Raleigh–Durham International Airport
Raleigh–Durham International Airport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Raleigh–Durham Airport Authority | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | The Research Triangle Metropolitan Region of North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Cedar Fork Township, Wake County, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | May 1, 1943 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Focus city for | Delta Air Lines | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating base for | Avelo Airlines | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 436 ft / 133 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 35°52′40″N 078°47′15″W / 35.87778°N 78.78750°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | rdu | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||||||||||||||
FAA airport diagram | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics (2024) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Sources: RDU website | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Raleigh–Durham International Airport (IATA: RDU, ICAO: KRDU, FAA LID: RDU), locally known by its IATA code RDU, is an international airport that serves Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding Research Triangle region of North Carolina as its main airport. It is located in unincorporated Wake County, but is surrounded by the city of Raleigh to the north and east, and the towns of Cary and Morrisville to the south. The airport covers 5,000 acres (20 km2) and has three runways.
As of 2025, RDU ranks 35th in passenger arrivals and departures in the US, offering passenger service to nearly 80 destinations, including 14 international destinations in 10 countries. It was the 38th busiest US airports by international passenger traffic in 2023. The airport serves 31 U.S. states, plus Puerto Rico, with Atlanta being the busiest domestic route, and New York metropolitan area having the most passengers per day. As of 2025, Delta Air Lines has the largest market share, and Breeze Airways flies to the most destinations with 28. There are nearly 600 daily aircraft operations. The RDU Airport Authority is in charge of the airport facilities and operations and is controlled by a board of representatives from the counties of Wake & Durham plus the cities of Raleigh & Durham.
Raleigh–Durham International Airport is the second-largest airport in the state of North Carolina, behind Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The main catchment area is central & eastern North Carolina, and southern Virginia. The airport is an operating base for Avelo Airlines and Endeavor Air, as well as a focus city for Delta Air Lines.
In 2024, RDU served a record 15.5 million passengers, which broke the airport's record of 14.5 million passengers set in 2023.