New Yorkers already know traveling can be a headache — but according to new research, some of the worst airport stress comes not from major ones like JFK or LaGuardia, but from the state’s tiniest regional airports.
CBD company Mood.com ranked 384 US airports by stress, factoring in cancellations, delays, passenger numbers and Google reviews. The winner in the “most stressful” category?
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport in Colorado, which scored a 4.95 out of 10, thanks to nearly 9% of its flights being canceled and average departure delays topping 45 minutes.
But New York fans don’t have to fly across the Rockies to feel the frustration.
Watertown International Airport in upstate New York snagged second place with a stress score of 4.68.
Serving just under 24,000 passengers annually, the tiny airport has an 8.8% cancellation rate and average arrival delays of almost 40 minutes.
Plattsburgh International Airport, another small New York airport near the Adirondacks, also made the top 10 with a 4.28 score.
Travelers here face the quirks of a regional hub where patience is a must, and delays are part of the scenery.
The list is full of smaller airports, proving that fewer passengers don’t equal smoother travels.
Other high-stress hubs include Maryland’s Hagerstown Regional, which experiences nearly two-hour departure delays, and Chippewa Valley Regional in Wisconsin, where arrivals routinely land more than an hour late.
Even Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest, made the top 10 — though with not as severe delays, it’s more of a crowd-control headache than a timing nightmare.
According to the research, the key stressors are cancellations and long waits.
Supposedly, small airports dominate the rankings because they can’t absorb disruptions as easily as major hubs, the report notes.
Top 10 most stressful US airports
- Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, CO – 4.95
- Watertown International Airport, NY – 4.68
- Hagerstown Regional Airport, MD – 4.65
- Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, WI – 4.49
- Houghton County Memorial Airport, MI – 4.33
- Tyler Pounds, Regional, TX – 4.31
- North Central West Virginia Airport – 4.31
- Plattsburgh International, NY – 4.28
- MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, IL – 4.15
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, GA – 4.12
But it’s not all turbulence for travelers. As The Post previously reported, a 2024 AirHelp study crowned Sacramento International Airport king of the skies last January — with 82.3% of flights taking off on time, per the Sacramento Bee.
Something so many other airports in the country could only dream of.
Not far behind: San Jose International at 82.06%, Arizona’s Tucson International at 81.33%, Reno-Tahoe in Nevada at 81.18%, and Georgia’s Savannah/Hilton Head at 80.47%.
Turns out the biggest travel meltdown might not happen at JFK’s security line — but while waiting for a puddle-jumper in the middle of nowhere.
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