The United States is where air travel was born. The United States is also where air travel grew up to become a miserable ordeal. Among wealthy nations, the U.S. has some of the worst airports by almost any measure. Inefficiencies, poor design, endless waits, and an overall sense of chaos abound.
But which U.S. airports are the worst of the worst? If you’ve ever endured a hellish layover you might nurse a grudge against your own especially loathed spot, but to assemble our roundup of the country’s most terrible terminals, we considered several factors, including flight delays, security wait times, customer satisfaction surveys, and the reviews of experts.
Read this list now or save it for when your time of departure gets pushed back again.
10. Denver International Airport (DEN)
PROBLEMS: long TSA lines, ground transit congestion, eternal construction
North America’s bumpiest takeoffs and landings occur at Denver International Airport, according to turbulence forecasting site Turbli. That’s a result of Denver‘s location in the Rocky Mountains; the towering peaks combine with wind activity to create ideal conditions for shaky flights.
Of course, you can’t really fault the airport for its home city’s mile-high location—especially when there are plenty of other things to fault the airport for, like a centralized security checkpoint seemingly tailor-made to create congestion and an inter-concourse train system prone to breakdowns. Because the airport is situated a whopping 25 miles from downtown Denver, getting to the terminal can be a challenge, too, especially if you go via perpetually clogged Peña Boulevard, where travel times have tripled in recent years. Construction projects to address some of the airport’s woes have dragged on for eons, adding only more headaches.
9. San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
PROBLEMS: delays, cancellations
In 2024, San Francisco had the highest percentage of flight delays among U.S. airports, a review of data from the Department of Transportation found. More than 37% of planes ran behind schedule at SFO—that’s more than double the rate of delays at the ultra-busy airport in Atlanta, where only 17% of flights were late. San Francisco made the top 10 for most cancellations, too.
The city’s famously foggy weather is a prime culprit, though as Business Traveller magazine points out, system outages, staffing shortages, and an inability to keep up with increased travel demand have compounded the airport’s punctuality problem. And while SFO can’t help the region’s fog and low clouds, the airport’s designers could have thought twice about putting the runways so close together.
Explains the Weather Channel: “When visibility is low, the FAA doesn’t allow planes to land side-by-side unless runways are at least 4,300 feet apart.” The runways in San Francisco, though, are just 750 feet apart. Consequently, arrivals have to be staggered much of the time, causing a reduction of landings per hour by roughly a third on foggy days.
8. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
PROBLEMS: safety concerns, congested airspace, understaffing
Though the deadly midair collision of a military helicopter and passenger jet in January wasn’t a direct result of air traffic congestion, the overcrowded airspace around the D.C. area‘s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has been a concern for years. Since the crash, the airport has been the setting for an alarming string of further incidents, including near misses, communication errors, and the arrest of an air traffic controller after a physical fight broke out in the tower.
That perhaps suggests the degree of stress and dysfunction faced by air traffic controllers in their overburdened, understaffed jobs (a nationwide problem). Among the consequences so far of Reagan National’s deteriorating safety record: tighter FAA restrictions, congressional hearings, claims of mismanagement by aviation experts, and a decline in passenger numbers that could hint at a drop in the public’s confidence.
7. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
PROBLEMS: roadway congestion, long TSA wait times, flight delays
Traffic congestion is so chaotic on the roadways at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in South Florida that the airport’s own guidance advises drivers to use the pick-up area (Arrivals) for dropping off passengers and the drop-off area (Departures) for pick-ups. Whether you’ve just gotten to the airport or are trying to leave, you’ll have plenty of time to contemplate such mysteries as you endure the nation’s longest TSA wait times or, if you’re attempting to exit the airport by car, pass through every terminal at a pace described by locals as “excruciatingly slow.”
And speaking of time wasters, FLL ranks high for flight delays, too, owing to the facility’s heavy dependence on low-cost carriers that can’t seem to run on time, according to airport officials. Fortunately, the FAA has allocated $50 million to improve FLL’s layout, connectivity between terminals, and infrastructure over the next few years. Course, it might be reasonable to wonder how reliable federal funding is nowadays.
6. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
PROBLEMS: long waits for security and passport control, mishandled baggage, flight delays, construction mess
A 2024 ranking named New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport the “most luxurious” airport in the United States (and in 11th place worldwide), based on criteria such as the number of lounges, the number of stores selling luxury brands, and the onsite availability of champagne and caviar.
If those are the sorts of things you look for in an airport, maybe you’ll consider JFK a real treat. If, on the other hand, you prefer an airport to, you know, operate efficiently, you’re liable to have a less enjoyable time at a facility that ranks at or near the top of studies tracking the longest security and passport control wait times, mishandled baggage, and delayed flights.
A massive $19 billion construction project promises to improve the airport’s facilities and infrastructure, but the planned completion date isn’t until the end of the decade, so you can count on snarled road traffic and other obstacles in the meantime. But hey, apparently there’s airport caviar as a consolation.
5. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
PROBLEMS: flight delays and cancellations, cramped facilities, limited amenities
You’ve gotta give Midway points for convenience. It’s situated relatively close to Chicago‘s Loop, and CTA Orange Line trains can get you there in about 20 minutes, give or take—a quick and affordable transit option you can’t take for granted when it comes to U.S. airports (though Chicago’s O’Hare is similarly easy to access from Downtown via the Blue Line, albeit with longer travel times).
Midway’s compact size and busy flight schedule are a lethal combo, however. Because of the limited space, even minor air traffic congestion can “snowball into severe delays,” as travel site Far & Wide explains. Emphasis on snowball, given how Chicago’s winter weather tends to make things worse.
That all adds up to persistent flight delays and cancellations—especially around the end-of-year holidays—and a reputation as one of the country’s most unreliable airports. And Midway isn’t exactly the type of place where passengers don’t mind getting stuck; customer satisfaction surveys consistently give low ratings to the airport’s concessions and facilities. At least the notoriously cramped security screening area has been expanded.
4. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
PROBLEMS: outdated terminals, lack of cleanliness, security concerns
Among airports of its size, Philadelphia‘s decrepit facility has come in dead last on J.D. Power’s annual customer satisfaction survey for four years in a row. One of the leading reasons for that dismal record, airport officials think, is the advanced age of the terminals, the newest of which is more than 20 years old.
Is that the last time anybody cleaned up the place, too? As one passenger put it to local TV news reporters, “Usually you walk around something’s spilled on the ground. Something smells kind of bad.” Further adding to the LaGuardia-before-it-got-fancy vibe at PHL: an often chaotic baggage claim, time-consuming delays, and a lack of adequate lighting and security cameras in parking garages, leading to “chronic car thefts” and other crimes.
Fortunately, a big investment from American Airlines is helping to fund improvements. Security upgrades to the parking areas are in progress, and airport officials hope to have new seating and carpets installed near departure gates in time for 2026, when Philadelphia hopes an influx of tourists will want to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence.
3. Orlando International Airport (MCO)
PROBLEMS: poor customer service, overcrowding, mishandled baggage, long waits, lack of cleanliness
The only state with three airports on this dishonor roll is Florida, and that includes the state’s busiest facility, Orlando International Airport. The gateway to Central Florida‘s family entertainment behemoths handles around 57 million passengers per year—or maybe we should say the airport mishandles those folks, because MCO leads the U.S. in lost and damaged luggage (with a mishandling rate 63% higher than the national average) and has racked up the third-most complaints against the TSA, with the majority of dissatisfied flyers finding fault with the federal agency’s poor customer service.
The airport’s struggles to accommodate the enormous crowds of travelers passing through likely account for the facility’s long security and passport control lines, high number of delayed flights around the holidays, lack of cleanliness, and general atmosphere of chaos. Naturally, this translates to a pretty miserable passenger experience, which is why Orlando’s airport topped MarketWatch’s 2024 customer survey on the worst airports for layovers. MCO’s availability of seating, cleanliness of public areas, access to charging stations, and food-and-beverage service all received abysmal ratings.
2. Miami International Airport (MIA)
PROBLEMS: long waits, confusing layout, subpar food options
For an unpleasant Florida airport experience, Orlando runs neck and neck with Miami. It’s almost impressive how many ways MIA manages to waste travelers’ time, appearing near the top of the trash heap for rankings of airports with the longest TSA wait times, most early-morning flight delays, lengthiest runway taxiing times, and worst delays during the holidays. The airport isn’t always the worst of the worst in every category, but if some sort of inefficiency is being measured, you can usually count on Miami to take the silver or bronze.
As if those issues weren’t frustrating enough, the airport’s layout is confusing and disjointed, and the dining options are remarkably poor, earning a customer review average of 1 out of 5 stars in the food category across nearly 500 reviews at aviation rating site Skytrax. The airport’s overall average is only slightly better at 2 stars. As one verified reviewer from Norway sums it up, MIA “leaves you trapped in what feels like a never-ending maze of incompetence.”
1. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
PROBLEMS: inadequate transit/road access, overcrowding, long security waits, understaffing, outdated facilities
We’re not the only ones who think Newark has the lousiest airport in the United States. The New York City area’s second busiest airport came in last among North America’s largest facilities in J.D. Power’s most recent customer satisfaction survey. Apparently, the expensive, state-of-the-art Terminal A, which opened in 2023, hasn’t done much to move the needle with travelers, at least not yet.
J.D. Power’s Michael Taylor told TheStreet, “Access (as in road traffic) has put a damper on EWR’s newest terminal, which has outstanding design and impressive food, beverage, and retail. If New Jersey traffic makes you late for your flight, you’re not likely to have time to enjoy what EWR offers.”
Oh sure, blame Jersey. The airport’s terrible reputation couldn’t possibly have to do with its maddening crowds, extended security wait times, understaffing issues, flight-snarling equipment failures, and outdated facilities (new terminal excepted).
Back in the fall, officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey unveiled a “vision plan” to take Newark “from worst to best.” Per the New York Times, the transformation would include “replacing the most dilapidated of the airport’s three terminals—the 51-year-old Terminal B, which has in part relied for years on portable toilets—and the rickety AirTrain that connects the terminals to parking lots and commuter trains.”
Though the AirTrain project is underway, the officials’ vision did not encompass solid details on how long the rest of the airport’s makeover would take or how much it would cost.
So don’t expect Newark to appear on many best-of lists anytime soon.
An earlier version of this story has been updated for 2025.