Which Airports Have the Longest Security Lines?

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

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If you’re flying out of Miami International Airport, you better leave yourself plenty of extra time to get through security and passport control. Luggage storage company Bounce analyzed data from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) to determine the airports with the longest wait times for both security and passport control.

Miami International Airport was the worst for combined wait times, with passengers waiting an average of 46 minutes to get through both TSA and border security.

If you’re flying domestically, Palm Beach International was surprisingly the worst airport in America for TSA lines, with an average of 36 minutes of wait time.

The Airports With the Longest Wait Times

Rank	Airport Name	Security Wait Time	Passport Control Wait Time	Combined Wait Time
1	Miami International	24:54	22:03	46:57
2	Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International	18:18	28:23	46:41
3	San Francisco International	27:48	18:08	45:56
4	John F. Kennedy International	25:00	19:54	44:54
5	O’Hare International	19:18	20:08	39:26
6	St. Louis Lambert International	28:48	10:29	39:17
7	Palm Beach International	36:18	02:24	38:42
8	Oakland International	18:36	18:46	37:22
9	Fresno Yosemite International	19:18	17:57	37:15
10	San Diego International	19:18	16:04	35:22

Data Courtesy of Bounce

If you’re looking to speed through both security and passport control, Raleigh-Durham International Airport will be your best bet. This airport only had an average combined wait time of 16 minutes.

Shockingly, busy Newark Liberty International Airport only reported an average wait of five minutes to get through the TSA line.

The Airports With the Best Wait Times

Rank	Airport Name	Security Wait Time	Passport Control Wait Time	Combined Wait Time
1	Raleigh–Durham International	10:06	06:03	16:09
2	Baltimore/Washington International	10:12	09:02	19:14
3	Charlotte Douglas International	09:54	09:21	19:15
4	Newark Liberty International	05:18	14:28	19:46
5	Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International	08:18	11:32	19:50
6	Detroit Metropolitan	09:00	11:24	20:24
7	Phoenix Sky Harbor International	16:48	05:46	22:34
8	San Antonio International	08:18	14:18	22:36
9	Austin–Bergstrom International	08:18	14:48	23:06
10	Sacramento International Airport	08:18	15:51	24:09

Data Courtesy of Bounce

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