Terminal D and uses art pieces to help visitors count their steps.

It might sound daunting, but help is at hand. If you can't comfortably walk long distances or are at risk of missing your connecting flight due to a delay, there are a couple of easy and efficient ways to get around Dallas/Fort Worth Airport that don't involve wearing out your feet. Due to the travel hub's overwhelming size, DFW offers convenient trains and shuttles connecting different terminals.

If you haven't gone through airport security yet and need to reach another section of the airport, Terminal Link is your best bet. Terminal Link is a shuttle service connecting all five terminals, with two pick-up points per terminal (so you don't have to walk too far). The shuttle is free and runs every 10 minutes between 5 a.m. and midnight.

For fast connections within the secure area, simply hop on a Skylink train. Just like Terminal Link, there are two stops within each terminal, so you're never too far from a station. The train runs in a circle, both clockwise and counter-clockwise, and you can reach the furthest terminal in under 10 minutes. The service is free and available to use 24 hours a day.

Dallas/Fort Worth isn't the only airport with lengthy walks highlighted in KURU's study. Coming in second place for the longest airport walking distance is Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia. The hub — an excellent entry point for a trip to Washington, D.C. — takes up 12,000 acres, consists of 123 gates, and spans 1.62 miles between the check-in counters and the furthest gate. George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston wasn't far behind, with a land size of 11,400 acres and 130 gates, and the longest walking distance at the Texas airport clocks in at 1.52 miles. Rounding out the top five are Denver International Airport (a 1.45-mile walk) and John F. Kennedy International Airport, with its longest trek measuring 1.38 miles.

Given these findings, it's safe to say that major hubs tend to require longer walks between various points in the airport. Therefore, you may want to book your next flight from a smaller airport if you hope to stave off tired feet. The research team at KURU named the small Blue Grass Airport in Lexington (Kentucky) as the spot with the shortest walk, requiring no more than 0.11 miles from the entrance to the gate. Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, and Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania followed up with similarly short distances, allowing travelers to save their steps for their destination.