You can plan every part of a trip and still show up to an unexpectedly long line at the security checkpoint. Depending on where you fly from, that line could take more than twice the average wait across the 50 busiest U.S. airports.
Travel Bulletin compared TSA wait times and passenger volume at the 50 busiest airports in the U.S. The average wait across all 50 was 9.9 minutes. These 10 airports came in well above that.
In this article
The 10 Airports With the Longest TSA Waits
1. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
JFK has the longest average wait in the study, more than double the 9.9-minute average. It also moves the second-most passengers through security, about 4,282 per hour.
Average wait: 23.1 minutes
2. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
O'Hare is the only other airport over 20 minutes. If your schedule allows, Chicago Midway averaged 5.7 minutes, one of the shortest waits in the study.
Average wait: 20.2 minutes
3. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Newark processes about 3,040 passengers per hour at security, the eighth-most of the 50 airports.
Average wait: 17.9 minutes
4. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
Anchorage handles fewer passengers at security than any other airport in the study, about 517 per hour, yet its average wait ranks fourth longest. Los Angeles International moves more than eight times as many travelers and averages 11.8 minutes.
Average wait: 16.3 minutes
5. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Atlanta sees about 3,754 passengers per hour at security, the fourth-highest volume in the study.
Average wait: 14.1 minutes
6. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Good news for Houston travelers. There is a faster option: William P. Hobby Airport averaged just 4.1 minutes.
Average wait: 13.6 minutes
7. Portland International Airport (PDX)
Portland's passenger volume, about 1,173 per hour, is below the study average, but its wait is among the longest.
Average wait: 13.4 minutes
8. San Diego International Airport (SAN)
San Diego also runs slightly below average on passenger volume, at about 1,727 per hour.
Average wait: 13.2 minutes
9. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
DFW ranks sixth for passenger volume, with about 3,231 travelers per hour.
Average wait: 13.0 minutes
10. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Philadelphia sees about 1,785 passengers per hour, close to the study average.
Average wait: 12.9 minutes
Crowds Only Explain Part of It
The study found a moderate link between volume and waits: every additional 1,000 passengers per hour lined up with about 2.3 more minutes in line, on average. Anchorage, Portland, and San Diego show that a smaller crowd doesn't guarantee a short line.
How to Spend Less Time in Line
Check the MyTSA app before you leave. It estimates waits by hour using reports from real travelers.
Look into a Trusted Traveler program like TSA PreCheck and enroll in Touchless ID.
Bring less through the checkpoint. Shipping your luggage ahead means less to screen.
Wait times come from TSA's MyTSA app estimates, based on traveler reports from mid-June to mid-August 2026. Passenger volumes come from TSA checkpoint throughput data for the same period. See the full study.
