California and Florida have 7 of the 10 US airports with the longest TSA wait times — see the list (2024)

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In March, luggage-storage platform Bounce released its first-ever list of the average wait times at US airports.

Bounce analyzed data from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the US Customs and Border Protection. To determine the average wait time at each airport, the company totaled the wait times at security and passport control.

As the list does not include time spent collecting luggage or traveling through terminals, passengers should anticipate even longer wait times, according to Bounce's website.

Bounce told Insider in an email that it analyzed passport clearance data dating March 8, 2021 to March 7, 2022. Average security wait times are correct as of March 10, the company said.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport had the shortest wait time out of 39 US airports with a total average wait time of 16 minutes and 9 seconds, according to the list.

Bounce said the North Carolina airport topped the list because it is "far less busy than other major airports in the country."

Seven airports based in Florida and California landed at the bottom of the list. The bottom ten also include one airport from Illinois, New York, and Missouri each.

Take a look at the 10 airports that were determined to have the longest average wait times in the US by Bounce. Entrants are arranged in ascending order according to their total average wait times.

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10. San Diego International Airport (San Diego, California)

Total wait time: 35 minutes 22 seconds

Average security wait time: 19 minutes and 18 seconds

Average passport control wait time: 16 minutes 4 seconds

San Diego International Airport is the third-busiest airport in California. The airport served over 15 million passengers in 2021. It has a three-star regional rating on Skytrax, a UK-based airline and airport rating site. The maximum rating on Skytrax is five stars.

One passenger, who traveled through the airport in May, said his experience was "comfortable." But other passengers disagree — one online reviewer complainedthe airport was "cramped" and "slow," while another saidgetting through TSA checks were "horrendous."

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9. Fresno Yosemite International Airport (Fresno, California)

A post shared by Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) (@iflyfresno)

Total wait time: 37 minutes, 15 seconds

Average security wait time: 19 minutes and 18 seconds

Average passport control wait time: 17 minutes, 57 seconds

Fresno Yosemite International Airport served almost 2 million passengers in 2021. The airport is not listed on Skytrax.

While one passenger said the airport was "convenient" and "efficient," another complained about how crowded the airport was, saying they waited almost an hour to get through security.

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8. Oakland International Airport (Oakland, California)

Total wait time: 37 minutes, 22 seconds

Average security wait time: 18 minutes, 36 seconds

Average passport control wait time: 18 minutes, 46 seconds

Oakland International Airport served around 242,000 passengers in 2021. The airport has athree-star regional rating on Skytrax.

One passenger said it took 30 minutes for him to collect his luggage, while several others it was a "hassle" to get through the AirPort. Another online reviewer said she took three hours at customs before getting on her flight.

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7. Palm Beach International Airport (West Palm Beach, Florida)

Total wait time: 38 minutes, 42 seconds

Average security wait time: 36 minutes, 18 seconds

Average passport control wait time: 2 minutes, 24 seconds

Palm Beach International Airport served around 160,000 passengers in 2021. The airport is not rated by Skytrax.

While one passenger said the lines move quickly at security checks, another said the airport had very long lines and no organization.

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6. St. Louis Lambert International Airport (St. Louis, Missouri)

Total wait time: 39 minutes, 17 seconds

Average security wait time: 28 minutes, 48 seconds

Average passport control wait time: 10 minutes, 29 seconds

St. Louis Lambert International Airport is the busiest airport in Missouri. Over 10 million passengers traveled through the airport in 2021. It is rated a three-star regional airport by Skytrax.

Many reviewers said getting through TSA was a breeze. One passenger said the airport had "reasonable" security wait times because it was "not a large facility." Another said the layout of the airport was "easy to navigate."

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5. O'Hare International Airport (Chicago, Illinois)

Total wait time: 39 minutes, 26 seconds

Average security wait time: 19 minutes, 18 seconds

Average passport control wait time: 20 minutes, 8 seconds

O'Hare International Airport is the world's fourth-busiest airport, serving around 54 million passengers in 2021. It is rated three stars by Skytrax.

Many reviews from the past few months were positive, with some saying that the airport was "easy to navigate" and operations were conducted "in a timely fashion." But one reviewer, who traveled through the airport in March, said security lines were "understaffed" in comparison to the number of passengers.

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4. John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York, New York)

Total wait time: 45 minutes, 54 seconds

Average security wait time: 25 minutes

Average passport control wait time: 19 minutes, 54 seconds

John F. Kennedy International Airport is the busiest airport in New York, serving 30.7 million passengers in 2021. The airport is rated three stars by Skytrax.

One passenger who traveled from the airport in April said he almost missed his flight because of how disorganized the airport was. Another said security and passport control took only 15 minutes, and that he was "satisfied" with his experience at the airport.

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3. San Francisco International Airport (San Francisco, California)

Total wait time: 45 minutes, 56 seconds

Average security wait time: 27 minutes, 48 seconds

Average passport control wait time: 18 minutes, 8 seconds

San Francisco International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the US, serving over 24 million passengers in 2021. The airport has a three star rating on Skytrax.

Online reviews from the past few months seem to be positive, with passengers touting the airport as "convenient" with "quick and easy" security checks. Another passenger, who was stuck at the airport because of a delayed flight, said it was "the best airport" should a traveler experience a delay.

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2. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

Total wait time: 46 minutes, 41 seconds

Average security wait time: 18 minutes, 18 seconds

Average passport control wait time: 28 minutes, 23 seconds

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is one of three airports in the greater Miami area. More than 28 million passengers traveled through the airport in 2021.

The airport is rated three stars by Skytrax. One passenger said going through security was "fast and efficient," while another traveler complained that it was "the worst airport in the US." One online reviewer said she was "stuck in customs for over two hours."

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1. Miami International Airport (Miami, Florida)

Total wait time: 46 minutes 57 seconds

Average security wait time: 24 minutes, 54 seconds

Average passport control wait time: 22 minutes, 3 seconds

Miami International Airport is Florida's second-busiest airport. It served over 37 million passengers in 2021. It is rated three stars on Skytrax.

One passenger who traveled through the airport in February said "the walk from a gate to another could make anyone miss their next flight." Another traveler advised passengers to "be early" as it is a "busy airport."

The airport has an online security checkpoint portal that states the expected wait time.