If you’ve ever stood in the long TSA line at Orlando International Airport (MCO), holding your souvenir bags and wondering if you’ll make your flight, this one’s for you.

A brand-new study ranking the most (and least) stressful airports in the country just came out, and Orlando landed at #15 — not the worst of the bunch, but definitely not one of the calmest, either. Honestly? For anyone who has flown in or out of MCO, that spot probably won’t come as a shock. Let’s break down what the numbers say about MCO, how it compares to other airports, and what you can do to make your next trip to Disney World a little smoother from the moment you get to the airport.

How the Airport Stress Ranking Works

Rightway Parking analyzed 55 major airports in the U.S. across five factors to rank the most and least stressful airports to fly through:

• Delay rate
• Cancellation rate
• How much delays have worsened since 2021
• How far the airport is from downtown
• How long it takes to get there from downtown

The flight data comes from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, using 2025 numbers for delays and cancellations and a 2021-to-2025 look at how delays have changed over time. Each factor was scored on a 0-to-100 scale and weighted equally, so an airport that struggles in several categories rises quickly toward the top of the “stressful” list.

Where Orlando Landed (and Why)

Orlando International came in at #15 out of 55, which puts it firmly in the more-stressful half of the list. Here’s how MCO’s numbers stack up:

• Delay rate: 24.22%
• Cancellation rate: 1.04%
• Change in delays since 2021: 9.05%

The delay rate is the big one. Roughly 1 in 4 flights out of MCO left late, which isn’t far behind the airports with the most delays in the study, with Dallas/Fort Worth (27.86%), West Palm Beach (26.00%), and Denver (25.40%) as the top three. If you’ve ever watched your departure time creep back while waiting at the gate, you’re definitely not alone.

The good news is that cancellations are relatively rare. At 1.04%, MCO sits just above the sub-1% cancellation rates of the least stressful airports, and well below Reagan National’s study-high 3.86%. In other words, your flight is much more likely to leave late than not leave at all. MCO’s delay trend is also fairly mild compared to some airports. Delays there have grown 9.05% since 2021, while they jumped 79.90% at Charlotte Douglas and 73.92% at Reagan National over the same stretch.

So why does Orlando still rank in the top 15? It’s the combination. MCO is one of the busiest airports in the country, and it deals with a steady stream of vacationers (often big families with strollers and lots of luggage), peak travel weeks tied to school breaks, and Florida’s famous afternoon thunderstorms — all of which can stack up into delays and long lines. No single number is extreme, but those everyday pressures add up across the five factors.

The Most and Least Stressful Airports in the U.S.

If MCO feels hectic, it could be worse. Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) took the #1 spot as the most stressful airport in the study, followed by Chicago O’Hare (ORD) at #2 and Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) at #3.

• DFW pairs a 27.86% delay rate (the highest in the study) with a 33.67% increase in delays since 2021, and it sits 22 miles from downtown.
• O’Hare has a 24.68% delay rate — nearly identical to MCO’s — but its delays have climbed 42.77%, and the trip from downtown takes about 50 minutes.
• Reagan National is close to the city, but it has the highest cancellation rate in the study at 3.86%, and its delay rate has jumped 73.92%.

At the opposite end of the ranking, Salt Lake City International (SLC) is the least stressful airport in the study, followed by San Jose International (SJC) and Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International (HNL). All three have cancellation rates below 1%, relatively short trips from downtown, and lower delay rates than many of the airports near the top of the list. So if you’re flying to Disney World from SLC, San Jose, or Honolulu, you might just get the calmer half of your travel day out of the way first!

How to Make Your MCO Trip Less Stressful

You can’t control the weather or air traffic, but you can control a lot of what happens on the ground. Here are our top tips for a smoother trip in and out of Orlando.

1. Book a Free Security Time with MCO Reserve

If you don’t have TSA PreCheck or CLEAR Plus, MCO Reserve (powered by CLEAR) is one of the best-kept secrets at the airport. It’s completely free and lets you book a time slot for your whole party to go through security using a dedicated lane.

• Terminals A, B, and C all have MCO Reserve lanes.
• You can book your slot up to 7 days in advance, but spots are limited each day, so grab one early.
• When you arrive, scan the QR code from your confirmation and head straight to TSA to have your ID and boarding pass checked.
• Screening hours vary by terminal (Terminal C, for example, runs from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.), so check the MCO Reserve page for your terminal and flight time before booking.
• It’s meant for standard-screening passengers, so TSA PreCheck and CLEAR Plus members should stick to their own lanes.

With roughly 1 in 4 MCO flights delayed, taking the guesswork out of the security line is one easy way to cut down on travel-day stress.

3. Check Security Wait Times Before You Leave

The Orlando International Airport website shows real-time security wait times for each checkpoint, and so does the MCO app. A quick look before you leave your resort can help you decide whether you can squeeze in one last breakfast or need to hit the road right away.

3. Know Your Terminal

MCO has three terminals with separate security checkpoints. Terminals A and B share the main terminal building, while Terminal C is a separate building connected by a train. Double-check which terminal your airline uses so you don’t end up waiting in the wrong security line or riding back and forth.

4. Fly Earlier in the Day When You Can

Delays tend to snowball as the day goes on, and Central Florida’s afternoon thunderstorms (especially in summer) can cause ground stops and pushbacks. Morning flights generally give you a better shot at leaving on time and more rebooking options if something goes wrong.

5. Pad Your Schedule

Rightway Parking’s own advice from the study is to build in extra time for the drive, security, and a possible delay. At MCO, that’s especially true during holidays, spring break, and summer. If you’re booking a Disney World transfer, rideshare, or rental car return, give yourself more buffer than you think you need.

Orlando’s #15 spot on the airport stress ranking won’t surprise anyone who’s battled a packed security line or a late-afternoon delay at MCO. A little planning goes a long way. Be sure to follow DFB for more travel tips and news.

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Where does your home airport land on the list? Let us know in the comments!