Cleveland Hopkins Airport – An Honest Guide From Someone Who Uses It

I’ve flown through CLE more times than I can count at this point. It’s my home airport, for better or worse. It’s got quirks, some history, and it gets the job done. Here’s what you actually need to know.

The Quick History

Cleveland Hopkins opened in 1925. That makes it one of the first municipally-owned airports in the country – they’ve been at this for a century now.

Here’s a fun fact: back in the ’30s, this was the first airport in the world to have an air traffic control tower. Pioneers out here. The runways evolved from dirt strips to handling modern jets, and the terminal’s been expanded and renovated countless times.

Continental Airlines ran a major hub here until merging with United in 2010. Things got quieter after that, but the airport’s been steadily rebuilding route options since.

Getting There

The airport covers about 2,000 acres roughly 15 miles southwest of downtown Cleveland. Highway access is decent – I-480 and I-71 get you there without much drama.

Parking includes short-term, long-term, and economy lots. I do the garage for quick trips, economy for anything more than a few days. There’s a cell phone lot if you’re picking someone up and don’t want to circle.

But here’s the real Cleveland move: the RTA rapid transit has a station right at the airport. Direct rail line to downtown in about 25 minutes. Cheaper than parking, no traffic to deal with. I use it constantly when I’m coming from that direction.

Inside the Terminal

Three concourses – A, B, and C. Different airlines split across them based on alliances and terminal assignments. Main carriers are United, American, Delta, and Southwest, plus some smaller ones.

Nonstops to New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, and a bunch of other major cities. International is limited – mostly Canada plus some seasonal Caribbean and Mexico routes. For Europe or Asia, you’re connecting through a bigger hub.

Food and shopping are fine. Mix of Cleveland favorites and national chains. Free WiFi that mostly works. Charging stations at most gates. Nothing exceptional but nothing terrible either.

Lounges

United and American both operate clubs here. Access through airline status, certain credit cards, or day passes. If you’ve got a long connection and the credentials, worth popping in. If not, there are worse places to wait than the gate areas.

Security

TSA runs standard screening with PreCheck lanes available. Wait times are usually reasonable – this isn’t O’Hare chaos. I give myself 90 minutes for domestic flights, which feels like plenty most of the time. During holidays or weird schedule bunches, lines can build, so check ahead.

Random Interesting Thing

NASA Glenn Research Center is literally next door to the airport. If you’re into aerospace, that adds some significance to departing from here. You’re taking off from basically the backyard of serious aviation research and innovation.

Practical Tips

• Morning flights tend to move faster through security
• The rapid transit is genuinely useful if you’re coming from downtown or anywhere along the Red Line
• Food options are better after security, so budget time if you want to eat
• Weather in Cleveland can delay flights, especially in winter – check status before heading to the airport
• The airport app gives real-time info if you’re into that

My Honest Take

Cleveland Hopkins isn’t winning any “world’s best airport” awards. It shows its age in places. The flight options aren’t as extensive as they were during the Continental hub days.

But it works. Security moves. The terminal isn’t confusing. The rail connection is actually useful. For Northeast Ohio, it does what we need it to do.

They keep making incremental improvements – terminal upgrades, baggage handling, gate renovations. It’s not flashy progress, but it’s steady. And honestly, an airport that just functions without making you miserable is all most of us really want.