Which North American Airports and Flights Have the Worst Turbulence?

New rankings reveal the most turbulent airports list and routes in North America for 2025. Data from the website turbli.com places several airports near the Rocky Mountains at the top. These rankings are based on the same sources pilots use for pilots flight planning: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Met Office.

North America's Most Turbulent Airports

Denver International Airport turbulence (DEN) tops the list for approaches and descents. The airport's location near the Rocky Mountains creates strong, unpredictable air currents. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Montana is ranked second.

Both Denver and Bozeman recorded average annual eddy dissipation rates EDR of 17. EDR is the standard metric used by the ICAO to objectively measure turbulence intensity. Values from 0 to 20 are generally classified as light turbulence.

• Denver, Colorado (No. 1)
• Bozeman, Montana (No. 2)
• Albuquerque, New Mexico (No. 3)
• Salt Lake City, Utah (No. 4)
• Jackson, Wyoming (No. 5)

Other major airports on the turbli turbulence rankings include Vancouver (YVR), Las Vegas (LAS), Seattle (SEA), Reno (RNO), and Boise (BOI).

The Roughest Flight Routes

Routes connecting these high-altitude hubs dominate the list of North America's most turbulent flights. The most turbulent route is Denver—Jackson, with an EDR rate of 18. This route, along with others, frequently crosses mountainous terrain, which disrupts air flow.

Four of the top five Mountain West flight routes link directly to Denver. The second roughest route is Albuquerque—Denver, followed by Jackson—Salt Lake City.

Globally, the turbulence is more intense. Santiago, Chile, was named the world's most turbulent airport. The Mendoza, Argentina, to Santiago route was the rockiest flight globally.

Safety Context for Nervous Fliers

Turbulence is a normal and frequent part of flying. It is caused by factors like warm air rising, mountain air disruption, and wind shear. Modern aircraft are designed to withstand far more turbulence than passengers will ever experience.

However, turbulence remains the leading cause of non-fatal injuries in commercial aviation. According to FAA data, there were 184 serious turbulence-related injuries between 2009 and 2023. Of these, 37 were passengers, with the majority affecting crew members. Crew members are often unbelted while performing their duties, making them more vulnerable.

• Always keep your seat belt fastened while seated.
• This simple action prevents nearly all serious passenger injuries.

Passengers can check turbulence forecasts for their trip using tools like turbli.com. For more commercial aviation news and updates, visit flying.flights.