When we think of "Upstate New York " airports, many of us remember the small rural airports around the towns and villages where we grew up. In the sparsely populated areas of Central New York and the Catskills, for example.

As for this writer, my hometown of Sidney, N.Y. (Delaware County) had a very tiny airport in the 1950s and 1960s when I was a kid. In fact, the airport was so small that the hanger for the lone airplane was on one side of the road and the runway was on the other. Many in my generation still chuckle at the sign they posted at the time, "Warning!  Plane Crossing Highway!"

But that was way back when. Now, even some of the smallest communities have an airport to welcome tourists, residents, and (hopefully) prospective business investors. This is a list of the 10 busiest airports in Upstate New York.

The list is ranked by something the FAA calls "enplanements". Which is basically a count of passengers who board at a single airport. It is no surprise that at the top of the list we see Buffalo-Niagara International Airport. And, in fact, the airports that rank second, third, and even fourth on the list come as no surprise.

But, the list gets very interesting when you get down near the bottom. Any guesses who they are?

Each entry has a link to the airport in question.

The Top 10 Busiest Airports in Upstate New York

While the busiest of the Empire State's airports are located in the Metropolitan New York area of "Downstate," our "Upstate" region has some pretty significant airports as well. I am sure you can all guess what are the Number 1, 2, 3 and maybe even the #4 busiest airports in Upstate. But the list gets very interesting by the time you get to Number 8, 9, and 10!

(The list is ranked by "enplanements," which is a fancy word used by the Federal Aviation Administration in referring to the number of passessegers who board an airplane.)

'Lions and Tigers and Bears (Oh My)' at These 15 Great Upstate New York Zoos

This is a list of many Upstate zoos, animal sanctuaries, animal rescue farms, and adventure parks where the whole family can visit and get close to nature and mingle with some of the most impressive animals anywhere.

 

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