Which US Airports Have the Worst Flight Delays?

Among major US airports, Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) has the worst on-time record — only about 72% of departures leave on time — followed closely by Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Baltimore (BWI) near 73%. At the other end, Honolulu (HNL) leads at about 86%. Figures cover 14.1 million US flights from June 2024 through May 2026 from the US DOT.

The most-delayed big airports

• DFW — Dallas/Fort Worth: ~72% on-time departures
• FLL — Fort Lauderdale: ~73%
• BWI — Baltimore/Washington: ~73%
• MIA — Miami: ~74%
• ORD — Chicago O'Hare: ~75%

See the full list on the most delayed airports ranking, or open DFW's airport page and O'Hare's page for hour-by-hour detail.

DFW's citywide numbers show up route by route, too. Jackson Hole to Dallas/Fort Worth (JAC → DFW) is the single least reliable busy US route in FlightRecord's data, on time only 68.0% of the time with a 53.1-minute average arrival delay — see the most (and least) reliable US flight routes for the full route-level breakdown.

The most reliable major airports

The best big airports beat 84%: Honolulu (HNL) at about 86%, with Portland (PDX) and Salt Lake City (SLC) around 84%. The full leaderboard is the most reliable airports ranking.

If you're routing through one of these airports on a layover rather than starting or ending your trip there, the calculus shifts a bit — Honolulu's top on-time rate, for example, is driven mostly by point-to-point island travel rather than tight connecting banks. See which US airports are best for connecting flights for a breakdown built specifically around layover risk.

Why big hubs run late

Connecting hubs schedule tight banks of flights that all depend on aircraft and crews arriving on time, so one late-arriving aircraft spreads quickly. Flying early in the day is the best defense at any of them. The airline you fly matters too — some carriers handle hub delays far better than others; see which US airlines have the best (and worst) on-time records.

Delays and cancellations don't always single out the same airports, either. DFW's poor on-time rate doesn't make it the worst for cancellations, while LGA, DCA, and EWR top the cancellation-rate list despite not leading this delay ranking — a sign that slot-constrained Northeast airports fail differently than sprawling hub airports do. See which US airports have the most flight cancellations for that separate ranking.

Airport size is part of the story too — see do bigger airports really have more flight delays for how the four biggest US hubs compare with mid-size airports specifically on volume.

For a closer look at how the Washington, DC area’s three airports compare directly, see Dulles vs. Reagan National vs. BWI on-time performance.

Frequently asked questions

What is the worst airport for delays?

Among high-volume airports, Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) has the lowest on-time departure rate at roughly 72%.

Which large airport is the most reliable?

Honolulu (HNL), where about 86% of departures leave on time — helped by long-haul schedules and mild weather.

If your usual airport ranks poorly, it may be worth checking a nearby alternative — see should you fly from a different nearby airport instead for real examples where a short drive made a meaningful difference.