The width will be determined by the size, popularity, use, and commercialism of the airport. For instance, a runway catering to only general aviation aircraft might be 50 ft wide and 3000 ft long, whereas a runway catering to Boeing 737s and international flights might be 150 ft wide and 10,000 ft long.

Runway sizes vary significantly depending on the types of aircraft they are designed to support. For General Aviation (small private planes), a runway can be as short as 2,500 to 3,000 feet (762 to 914 meters) and only 60 feet wide. For commercial regional jets (like the Embraer 175), a minimum length of 5,000 to 6,000 feet is typical. However, for "Major International Hubs" serving wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 777 or Airbus A350, runways must be at least 8,000 to 13,000 feet (2,438 to 3,962 meters) long and 150 to 200 feet wide. The world's longest commercial runway is at Qamdo Bamda Airport in Tibet, measuring a staggering 18,045 feet (5,500 meters), necessitated by the thin air at high altitudes which requires planes to have more room to generate lift. In 2026, runway "size" also refers to the "pavement strength" (PCN), as modern jets are increasingly heavy. Engineers must balance the length with the "stopway" and "clearway" zones at either end to ensure that even in the event of a rejected takeoff at high speeds, the aircraft has sufficient paved or graded surface to come to a safe stop without overrunning the runway boundary.