Hamilton started on pole after yet another fabulous qualifying session but the Mercedes was beaten to the first corner by Sebastian Vettel, whose Ferrari pulled away from the second slot on the grid quickest.
However, the championship leader struck back with just seven laps to go and managed the race with expert precision.
If he produces the same result in Mexico next week, he will take his fourth world title, which is now a near-inevitability.
Vettel quickly closed the eight-metre gap off the line, getting a superb drive with almost no wheel-spin whatsoever.
Hamilton was forced to dart across the track to squeeze Vettel but the German’s pace was too good and he went down the inside of Turn One to take the lead.
But he never build a big enough gap to be significant and Hamilton appeared relaxed about being in second.
“Pace is pretty good,” the championship leader told his pit crew and on lap seven, he demonstrated it by surging back past Vettel.
He slowly built the gap and never looked particularly troubled, almost posting purple times at will, as and when he needed.
Behind him, Ricciardo pitted early and was flying on his new tyres – only for yet another Renault engine failure to leave him parked up at the side of the track with his head in his hands.
It was as much a disappointment for the excitement of the race as he was locked in a fine scrap with Bottas, but the Australian’s retirement was not the end of the Finn’s bother.
The Mercedes driver was very disappointed not to start on the front row and a near race-long battle with Raikkonen ended in disappointment when the Ferrari slipped down the inside of Turn One with 14 laps remaining.
At the front, Hamilton was rarely troubled. Only on Lap 20, when Hamilton came out narrowly ahead of the German. His disappointment over team radio was almost palpable.
Ferrari were forced to gamble and split their strategies, sending Vettel on the two-stop that saw him nip past Bottas with five laps to go and set a fastest lap as soon as he got into the clean air.
Raikkonen subsequently let him through into second place but the gap was still 15 seconds to Hamilton.
With the deal done at the front, Hamilton’s team-mate found himself going backwards on the one-stop strategy as Vettel and then Verstappen cruised past him.
The Dutchman, having started 16th, even closed up to Raikkonen in third and in the most dramatic fashion, dived down the inside to snatch a brilliant podium.
But up front, there was no such drama. Hamilton sealed the constructors’ championship for Mercedes, a sixth US Grand Prix win and put one hand on the drivers’ championship for himself.