Shortest and Longest Airport Wait Times in the U.S.: Key Findings from Recent Study

Overview of Airport Wait Times

Waiting in airport lines is an inevitable part of traveling; however, wait times can vary dramatically depending on which airport you’re departing from. To find out how the U.S. airports rank in terms of wait times, luggage storage company Bounce analyzed both the average security line times via TSA Wait Times and passport control lines through the U.S. Customs & Border Protection’s data. This research helped determine which airports require the most patience and which you can speed through quickly.

Longest Wait Times

The longest overall waits were reported at a pair of Florida airports. At Miami International Airport, travelers can expect an average wait of 24 minutes and 54 seconds in security and 22 minutes and 3 seconds at passport control. Conversely, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport offers a quicker security experience, averaging 18 minutes and 18 seconds, but exhibits a longer passport control wait time of 28 minutes and 23 seconds. Additionally, San Francisco International Airport ranks as the third slowest, where travelers should anticipate waiting 27 minutes and 48 seconds in the security line, along with 18 minutes and 8 seconds at passport control.

Fastest Airports for Efficiency

For the most expedited airport experience, North Carolina airports ranked highest in efficiency. Raleigh-Durham International Airport records an average wait time of only 10 minutes at security, while Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s TSA wait time is just under 10 minutes. Similarly, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport provides a seamless experience, with an average of 10 minutes and 12 seconds for security lines and 9 minutes and 2 seconds for passport lines.

Security Line Insights

The study segmented the data by each line type to identify where travelers spend the most time in security lines. Palm Beach International Airport, St. Louis Lambert International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport exhibit the longest security wait times. Alternatively, Newark Liberty International Airport had the shortest security line, followed closely by smaller airports like Ontario International Airport in California and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas.

Passport Control Insights

For travelers returning from international destinations, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport recorded the longest passport control line wait time, followed by Miami International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

The study analyzed a comprehensive data set spanning one year, from March 8, 2021, to March 7, 2022. To view the complete results, you can visit here.