Last Updated on August 25, 2022
The length of time it takes to get through airport security depends on the airport you are departing from as well as the time of day and day of the week you are traveling.
Sometimes you can breeze through the airport security checkpoint in just a few minutes.
Other times you might face a long security line and longer wait times.
Delays of 90 minutes or more to get through the TSA checkpoint are rare but not impossible.
The inconvenience of missing a flight hurts a lot more than the inconvenience of arriving earlier at the airport. So the important thing is to make sure you allow enough time to get through and catch your flight.
Nevertheless, there are some things you can do to try to reduce how long the security screening process takes and to predict how much time you really need to allow for it.
The Standard Advice
The Transportation Security Administration run the security checkpoint, but they advise travelers to check with their airline how early they should arrive at the airport. The TSA doesn’t make any promises about how long it will take to get through the checkpoint.
The standard advice from the airlines is to arrive at the airport two hours before departure for a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.
But that 2 hours isn’t just to get through security. The 2 hours includes time to get your boarding card, check-in luggage, and navigate the airport.
If you are checking in online and only bringing carry-on bags, in theory, you don’t need to be at the airport two hours before your flight. That’s another benefit of traveling light.
The safest way to avoid missing your flight is to arrive 2 hours before departure, but some travelers are willing to accept a little risk if they can predict how long getting through security will take.
How To Anticipate Airport Security Wait Times
The length of time it takes to get through airport security depends on which airport you are flying from as well as the time of day, day of the week, or month that you are flying on.
So, for example, you need to be asking a more specific question…
How long does it take to get through airport security at Denver International Airport on a Tuesday morning at 9 am?
Once you have accurately defined the question there are a couple of methods you can use to get a better estimate of how long security screening will take in your circumstances.
The first thing to do is…
Download The My TSA App
The TSA app provides historical data about security wait times to go through the TSA checkpoint at all airports.
Here’s how to check this using our Denver example.
Go to “My Airports” and find your departure airport.
The first part of the screen shows the estimated current wait time. In this example the estimated current wait time at Denver International Airport is 0 – 15 minutes.
To predict the airport security wait time on your time of travel check the “Plan For Your Trip” section:
We can see that the estimated wait time for our Denver example on Tuesday at 9 am is 30 minutes:
The app is a good place to start to figure out TSA wait times but there’s usually another place you can check too.
Check The Website For Your Departure Airport
Most airports have a page on their website that provides live security wait times.
This won’t provide historical data but it’s something you can keep an eye on before you leave home.
Go to google and do a search like this:
Find the result for the official airport website.
At the time of researching this post I could see the live current wait times.
I could see things were flowing smoothly at Denver the wait time for standard screening was 7 minutes at the bridge security gate and 11 minutes at the south security gate.
The PreCheck time was only 4 minutes to go through the TSA.
What’s PreCheck? I hear you ask…
PreCheck Is The Fastest Way To Get Through Airport Security
TSA PreCheck approved passengers usually get through airport security much quicker than regular passengers that go through standard screening.
You must have the TSA PreCheck stamp on your boarding pass to qualify for the PreCheck lane.
While occasionally passengers might be see the PreCheck logo on their boarding pass without having applied for the program usually you need to apply in advance and become pre-approved.
According to the TSA PreCheck marketing, 93% of TSA PreCheck passengers get through airport security in 5 minutes or less.
Part of the reason that PreCheck is faster is that you usually don’t need to remove liquids, shoes, and jackets. The lines are also shorter too! It’s definitely worth the money if you are frequent flier.
Global Entry is another pre-screening program for international flights that includes TSA PreCheck and will help you go through the TSA faster.
If you don’t want to spend money signing up for a program the next best thing you can do is…
Understand the TSA rules for Carry-on luggage.
You don’t need to memorize every item that is permitted or prohibited from hand luggage, you just need to learn the general principles.
The TSA is basically searching for weapons and liquids.
So if you pack anything that could be used as a weapon in your hand luggage you might be delayed at security while the TSA investigates. That includes heavy items that could be used as a bludgeon.
Liquids, gels, creams, and pastes, should all be packed in your one quart-size bag and be in containers less than 3.4 ounces. I have discussed why liquids are restricted in hand luggage elsewhere if you want to know the backstory.
Any oversize liquid or anything that looks like a potential weapon might cause delays at airport security.
Any large object that might obstruct the x-ray scanners should be removed from your luggage and places in a separate bin.
So large electronic devices must be removed from your carry-on.
But you can pack small electronic devices like your cell phone inside your luggage. You can also pack your loose change and keys inside your hand luggage.
Knowing the rules and being organized and prepared can help you speed through the checkpoint.
The Final Word
You can do a little research and try to predict airport security waiting times.
But that’s always going to be something of a gamble.
It rarely takes more than 30 minutes to go through the TSA checkpoint, and most TSA PreCheck passengers get through in under 5 minutes.
But longer wait times are possible, and the main thing is that you don’t want to miss your flight! It’s way better to arrive at the airport too early than too late.
There are times where you are trying to catch a connecting flight when it might make sense to take a risk.
But generally it’s best to stick to the TSA advise of arriving at the airport two hours before the scheduled departure time for domestic flights and three hours before the scheduled departure time for international flights.
It’s much less stressful to get through airport security early with plenty of time to spare. That way you can settle down with a coffee on the other side and wait for your flight to be called for boarding rather than feeling the pressure of an approaching deadline|