DFW ranked the most stressful airport in America. Here's the data, and where to hide

Dallas/Fort Worth International is the most stressful airport in America, according to a new ranking that has travelers arguing online. The study, from Tampa-based Rightway Parking, put DFW at No. 1 out of the 55 busiest US airports, ahead of Chicago O'Hare and Washington Reagan National.

The result hit a nerve. A post from @DallasTexasTV sharing the ranking drew nearly 1,200 likes, about 160 quote posts and more than 90,000 views.

Why DFW came out on top

Rightway Parking scored each airport on five factors: delay rate, cancellation rate, how much delays have grown since 2021, distance from downtown and drive time from downtown. It used 2025 flight data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and drive data from Google Maps, with each factor weighted equally.

DFW did badly on almost all of them:

• Delays: 27.86% of DFW flights were delayed, the highest rate in the study. That's roughly one in four flights.
• Cancellations: 2.76% of departures were canceled, the third-highest rate.
• Getting worse: delays at DFW are up 33.67% since 2021.
• Distance: the airport sits 22 miles from downtown Dallas.

The study notes that DFW is the only airport in the top three for both delays and cancellations.

The rest of the list

O'Hare ranked second, with a 24.68% delay rate, delays up 42.77% since 2021 and a trip of about 50 minutes from downtown Chicago. Reagan National was third. It is close to the city, but it had the highest cancellation rate in the study at 3.86%, and its delays are up 73.92%.

LaGuardia had the second-highest cancellation rate at 3.04%. West Palm Beach (26.00%) and Denver (25.40%) followed DFW for delays. Charlotte saw the biggest jump in delays since 2021, at 79.90%.

The least stressful airport was Salt Lake City, followed by San Jose and Honolulu.

A grain of salt

This is a ranking from a parking company, not a government report, and its formula treats a long drive to the airport as just as stressful as a canceled flight. DFW is huge because it's a giant American Airlines hub, and its distance from downtown is partly because it sits between two big cities. Your experience on a given day depends heavily on your terminal and your airline.

But the delay and cancellation numbers come from federal data, and they are hard to argue with. If you fly through DFW, you should plan for something to go wrong.

How to survive DFW: get into a lounge

Here's the good news. If you're going to be stuck at DFW, it's one of the best airports in the country to be stuck in. DFW has a deep lounge lineup, and Terminal D added three new ones in 2026.

Our picks, from our 10 best lounges at DFW:

• The Centurion Lounge is our top choice for food, drinks and workspace, with showers.
• The Admirals Club in Terminal D is the strongest Admirals Club at DFW, with four showers.
• The Flagship Lounge is the premium pick for international flyers, with eight showers.
• The Capital One Lounge is an excellent all-rounder with craft cocktails.
• The Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club is a stylish 2026 arrival in Terminal D.

Delayed and want to know where you can get in? Check what your card opens at DFW: Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture X and Priority Pass. For a long delay, our best DFW lounges for showers list is worth a look.

A delayed flight is still stressful. It's a lot less stressful with a cocktail and a shower.