Surely, waiting in the airport security line isn’t anyone’s favorite part of a travel day. But the truth is, some airports make it easier than others, whether that’s thanks to a more efficient layout, more screening capacity, or better staffing procedures. A 2024 study from the travel news and advice website Upgraded Points analyzed the 25 busiest airports in the U.S. to find out which ones had the shortest — and longest — TSA wait times on average. Check out the results below and find out if your home airport made either list.
U.S. Airports With the Shortest TSA Wait Times
According to the study, these five airports had the shortest security lines:
5. Charlotte Douglas (CLT) and Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) — 13.2 minutes (tie)
4. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) — 13 minutes
3. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) — 10.6 minutes
2. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) — 10.5 minutes
1. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) — 9.1 minutes
If you’re a Delta flyer, this list should be good news — the airline has hubs in Salt Lake City, Boston, Minneapolis, and Detroit. (Delta was also the carrier with the best on-time performance in 2024.) As for the others on this list, Dulles Airport near D.C. is a major hub for United, and American has around 800 daily flights through Charlotte.
While the times listed are the average wait times from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. (when the majority of flights depart), the study noted that the time you actually spend in line has a lot to do with the timing and day of your flight. For example, travelers at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport waited only a minute on average if they joined the line on a Saturday between 8 and 9 p.m., but 43 minutes if they departed between 2 and 3 p.m. on a Monday.
U.S. Airports With the Longest TSA Wait Times
These five airports had the longest TSA lines on average in the study:
5. Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) — 17.3 minutes
4. Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) — 18.2 minutes
3. Miami International Airport (MIA) — 19.6 minutes
2. Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) — 19.8 minutes
1. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) — 23.1 minutes
Moral of the story: If you’re flying out of any of the airports above, be sure to arrive early at the airport, which might mean skipping the last-minute slot machine in Vegas or packing up a little earlier at the beach in Miami.
In addition to its long security lines, Newark also has made headlines recently for major flight delays due to FAA staffing and technology issues, so it’s a good idea to get there at least a few hours ahead of your scheduled flight. Based on the study, the worst time to fly out of Newark was Monday from noon to 1 p.m., when average wait times were 60 minutes.
How To Spend Less Time in the TSA Line
The easiest way to wait less at the airport? Sign up for TSA PreCheck. That’s because PreCheck members have a dedicated line, filled with frequent travelers who don’t have to remove bulky items like laptops or jackets. According to the TSA, 99% of PreCheck passengers wait 10 minutes or less at the checkpoint. (Pro tip: Global Entry, which cuts down on your time spent in immigration and customs after landing in the U.S. from an international trip, also comes with PreCheck.)
If you’re not a PreCheck member or you don’t qualify, there are other services you can use. About three dozen airports in the U.S. let you book a time slot at TSA security ahead of time, so you don’t have to wait in the general line. Best of all, the service is completely free to use.
If all else fails and you end up in the standard security line, there’s one trick to remember: Always choose the line on the left. (It’s often shorter.) And when it’s finally your turn to undergo screening, make sure you’re not holding up the line by making these seven common mistakes.
About the data: Travel website Upgraded Points looked at the top 25 U.S. airports for total passenger boardings to analyze the average security line wait times, based on historical data published by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The study looked at data from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day of the week over a 56-day period in spring 2024 to find average wait times. You can read the full report here.
Featured image credit: AzmanL/ E+ via Getty Images
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