WHERE THE RUNWAYS RUN

Experimental visualization of more than 1,000 airport runways across the United States.

Airstrip to Airstrip Across America

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics maintains a database of more than 23,0000 runways (or 46,696 as it counts each approach to a runway as in individual runway). This visualization uses only the records that have complete orientation data and runway lengths.

Our (Mostly) Orderly Runway Alignment

This dataset includes more than seven million feet of runway or some 1,325 miles in all 50 states. There is obvious clustering around cardinal directions: (North, South, East, West), in particular North-South and East-West alignments.

Runway Bearings by Length

Less than 4,000 Feet

4,000 - 6,000 Feet

6,000 - 8,000

8,000 - 10,000 Feet

10,000 - 12,000 Feet

Longer than 12,000 Feet

1,028 Runway Lengths