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This Airport Has the Longest Lines in the U.S.

SmarterTravel

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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