Study: The Best (and Worst) U.S. Airports For Stress-Free Travel

• New York City travelers deal with the least-reliable airports. All three NYC airports (John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia) rank in the top five most unreliable airports.
• West Coast, best coast for travel: Airports in the Western U.S. are much more reliable compared to those in the East and Midwest.
• Nearly 36% of flights at Chicago Midway International (MDW) are delayed — more than any other U.S. airport.
• LaGuardia has the most canceled flights out of all U.S. airports, with more than 5% of flights being canceled annually.

We examined 45 of the largest U.S. airports to find the top five most and least stressful airports in America. The airports we featured were chosen based on air traffic and data availability for the purposes of this study. The map below shows the top and bottom five airports for low-stress travel.

We determined our stress ranking based on airport reliability factors — including percentage of delayed, canceled and diverted flights — as well as average airfare and average security checkpoint wait times. Check out the table below to see how the airports fared across some of the individual metrics we considered.

We determined the most reliable airports based on six key metrics, all of which gauge how likely you are to experience a flight inconvenience or frustration at one of these travel hubs. To better understand how airports performed across these metrics, we’ve highlighted three of the top factors below.

How Many Flights Leave On Time

Most travelers have encountered a flight delay at least once in their lives — and it’s rarely a positive experience. Flight delays can be especially stressful when you have a connecting flight and a short layover.

Overall, the most timely airports tend to be in the Western U.S., while East Coast and Southern airports experience a greater number of delays. The exception to this trend is Denver International Airport — the largest airport in the U.S. — which ranked third for fewest on-time flights.

Notably, five Florida airports rank poorly when it comes to percentage of flight delays; Orlando (No. 4) Sanford (No. 5), Fort Lauderdale (No. 9), West Palm Beach (No. 10) and Miami (No. 12).

How Many Flights Are Canceled

While flight delays can be a bummer, most travelers would agree that flight cancellations are far worse. Here we see a similar trend of Western airports promising smoother travel — four out of the five airports with the lowest percentages of canceled flights are located in the West, while the top five for highest percentage of canceled flights are on the East Coast.

Salt Lake City and Fresno are ready for take-off — both city’s airports ranked in the top five for flights leaving when scheduled (on time and not canceled).

Security Checkpoint Wait Time

Even with an on-time flight, going through security checkpoints can be a struggle. When ranking airports for reliability, we considered the average wait times to find the most efficient Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers, more likely to get you to your gate on time for your departure.

In three U.S. airports, the average security wait time is 30 minutes or more, with the longest average wait at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (45 minutes).

Flight troubles are frustrating at any time, but it may be especially aggravating dealing with long delays or cancellations when you’ve paid a hefty price for that airfare. While airfare is mainly determined by the airline, the airport you chose to fly out of will also play a factor in the price. For that reason, we included average domestic airfare as a metric when ranking the most- and least-stressful airports.

Generally, busier airports have cheaper flights because they offer far more routes, but that’s not always the case. For example, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, the busiest airport in the U.S., ranks 16th for highest cost, with an average domestic airfare of $394. Dallas-Fort Worth is the third busiest airport in the U.S. but seventh most expensive, with an average domestic fare of $420.

You’re more likely to see greater flight deals with two large airports in a close vicinity, like Orlando and Sanford, Florida. The Sanford airport ranks as the cheapest airport, with an average domestic airfare of $148, while the neighboring Orlando airport ranks as fourth-cheapest, with an average domestic airfare of $273.

Whether you’re jetting off to Europe or Asia for a bucketlist getaway or are visiting family and friends a few states away, many of our travels involve heading to the airport. Unfortunately, none of the 20 best airports in the world is located in the U.S. (or even North America, for that matter — Seattle-Tacoma is first to make the list at No. 27). But there are some things you can do to make your airport experience less stressful — even if you are flying out of JFK.

Avid traveler and founder of the Miss Tourist blog Yulia Saf offers these four tips for stress-free travel:

1. Arrive Early

Not all airports have great shopping or dining options or swanky lounges for when you have time to spare. But it’s still a good idea to give yourself adequate wiggle room before take-off — especially if you’re traveling through one of the airports that rank poorly for long security wait times.

“Always aim to arrive at the airport at least two hours before your domestic flight or three hours for international ones. This will give you ample time to withstand unexpected security checkpoint wait times,” Saf said.

2. Book Early Morning Flights

When it comes to traveling, the early bird gets the least stressful airport experience. “If you're flying from airports with higher flight delay or cancellation rates, booking early morning flights can be a stress-saving strategy,” Saf said. “Delays often escalate as the day progresses, making early flights [a safer bet to avoid trip interruptions].”

3. Stay Calm and Have a Plan B

The words “stay calm” often fall on deaf ears in stressful situations, but it’s wise advice when it comes to airport travel. “Maintaining a calm demeanor is paramount,” Saf said. “Stress often prompts abrupt decisions, so it's essential to stay composed, be proactive and always have a backup plan.”

4. Get Travel Insurance

Next time you book a flight, don’t skip out on travel insurance. With the increase in flight delays this year, it’s more important than ever.

“I strongly recommend travel insurance while flying out of airports with higher delay and cancellation rates. It offers a security blanket against unpredictable flight dynamics and unexpected expenses,” Saf said. “As a frequent flier, it has not just saved me financially, but the
peace of mind it provides is priceless.”

Saf is far from the only travel expert to recommend investing in travel insurance. “While travel insurance tends to be one of those expenses you detest paying for because you don’t actually reap any rewards until you need to make a claim, traveling with insurance is essential,” added Kyle Kroeger, founder of Via Travelers.

To rank the most and least stressful airports, the MarketWatch Guides team examined data across 45 of the largest U.S. airports across six metrics. They are:

• Percentage of delayed flights: This is the share of flights that had over a 15-minute delay. Data is from the Bureau of Transportation and updated as of 2022.
• Percentage of canceled flights: Data is from the Bureau of Transportation and updated as of 2022.
• Percentage of diverted flights: This is the share of flights that had to land at a different airport than the one scheduled. Data is from the Bureau of Transportation and updated as of 2022.
• Average fare: This is based on fares for Q1 2023 and includes one-way and round-trip domestic flights. Data comes from the Bureau of Transportation.
• Average security wait time: This excludes individuals with TSA PreCheck. Data is from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and is updated as of 2022.
• Flight traffic: This is the total number of incoming and outgoing flights. Data is from the Bureau of Transportation and updated as of 2022.

We ranked each airport in every metric, half-weighting the percentages of canceled and diverted flights and single-weighting all other metrics. We then found each airport’s average ranking. The airport with the best average ranking placed first and received a score of 100. The worst airport for reliability had the lowest average ranking and received a score of 0.

Questions about our study? Please contact the author here.

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