Detroit (DTW) TSA wait times
Security at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is measured at about 5 minutes in the standard lane, and usually runs 10 to 20 minutes at noon on a Friday. PreCheck is moving in about 3 minutes.DTW security is about 5 minutes now, usually 10 to 20 at this hour. Busiest 6 to 8 AM and 1 to 3 PM.
Standard lane, right now
MeasuredChecked 16:44 UTC, live from SkyFii.
Security wait, last 7 hours
Usually 10 to 20 minutes now
Down 11 min since 6 am.
How long is security at Detroit, and when is DTW busiest?
So how long is security at Detroit? The left chart shows the Detroit security wait time hour by hour, built from DTW's own departure schedule. The right ranks the days of the week by how long the wait gets. The calmest window is 3 to 7 PM; plan around the 6 to 8 AM and 1 to 3 PM rushes.Calmest 3 to 7 PM. Plan around the morning and evening rushes.
Planning a trip through DTW? Work out when to leave home for your flight, or read how these numbers are made. Flying a nearby airport instead? Compare Toledo (TOL) and Flint (FNT), or every airport in Michigan.
Departures, the next few hours
| Hour | Departures | Typical security wait |
|---|---|---|
| noon (Now) | 16 flights | 13 min |
| 1 pm | 21 flights | 18 min |
| 2 pm | 22 flights | 18 min |
| 3 pm | 21 flights | 17 min |
| 4 pm | 16 flights | 13 min |
Standard, PreCheck, and CLEAR security lanes
Terminals and security at DTW
Which airline you fly decides your terminal. McNamara Terminal runs the longest lines here. The per-terminal minute is modeled from each terminal's share of departures, not measured. All terminals connect after security, so a quieter checkpoint is an option.
Flying out of Detroit: what to know
McNamara's tunnel versus a separate North Terminal
Detroit Metro has two terminals. The McNamara Terminal, Delta's hub, runs its concourses A, B and C together airside, joined by an underground tunnel, so clearing McNamara's checkpoint reaches any of its gates. The separate North Terminal, serving the other airlines, has its own single checkpoint. The two terminals share no airside link; a shuttle bus between them runs outside security.
PreCheck and CLEAR at both terminals
TSA PreCheck and CLEAR lanes are at the McNamara Terminal checkpoints, and the North Terminal's checkpoint carries PreCheck and CLEAR as well. CLEAR's PreCheck enrollment sits near Door 4 on the McNamara departures level. Since the two terminals do not connect, use the checkpoint in the terminal your airline uses, McNamara for Delta, North for most others.
Delta banks drive the peaks
Detroit Metro is busiest during Delta's connecting banks in the McNamara Terminal, mainly the morning and late-afternoon peaks. If you are flying Delta, you can clear at whichever McNamara checkpoint is moving and ride or walk the tunnel to Concourse B or C, so pick the shorter line rather than the one nearest your gate.
Regional carriers fly these routes under the mainline brands, so a SkyWest flight shows on your ticket as Delta, United, American or Alaska.
DTW security, common questions
How early should I get to DTW?
For a domestic flight out of Detroit, plan to be inside the terminal about an hour before departure, and about an hour and a half for an international one. That covers a 20 to 35 minute checkpoint queue at the Thursday peak plus the walk to the gate. Outside the peak you can safely trim it; the calculator above works it out from your actual departure time.
What is the busiest time at DTW security?
Thursday around 7 am, when 29 departures' worth of passengers are converging on the checkpoint at once. The calmest hour with real traffic is Saturday at 4 am, at roughly 8 minutes.
Is TSA PreCheck worth it at DTW?
At the Thursday peak it turns a 20 to 35 minute queue into something closer to 9 minutes. Over a five year membership that is worth it if you fly more than about three round trips a year through an airport this busy. The trusted traveler calculator prices it against your own flying.
When does security open at DTW?
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport does not publish checkpoint opening hours in any national feed, so we will not invent them. What the schedule does show is that the first departures leave around 2 am, and checkpoints generally open about two hours before the first flight of the day.
How long is security at Detroit?
At the Thursday peak around 7 am, the standard lane at DTW typically runs 20 to 35 minutes. Away from the peak it settles to roughly 8 minutes. These are modeled from the airport's own departure schedule, so they move hour by hour, which is what the chart on this page shows.
How much time does PreCheck save at DTW?
At the busy Thursday peak, PreCheck turns the standard 20 to 35 minute wait into about 9 minutes, a saving of roughly 18 minutes when it matters most. Off-peak the two lanes are much closer, because a short line is short in either one.
Which terminal is Delta at DTW?
Delta departs from McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and flies 56% of the airport's departures. Your terminal is set by the airline you fly, so check your boarding pass for the gate.
Tips for DTW, from the data
- Fly between 3 to 7 PM if you can. That window sits between the two daily rushes, when the checkpoint is at its calmest.
- The 7 am hour is the single busiest today, at about 25 minutes in the standard lane.
- Delta runs 56% of departures here, so its checkpoints and gates carry the most traffic. Which airline you fly is what decides your terminal.
- Delta flies from McNamara Terminal, which runs the longest lines here. All terminals connect after security, so you can clear at a quieter one and walk over.
Related
Live from DTW's checkpoint feed when fresh, otherwise modeled from the flight schedule. How these numbers are made.