Los Angeles airports: which to fly into
Los Angeles has one giant airport and several small ones, and the right choice depends on where you are sleeping. LAX has the long-haul flights and sits by the beach; Hollywood Burbank, in a new terminal since 13 October 2026, is the easy one in the hills behind Hollywood. We timed both to each of our ten hotels.
The short answer
Fly into LAX for the beach hotels, Beverly Hills, Downtown and Palos Verdes: Shutters on the Beach and Santa Monica Proper are both about 19 minutes away, Terranea 35. Fly into Hollywood Burbank for Studio City, Hollywood and Silver Lake if your airline goes there: The Garland is 13 minutes away and The Hollywood Roosevelt 19. From abroad, LAX is almost always the answer, because Burbank's flights are domestic.
- Passengers in 2025
- 73.7 million (73,709,594)
- Terminals
- 9: Terminals 1 to 8 and Tom Bradley International (Terminal B)
- Downtown LA
- About 26 minutes and 14 miles to Hotel Figueroa from LAX-it
- Taxi to Downtown
- $51.15 flat fare plus the $4 LAX surcharge
- Passengers in 2025
- 6.2 million (6,219,479 revenue passengers)
- Terminal
- 1, opened 13 October 2026, with 14 gates in four modules
- Downtown LA
- About 12 miles north of Downtown, by the airport's measure
- Nearest of our hotels
- The Garland, about 13 minutes
From each airport to our ten hotels
Typical drive times by car, and the way we would go.
| Hotel | LAX | BUR |
|---|---|---|
| The Beverly Hills Hotel | 26 min | 30 min |
| Shutters on the Beach | 19 min | 38 min |
| Malibu Beach Inn | 38 min | 54 min |
| Terranea Resort | 35 min | 67 min |
| Sunset Tower Hotel | 27 min | 24 min |
| Santa Monica Proper Hotel | 19 min | 38 min |
| The Hollywood Roosevelt | 30 min | 19 min |
| The Garland | 34 min | 13 min |
| Silver Lake Pool & Inn | 32 min | 21 min |
| Hotel Figueroa | 26 min | 25 min |
Which is closer to our hotels?
By our typical drive times, from LAX's LAX-it lot and Burbank's new terminal kerb, LAX is the nearer one for five of the ten and Burbank for four, with Downtown a near tie.
LAX is closer to Shutters on the Beach (19 minutes, against 38 from Burbank), Santa Monica Proper (19 against 38), The Beverly Hills Hotel (26 against 30), Malibu Beach Inn (38 against 54) and Terranea (35 against 67).
Burbank is closer to The Garland (13 against 34), The Hollywood Roosevelt (19 against 30), Silver Lake Pool & Inn (21 against 32) and Sunset Tower (24 against 27). Hotel Figueroa in Downtown is a near tie: 25 minutes from Burbank, 26 from LAX.
- LAX to the nearest of our hotels
- Shutters on the Beach and Santa Monica Proper, 19 minutes
- Burbank to the nearest of our hotels
- The Garland, 13 minutes
- Furthest pairing
- Burbank to Terranea, 67 minutes
Airlines and routes
LAX has nine terminals and the long-haul network: Tom Bradley International for most foreign airlines, Delta in Terminals 2 and 3, American in Terminal 4, Alaska in Terminal 6 and United in Terminals 7 and 8. If you are flying in from Europe, Asia or Australia, you are landing at LAX.
Burbank's carriers in 2026 are Alaska, Allegiant, American, Breeze, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United, all on domestic routes. Southwest carried 3.5 million of its 6.2 million passengers in 2025, so if you are connecting from elsewhere in the US, check Southwest and Alaska first.
Ease and time on the ground
Burbank has one checkpoint for 14 gates and asks you to arrive an hour before departure. LAX asks for two hours domestic and three international, and puts landing to kerb at 15 minutes with no checked bags, 30 with bags and 45 after an international flight.
At LAX, taxis and ride apps collect from the LAX-it lot east of Terminal 1, a walk or a free shuttle. At Burbank, taxis wait in the parking structure across the road and the ride-app lot is a few steps from the doors.
Lounges and public transport
LAX has the lounges: Delta One rooms in Terminals 2 and 3, the Alaska Lounge ($65 a visit), American's Admirals Club ($79 One-Day Pass) and the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, which takes Priority Pass for a $35 supplement. Burbank has none, and rarely needs one.
Both connect to rail. From LAX, the FlyAway bus runs to Union Station for $12.75, and the free shuttle to the LAX/Metro Transit Center meets the K Line ($1.75). From Burbank, Metrolink reaches Union Station in about 26 minutes for $5.25.
Long Beach and Orange County
Long Beach (LGB) and John Wayne Airport in Orange County (SNA) are smaller domestic airports to the south-east. For our hotels they are rarely the better choice: by road, Long Beach is typically 31 minutes from Hotel Figueroa and 39–58 from the other nine, and Orange County 52–81 minutes from all ten. Use them only if the fare or the flight time is much better, and add the drive.
Questions people ask
Good questions about LA
Which airport should I fly into for Los Angeles?
LAX for Santa Monica, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Palos Verdes and any international flight; Hollywood Burbank for Studio City, Hollywood and Silver Lake if your domestic airline flies there.
Is Burbank closer to Hollywood than LAX?
Yes. The Hollywood Roosevelt is 19 minutes from Burbank and 30 from LAX, and The Garland in Studio City 13 against 34.
Is LAX or Burbank better for Santa Monica?
LAX, by a distance: Shutters on the Beach and Santa Monica Proper are both about 19 minutes from LAX, and 38 from Burbank.
Can you fly internationally into Burbank?
Burbank's airlines fly domestic routes, so visitors from abroad land at LAX or connect through another US airport.
Is Long Beach Airport good for Los Angeles hotels?
Only for Downtown or if the fare is much cheaper: it is 31 minutes from Hotel Figueroa and 39–58 minutes from our other hotels, typically.
How long does it take to get out of LAX?
LAX's own estimate is about 15 minutes from landing to kerb without checked bags, 30 with checked bags and 45 after an international flight.
Does Burbank Airport have a new terminal?
Yes, it opened on 13 October 2026 with the same 14 gates, one security checkpoint and boarding by stairs from the apron.
Image credits: Benoît Prieur (CC0) · Natecation (CC BY-SA 4.0)