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Traveling often brings excitement, yet navigating certain airports can turn this thrill into stress and frustration.

Recent research has identified the most stressful airports in the US, with Ithaca Tompkins International Airport in New York ranking ninth.

Whitley Law Firm’s personal injury lawyers analyzed Google reviews, the number of cancellations per 100 departures, and average flight delay times across US airports with at least 1,000 departures annually. These factors were indexed to determine the stress levels, with lower scores indicating higher stress.

Topping the list is Aspen/Pitkin County Airport in Colorado, with an index score of 30.32/100. This airport experiences 6.41 cancellations per 100 departures, the seventh-highest in the US. Between January 2023 and January 2024, 6,591 departures were delayed by an average of 22.9 minutes.

Santa Fe Municipal Airport in New Mexico ranks second with a score of 36.16/100. Departures are delayed by an average of 14 minutes, and 1.6 out of every 100 Google reviews highlight the airport as stressful or unsafe, the fifth highest in the nation.

Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey is third, scoring 36.89/100. It has 1.2 out of every 100 Google reviews mentioning stress or safety concerns, with average delays of 15.2 minutes per flight.

Tyler Pounds Regional Airport in Texas takes fourth place with a score of 37.77/100. On average, 3.2 out of every 100 departures are canceled, and the remaining flights are delayed by 9.5 minutes each.

Rounding out the top five is Chicago Midway International Airport in Illinois, with a score of 37.79/100. Flights from MDW are delayed by an average of 13.9 minutes, with a cancellation rate of 2 per 100 departures.

The most stressful airports in the US 

Wyoming’s Casper/Natrona County International Airport ranks sixth with a score of 37.92/100. It experiences 3.18 cancellations per 100 flights, and those that do depart are delayed by an average of 16.6 minutes.

Williston Basin International Airport in North Dakota comes in seventh with a score of 38.19/100. On average, flights are delayed by 16.9 minutes, and 2.7 out of 100 are canceled.

Texarkana Regional Airport in Arkansas is next, with a score of 38.43/100. Departures from TXK face an average delay of 18.2 minutes, and 0.5 out of every 100 Google reviews label the airport as stressful or unsafe.

Ithaca Tompkins International Airport in New York ranks ninth with a score of 38.83/100. It has a cancellation rate of 6.1 per 100 flights, and those that aren’t canceled are delayed by an average of 8.3 minutes.

Tenth place goes to Martha’s Vineyard Airport in Massachusetts, scoring 39.75/100. Departures are delayed by an average of 28 minutes, and 4.4 out of every 100 flights are canceled.

Conversely, the least stressful airport in the US is Newport News/Williamsburg International in Virginia, with a score of 78.92/100. Following closely are Salisbury Regional Airport in Maryland and Coastal Carolina Regional Airport in North Carolina, scoring 78.18/100 and 71.87/100, respectively.

A spokesperson from Whitley Law Firm has commented: “It is fascinating to see which airports are the most stressful, especially with the surprising inclusion of some of America’s smaller airports.

“While there are many factors that we can’t control in an airport, there are steps we can take to make navigating through them slightly easier. For example, it goes without saying that you need to arrive at the airport early when flying. Generally, you should arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights, but this may vary for busier airports.

“Regularly checking your flight status for any changes or delays is also an important step, as well as familiarizing yourself with your terminal and gate beforehand. If possible, packing lightly and sticking to just carry-on luggage can also save you a lot of time before and after your flight.”