Heading to the airport is never stress-free, but some terminals are more panic inducing than others. And that’s especially true in the city of Chicago.
In fact, Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) was the most stressful airport in America, according to a new study from airport transfer provider Mozio. At the airport, only 74.6 percent of flights depart within 15 minutes of their scheduled time, parking will set travelers back $43, and it takes an hour to reach from the city center (the study used Chicago’s Union Station), one of the longest commutes on the list.
A major hub for United Airlines and American Airlines, O’Hare was the third-busiest airport in the United States for 2025 with more than 50.5 million seats, according to aviation analytics company OAG. Only Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) were busier.
"When you have landed at the airport, the last thing passengers want to be met with is a long transfer time to their destination," Nicole Kerr, Mozio’s CEO, said in a statement. "Unfortunately, travelers heading from Chicago O’Hare Airport will have a transfer time of approximately 60 minutes before reaching the city center."
The next most-stressful airports were all located in the New York area with LaGuardia Airport (LGA) coming in second on the list, followed by New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) tying for third place.
LaGuardia had the highest airport parking costs on the list at $80 per day along with a commute time of just under an hour from the central location of Times Square. Newark was faster to reach—about 30 minutes from Times Square—but still featured daily parking rates of $70.
Travelers heading to both Newark and JFK can opt to arrive by public transportation thanks to robust train networks connecting them to New York City.
Coming in at No. 6 on the list overall, DFW had some of the worst on time rates, with just 69.5% of flights departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled time, according to the study. The good news for Texas residents was that it only takes 21 minutes to reach the airport from the central location of Dealey Plaza.
The Most Stressful Airports in the U.S.
- Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Tie: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Tie: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Triple Tie: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), and Miami International Airport (MIA)
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