Denver International Airport

DIA. The gargantuan international airport serving Denver, Colorado (DEN) located on the plains east of the city and nowhere near the city center of Denver. Its location is so remote and so far from Denver itself that it seems to be halfway to the Kansas border. Taxing on the runway to/from the terminal itself takes forever and seems to take like an hour. Right after you takeoff (depending on the direction), you can look down and see numerous cattle ranches in the area. To get just about anywhere in the metro area is a long drive due to of its remote location. The airport covers some 60 or 70-square miles or so and is the largest airport in the country. It is so large that it is larger than Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Forth Worth and Atlanta/Hartsfield combined. The current facility was built to replace the aged Denver Stapleton Airport in 1995 or so that was much closer to the city center. The central terminal is known for its white, fabric roof reminiscent of the white-capped Rocky Mountains or the “teepees” of the Native Americans who inhabited the area, depending on who you ask. Being inside makes you feel as though you are in a giant tent. The clean and spacious central terminal has the TSA screening booths, numerous car rental agencies, restaurants and the enormous baggage claim on the bottom level. The airport’s layout is similar to Atlanta’s. There are 3 concourses separated by some three-quarters of a mile or so and connected by an underground train. Frontier Airlines is closest to the main terminal while United is further out at Concourse 3. DIA is the 2nd largest hub for United Airlines and is the only hub for smaller, classier and low-cast carrier, Frontier Airlines.