At 33, acres The airport is 25 miles 40 km driving distance northeast of Downtown Denver , [ 9 ] 19 miles 31 km farther than the former Stapleton International Airport which DEN replaced; the airport is actually closer to the City of Aurora than central Denver, and many airport-related services, such as hotels, are located in Aurora. Opened in , DEN currently serves 25 different airlines offering non-stop service to over destinations throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia; it was the fourth airport in the U.
The airport is located on the western edge of the Great Plains and within sight of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. In both and , DEN was the third busiest airport in the world as well as the third busiest airport in the United States by passenger traffic. In , it was the sixth busiest airport in the world and remained the third busiest airport in the United States having served around DEN has been among the top 20 busiest airports in the world every year since In , Denver Int'l Airport set an all-time passenger record, with 82,, passengers served, up 5.
Denver has traditionally been home to one of the busier airports in the United States because its midcontinent location was ideal for an airline hub. Several airlines, notably United Airlines and Continental Airlines , had hubs at the former Stapleton International Airport , helping make it the sixth-busiest airport in the country by the s. However, Stapleton had little room to add more flights and its runways were too close together, which led to long delays and nationwide travel disruptions in bad weather.
From to , the Denver Regional Council of Governments investigated areas for a new area airport north and east of Denver. The plan had broad support, but leaders in nearby Adams County threatened to sue over noise concerns.
In , Adams County voters approved the annexation. The proposal was met with some skepticism because of its location: 24 miles 39 km from the heart of the city. The rest of the cost would be financed by bonds, to be repaid with fees on airlines. Ground was broken in September Two years later, Mayor Wellington Webb inherited the megaproject , which at that time was scheduled to open on October 29, The airline finally relented under the condition that the airport include an automated baggage system.
