Was This US Airport Really The Most Stressful To Travel Through In 2025?

Some of the most stressful airports around sometimes don't look like they would make the list. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) is one such airport. It looks small, yet offers amazing views and serves as the gateway to one of America's best mountain towns. But guess what? According to a 2025 analysis by Travel+Leisure, Aspen surprisingly climbed to the top of a nationwide list measuring travel stress across 384 U.S. airports. As such, it's been dubbed the most stressful American airport.

The ranking was based on factors such as flight delays, cancellations, crowd levels, Google reviews, and basically the overall experience. Despite the fact that Aspen normally handles far fewer passengers than major hubs, the airport scored poorly largely due to the issue of frequent disruptions. The analysis claimed the airport experiences a notably high cancellation rate of up to 9%, and averages departure delays often reaching up to 45 minutes.

However, this claim has raised questions. The Aspen Times, in particular, noted that the data wasn't reliable, and that it was merely based on a website tool (Spin the Wheel Generator) through which people simply spin a wheel to determine results. According to them, "The website has no data, blog posts, or reports about anything related to airport data or air travel-related stress factors." Aspen Times also claimed that the report wasn't in line with official data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which puts the airport's cancellation rate at 6.5% and the average delay around 26 minutes. Now, that uncertainty changes the whole conversation. So, it's not so much just about whether Aspen is indeed the most stressful airport, but perhaps more about whether the airport's unique challenges can truly impact travelers' flight experiences.

ASE has some inherent challenges, such as its location way up in the Rockies, at an elevation of 7,820 feet, making flying in and out quite complicated. Factors like unpredictable winds, snowstorms, and narrow paths also increase the likelihood of operational delays at ASE. Then, the airport's physical limits are there: Planes can really only come and go in one direction because of the mountains, and not every aircraft can safely handle and operate in an area like that. As a result, there aren't many plane options.

The crowds might also increase during ski season, summer holidays, and special events. And if a random breakdown hits during those times, delays are bound to occur due to the airport's small size, and you could get stuck overnight or miss your connection. Summarizing the effect of all these factors, aviation expert Bill Tomcich concludes: "Of course ASE is going to have higher cancellations and delays than most airports." Diane Jackson, director of the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, has noted however that these factors will be put into consideration for future remodeling.

Nonetheless, stress is still a subjective thing. Some travelers have noted that ASE has never posed any problems for them. As Redditor Icy-Bend69 wrote via r/Aspen: "I've never had a problem in 20 years and 100s of flights out of Aspen." It seems timing and preparation largely determines how the experience feels. Monitor the weather, perhaps avoid winter, go for early flights, and avoid tight connections if you can. It might also help to have a backup plan, and airports like Eagle County Regional (about an hour away) or Grand Junction Regional (almost two hours) are good options to consider. You might however want to check these airport security tips ahead of your next flight.