Flight delays, cancellations and even the drive to terminals can add layers of frustration to already challenging travel experiences.
A new analysis looked at some of the busiest airports across the U.S. to determine where travelers may encounter the most stress.
Rightway Parking, an airport and cruise parking reservation company based in Tampa, Florida, analyzed 55 airports using federal flight data and Google Maps estimates. It weighed delays, cancellations, changes in delays, and the distance and travel time from downtown areas.
After the analysis, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) was ranked as the “most stressful” airport in the country in the study.
Nearly 28% of flights at DFW were delayed, while 2.76% were canceled, according to the analysis, which used 2025 flight data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
The airport has also seen delays climb 33.67% since 2021, according to the report.
Getting to the airport also added another factor to DFW’s ranking. The airport sits about 20 miles or so from downtown Dallas.
After the analysis, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) was ranked as the “most stressful” airport in the country in the study. Khairil – stock.adobe.com The findings come after travelers at DFW faced a difficult day earlier this month.
On Oct. 1, the airport recorded 390 delays and 155 cancellations, the most of any U.S. airport that day, according to NJ.com.
DFW was followed by Chicago O’Hare International Airport, which took the No. 2 spot with 24.68% of flights delayed and a 42.77% increase in delays since 2021.
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Travel time also factored into O’Hare’s position, with the drive from downtown Chicago to the airport estimated at about 50 minutes.
Rounding out the top three was Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
Reagan National recorded a 3.86% cancellation rate. It has seen delays increase 73.92% since 2021, according to the analysis.
On Oct. 1, the airport recorded 390 delays and 155 cancellations, the most of any U.S. airport that day, according to NJ.com. The Dallas Morning News via GettyImages New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport rounded out the top five, ranking fourth and fifth.
Some airports fared much better when the same travel factors were taken into account.
Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah was ranked the “least stressful” airport — followed by San Jose International Airport in California and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii.
All three recorded cancellation rates below 1% and had relatively shorter trips from downtown compared with many of the airports toward the top of the ranking.
Fox News Digital reached out to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Rightway Parking for comment and further details.
