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You get to the airport early. You beat the traffic. You grab a coffee and find your gate. Then the screen flips, and your flight is late. In one second, your whole day changes. A new ranking tried to measure that kind of stress at 55 busy U.S. airports. It looked at late flights, canceled flights, and how far each airport is from town. One airport came out on top.
A Parking Company, Not a Traveler Poll, Built This Ranking
This ranking comes from numbers, not from a poll of travelers. Rightway Parking, a Tampa, Florida, company that books airport and cruise parking, studied 55 airports. It used 2025 federal flight data and Google Maps estimates for the trip from downtown. It counted late flights, canceled flights, and how much delays have grown since 2021. No traveler was asked how they feel. Here is who ranked worst.
At DFW, More Than One in Four Flights Ran Late
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) ranked the most stressful in the country. In 2025, nearly 28 percent of its flights ran late. That is more than 1 in 4. Another 2.76 percent were canceled, about 3 of every 100. For a traveler, that is a real chance your flight leaves late or never leaves at all. Things are not getting better.
DFW’s Troubles Are Growing, Not Fading
DFW’s trouble has been growing for years. Delays there are up 33.67 percent since 2021, according to the analysis. That is about one-third more delays than in 2021, and a lot more waiting at the gate. On Oct. 1, the airport had 390 delays and 155 cancellations, the most of any U.S. airport that day, NJ.com reported. DFW is not the only big hub in trouble.
O’Hare’s Delays Are Growing Even Faster Than DFW’s
Chicago O’Hare International Airport took second place. About 24.68 percent of its flights ran late, close to 1 in 4. Delays there have jumped 42.77 percent since 2021, a faster climb than DFW’s. That is more than four extra late flights for every ten it had in 2021. For anyone changing planes in Chicago, a tight connection is a risky bet.
Reagan National Has the Fastest-Growing Delays Among the Top Three
Washington’s Reagan National Airport ranked third, with the fastest-growing delays in the top three. Delays there have risen 73.92 percent since 2021, nearly three-quarters more. Its cancellation rate was 3.86 percent, about 4 of every 100 flights, and higher than DFW’s. New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport placed fourth, and Philadelphia International Airport placed fifth. The report gives no detailed numbers for those two.
The Ride to the Airport Is Part of the Stress Score
Getting to the airport counts, too. The study included how far each airport is from downtown, so a long ride adds to its stress score. DFW sits about 20 miles from downtown Dallas. O’Hare is about a 50-minute drive from downtown Chicago. A late flight is bad enough. Add a long ride to and from the airport, and a short trip can feel like a long one.
Salt Lake City, San Jose, and Honolulu Passed the Test
Some airports passed the same test with ease. Salt Lake City International Airport ranked least stressful, followed by San Jose International Airport in California and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. All three canceled fewer than 1 percent of flights. Their rides from downtown were also shorter than at many airports near the top. That does not mean they never have delays.
A Stress Ranking Shows a Pattern, Not a Promise
A ranking like this has limits. It comes from one parking company, not from a survey of travelers. It looks at airports as a whole, so it cannot tell you how your airline or your flight will do. Fox News Digital said it reached out to DFW and Rightway Parking for comment and more details. Think of the numbers as a pattern, not a promise.
Knowing the Pattern Can Take the Edge Off the Stress
Back to that screen that flips to “late.” You cannot control it, but you can plan for it. If your trip runs through one of these five airports, leave a little earlier. Expect a possible delay. Check your flight before you head out. You will not stop the board from changing. You can make sure it does not catch you off guard.