These U.S. Airports Have the Longest and Shortest TSA Security Wait Times

I’m a big proponent of getting to the airport early. I know some travelers think arriving too early is a waste of time, but I’d much rather be sitting comfortably at the gate than stuck in a security line staring at my watch and wondering if I’m going to miss my flight.

According to an analysis of TSA data featured by Business Insider, passengers at the 50 busiest U.S. airports spent an average of 9.9 minutes waiting to get through airport security. But that average is somewhat misleading because wait times varied dramatically from airport to airport.

At the fastest airport, the average was just 3.7 minutes. At the slowest, it was 23.1 minutes. That means travelers at the bottom of the list waited, on average, more than six times as long as those at the top.

The rankings aren’t based on a one-day snapshot, either. Travel Bulletin looked at roughly two months of summer 2026 security-line estimates from the MyTSA app and combined that information with TSA passenger-volume data. The study covered the busy summer travel period from mid-June through mid-August.

The U.S. airports with the shortest TSA security waits

San Antonio International Airport (SAT) came out on top, with passengers waiting an average of just 3.7 minutes.

Here are the 10 airports with the shortest average waits:

1. San Antonio International Airport (SAT): 3.7 minutes
2. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY): 4.1 minutes
3. William P. Hobby Airport (HOU): 4.1 minutes
4. Kansas City International Airport (MCI): 4.2 minutes
5. San Francisco International Airport (SFO): 4.5 minutes
6. Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT): 4.6 minutes
7. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW): 5.4 minutes
8. Nashville International Airport (BNA): 5.4 minutes
9. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW): 5.7 minutes
10. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG): 5.9 minutes

One thing that jumps out is that SFO and MCI both use private security screeners through TSA’s Screening Partnership Program (SPP) rather than federal TSA officers. According to Business Insider, they’re the only two major airports participating in the program among the 20 airports nationwide that use private screeners.

That doesn’t mean private screeners are necessarily the reason their lines are shorter. Airport layout, passenger volume, staffing, checkpoint capacity and when passengers arrive can all affect security waits.

The U.S. airports with the longest TSA security waits

Now for the airports where I would definitely make sure I had some extra time. New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) had the longest average security wait of the 50 airports analyzed, at 23.1 minutes.

Here are the 10 airports with the longest average waits:

1. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): 23.1 minutes
2. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD): 20.2 minutes
3. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR): 17.9 minutes
4. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC): 16.3 minutes
5. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): 14.1 minutes
6. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH): 13.6 minutes
7. Portland International Airport (PDX): 13.4 minutes
8. San Diego International Airport (SAN): 13.2 minutes
9. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): 13 minutes
10. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL): 12.9 minutes

There are a couple of fascinating comparisons buried in these numbers.

Chicago Midway averaged just 5.7 minutes, while Chicago O’Hare averaged 20.2 minutes. So depending on which Chicago airport you’re using, the average security experience is dramatically different.

It’s a similar story in Houston. William P. Hobby Airport averaged just 4.1 minutes, compared with 13.6 minutes at George Bush Intercontinental.

Don’t make this mistake with the rankings

Here’s the most important thing to remember: These are averages, not a prediction of how long you’ll wait on the day you travel.

If your home airport averages a four-minute security line, please don’t read this story and think you can show up at the airport 45 minutes before departure.

Airport security lines can change quickly depending on the time of day, day of the week, holidays, staffing, equipment problems, weather disruptions and the number of flights departing around the same time. I’ve seen airports go from practically empty to packed in a remarkably short period of time.

There can even be a huge difference between checkpoints in the same airport since most of these airports have multiple terminals.

That’s why I recommend checking the MyTSA app before leaving home. I also use TSA PreCheck, Touchless ID and Clear, which can save a massive amount of time and make the screening process much easier.

And remember that getting through security is only part of the equation. At sprawling airports like CLT, MIA, LAX, JFK, ORD, ATL and DFW you could still have a long walk, train or people-mover ride between security and your departure gate.

My advice after decades of traveling: Show up early