These are the most stressful airports in the US: new analysis

The list of stressful airports was determined by analyzing passenger volume, average departure delays, cancellation rates, arrival delays, and Google ratings

Walking around an airport, especially one that is unfamiliar to a traveler, can be intimidating as they attempt to locate their gate or a place to fill up their water bottles.

However, a new study has determined the most stressful airports across the United States.

The list was compiled using Spin the Wheel Generator, which analyzed five factors within airports: passenger volume, average departure delays, cancellation rates, arrival delays, and Google ratings. Each factor was weighted equally at 20 percent to determine a final stress score from 1 (most stressful) to 10 (least stressful).

Larger hubs in major cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles might have points against them for sprawling security lines and multiple terminals, yet none of them earned a spot in the top 10.

The full list of the most stressful airports in the U.S. is as follows:

The most stressful airports in the U.S. were found to be mostly in smaller towns over major cities (AFP via Getty Images)

1. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) in Aspen, Colorado

2. Watertown International Airport (ART) in Dexter, New York

3. Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR) in Hagerstown, Maryland

4. Chippewa Valley Regional Airport (EAU) in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

5. Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX) in Hancock, Michigan

6. Tie: Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR) in Tyler, Texas, and North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB) in Clarksburg, West Virginia

7. Plattsburgh International Airport (PBG) in Plattsburgh, New York

8. MidAmerica St. Louis Airport/Scott Air Force Base (BLV) in Belleville, Illinois

9. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, Georgia

10. Chippewa County International Airport (CIU) in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

The number one most stressful airport, Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, was given a stress score of 4.95. The airport, which caters to around 250,000 passengers per year, was found to have nine percent of its flights canceled and an average departure delay of 45 minutes.

Passengers look at an information display board showing canceled flights (AP)

The only major airport to make the list was Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson in the number nine spot.

Although these airports can be stressful, so can flying in general. Earlier this year, the luggage storage website Bounce.com conducted a survey asking over 2,000 travelers what makes them “uneasy or uncomfortable” during a flight, while also determining which airlines are considered the “best” for nervous flyers.

Bounce.com used the survey data to determine which airline features make passengers feel the least “uneasy or uncomfortable,” and compared major airlines using these factors to create a “stress-free score” out of 10.

The best airline for anxious passengers was Singapore Airlines, with a stress-free score of 8.94 out of 10. Bounce concluded that the airline’s wide economy seats give flyers more room to sleep or relax on longer flights. The airline also offers in-flight meditation playlists for people to take their minds off anxiety-inducing situations around them.

Korean Air achieved a stress-free score of 8.82, and Cathay Pacific had a stress-free score of 8.57.