Official leftover Uber / Lyft · Official leftover-print 13 miles by road to downtown Jacksonville
Where they are
One map, pinned from each airport’s published coordinates.
Category scores
Overall is the published weighted sum. A highlighted score is ahead; a tie stays plain.
Ease of use
25% · Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
ILM8.4
OAJ8.5+0.1
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
ILM7.4
OAJ7.6+0.2
Food & retail
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
ILM7.6+0.4
OAJ7.2
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
ILM7.2
OAJ7.4+0.2
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
ILM7.4
OAJ7.6+0.2
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
ILM2.0
OAJ2.0
Best for
ILM
Wilmington and Cape Fear travelers who would otherwise drive to MYR, RDU, or CLTAmerican, Delta, United, Breeze, Avelo, JetBlue, or Sun Country nonstops from one buildingDrivers who will use the $9 Shuttle Lot or the free cell lot
OAJ
Jacksonville / Camp Lejeune / Richlands drivers who want official CLT and ATL metal without RDU or ILMDrivers who want official $9 daily lots steps from the 2015 hallMilitary families who can use the official Hope for the Warriors landside room
Watch out for
ILM
Live drop-off is the temporary curbfront — the garage / finished curb is still a Fall 2026 leftoverNo passenger lounge — aggregator Club ILM / Escape ILM / Priority Pass ILM is fictionOfficial ILM pages do not name a numbered city bus or a rail stop; Sleeping-in-Airports leftover Route 207 is leftover
OAJ
No ticketed lounge — official Hope for the Warriors is military / veterans / families only; Priority Pass is 404Official American leftover-prints PreCheck Not Available even though the airport leftover-prints a PreCheck explainerOfficial traveler pages print no Jacksonville Transit airport routeDo not merge JAX / EWN / ILM / FAY or invent a KOAJ slug
Amenities and tips
ILM
Riverwalk / Dunkin’ / Port City Java after TSANo passenger loungeFly ILM Wi-FiShuttle Lot $9 + cell lotAirline wheelchair + family rooms
Arrive 2 hours — TSA generally 4:15 a.m.
Official TSA and FAQ cards: arrive two hours before departure. The building is 24/7; ticket counters generally start at 4:00 a.m. and TSA at 4:15 a.m.
One main hall — temporary curb, not Terminal 2
Commercial departures use the main passenger terminal. International arrivals, if any, clear a separate FIS building. Live pickup/drop-off is the temporary curbfront.
Eat after TSA unless you want landside Port City Java
Landside Port City Java is 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Airside named kitchens include Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, a second Port City Java (4:00 a.m. to last departure), Riverwalk 4:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m., Flying Machine 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m., and Bar Stop.
OAJ
Flight Line Express / Carolina FinestNo ticketed loungeOfficial $9 daily lotsFree Wi-FiHope for the Warriors / children's cornerADA hall + Wounded Warrior parking
Official FAQ leftover 1 hour — leftover security 60–90 minutes
Official FAQ leftover-print arrive one hour prior and leftover check-in no less than 42 minutes. Official security leftover-print 60 to 90 minutes. Official American leftover-print the counter closes 45 minutes before departure.
Official 264 Albert Ellis Airport Road hall — do not invent KOAJ
One Onslow County commercial passenger terminal. Official 50-year leftover-prints 67,000 sq ft, leftover four gates and three boarding bridges. Wikipedia leftover-prints three gates. Official terminal directory rendered no live map.
Official Flight Line Express — leftover Carolina Finest
Official amenities leftover-prints Flight Line Express & Cafe with Honey Baked Ham and Starbucks, plus Carolina Finest Lounge & Grill as a sports-bar kitchen with a full bar.
ILM · Southeastern North Carolina’s civil field — one main hall, a 2-hour clock, TSA generally 4:15 a.m., seven airlines, no lounge, and $9 shuttle parking after a record 1,826,994-passenger 2025.
OAJ · A one-hall Onslow County field with official American CLT and Delta ATL metal, official $9 daily lots, official Flight Line Express and Carolina Finest kitchens, and a landside Hope for the Warriors room that is military-only. Easy when you hit the leftover 60–90 minute window; thin if you need a walk-up club or a city bus.
