The 11 Worst US Airports for TSA Wait Times - July Edition

Join us for the July edition of our monthly analysis of TSA wait times in the US.

• Qsensor analyzed the TSA wait times over the last month at 31 of the US’s largest airports, here are the 11 worst airports for TSA wait times

• Worst airport for wait times is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

• Bad weather and the holiday season is pushing up wait times, cancellations and delays nationwide

Throughout the last month, Qsensor has collected thousands of TSA wait times from the general lines at 31 of the biggest US airports. We looked at the hourly peaks, which we then compiled into a daily averages. Please note your experience may vary. All data is from qsensor.co and the TSA.

11. Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)

Photo by Nicole Geri on Unsplash

• Average Wait Time: 14 minutes and 54 seconds

• Peak Wait Time: 28 minutes and 17 seconds at 2 PM

• Worst Times to Fly: 6 AM and 1-2 PM where wait times peak at 27- 28 minutes.

• Best Times to Fly: 12 PM where wait times are 14 minutes or between 4 - 5 PM where wait times are 15 - 17 minutes.

10. San Diego International Airport (SAN)

Photo by Stephen Leonardi on Unsplash

• Average Wait Time: 16 minutes and 6 seconds

• Peak Wait Time: 25 minutes and 34 seconds at 1 PM

• Worst Times to Fly: 12 - 1 PM where wait times peak at 24 - 25 minutes, we would also avoid 6 AM where wait times are 24 minutes.

• Best Times to Fly: 7 - 8 AM where wait times are 20 - 21 minutes and 4 - 5 PM where wait times are 17 - 18 minutes.

9. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Photo by Skyler Smith on Unsplash

• Average Wait Time: 16 minutes and 31 seconds

• Peak Wait Time: 25 minutes and 52 seconds from 7 -8 AM

• Worst Times to Fly: 7 - 9 AM where wait times are between 23 and 25 minutes

• Best Times to Fly: Only the mornings are to be avoided, the airport clears up after 9 AM.

8. Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX)

Photo by Nader Abushhab on Unsplash

• Average Wait Time: 17 minutes and 21 seconds

• Peak Wait Time: 26 minutes and and 34 seconds at 2 PM

• Worst Times to Fly: 8 AM where wait times are 23 minutes and 34 seconds or 2 - 3 PM where wait times are between 23 and 26 minutes.

• Best Times to Fly: 9 - 11 AM where wait times are 17 - 19 minutes or 7 PM where the wait times is 16 minutes.

7. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash

• Average Wait Time: 18 minutes and 2 seconds

• Peak Wait Time: 28 minutes at 7 PM

• Worst Times to Fly: 4 - 5 AM where wait times are between 22 - 23 minutes or 7 PM where the wait time is 28 minutes.

• Best Times to Fly: 10 AM - 12 PM where wait times are between 16 and 20 minutes.

6. Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL)

Photo by Estera on Unsplash

• Average Wait Time: 19 minutes and 25 seconds

• Peak Wait Time: 33 minutes and 26 seconds at 6 AM

• Worst Times to Fly: 5 - 7 AM where wait times are between 25 and 33 minutes. 10 - 11 AM where wait times are between 26 and 28 minutes.

• Best Times to Fly: 9 AM where wait times are 22 minutes. Between 3 - 5 PM where wait times are between 20 and 21 minutes.

5. Orlando International Airport (MCO)

Photo by Talia on Unsplash

• Average Wait Time: 20 minutes and 29 seconds

• Highest Peak Wait Time: 29 minutes 34 seconds at 5 AM

• Worst Times to Fly: Between 5 and 7 AM where wait times are between 25 and 29 minutes. 5 PM where the wait time is 26 minutes.

• Best Times to Fly: 11 AM where the wait time is 20 minutes.

4. JFK International Airport (JFK)

Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash

• Average Wait Time: 20 minutes and 42 seconds

• Peak Wait Time: 28 minutes and 8 seconds at 2 PM

• Worst Times to Fly: 2 - 7 PM where wait times are between 24 and 28 minutes. 6 AM where the wait time is 24 minutes.

• Best Times to Fly: 7 - 10 AM where wait times are between 19 and 20 minutes. 12 PM where the wait time is 19 minutes.

3. Denver International Airport (DEN)

Photo by Acton Crawford on Unsplash

• Average Wait Time: 20 minutes and 55 seconds

• Peak Wait Time: 38 minutes and 52 seconds at 4 AM

• Worst Times to Fly: 4 - 5 AM where wait times are between 29 and 38 minutes. 4 PM where the wait time is 36 minutes.

• Best Times to Fly: Between 11 AM and 12 PM where wait times are between 12 and 16 minutes.

2. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

Photo by Nicolas Jehly on Unsplash

• Average Wait Time: 22 minutes and 1 second

• Peak Wait Time: 39 minutes and 52 seconds at 10 PM

• Worst Times to Fly: Between 8 and 10 PM where wait times are 33 - 39 minutes. 31 minutes at 6 AM.

• Best Times to Fly: 10 - 11 AM where wait times are between 20 and 21 minutes. 5 PM where wait times are 21 minutes.

1. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

Photo by Thom Milkovic on Unsplash

• Average Wait Time: 23 minutes and 59 minutes

• Peak Wait Time: 36 minutes and 8 seconds at 6 AM

• Worst Times to Fly: 6 - 10 AM where wait times are between 30 and 36 minutes. 9 PM where the wait time is 29 minutes.

• Best Times to Fly: 9 AM where the time is 27 minutes. 1 - 2 PM where wait times are 26 - 27 minutes. 6 - 7 PM where wait times are 20 -23 minutes.

Full day of TSA wait times for Seattle-Tacoma.

Seattle-Tacoma is infamous for high wait times, especially during the summer months. There are various methods to expedite your queuing experience. If you travel frequently, we recommend applying for TSA PreCheck. If you don’t travel frequently, then the SEA Spot Saver should be sufficient.

A general note for most airports, wait times rapidly drop off after 7 PM.

We will return with another edition next month. If you are interested in accessing live and historical TSA, CATSA, and worldwide airport security wait times, you can find them at qsensor.co.