Airports / New Jersey / EWR
Newark (EWR) TSA wait times
Security at Newark Liberty International Airport is running about 19 minutes in the standard lane, and usually runs 15 to 30 minutes at noon on a Friday. PreCheck is moving in about 7 minutes.EWR security is about 19 minutes now, usually 15 to 30 at this hour. Busiest 5 to 6 AM and 1 to 3 PM.
Standard lane, right now
Security wait, last 7 hours
Usually 15 to 30 minutes now
Down 5 min since 6 am.
How long is security at Newark, and when is EWR busiest?
So how long is security at Newark? The left chart shows the Newark security wait time hour by hour, built from EWR's own departure schedule. The right ranks the days of the week by how long the wait gets. The calmest window is 9 AM to 1 PM; plan around the 5 to 6 AM and 1 to 3 PM rushes.Calmest 9 AM to 1 PM. Plan around the morning and evening rushes.
Planning a trip through EWR? Work out when to leave home for your flight, or read how these numbers are made. Flying a nearby airport instead? Compare New York (LGA) and New York (JFK), or every airport in New Jersey.
Departures, the next few hours
| Hour | Departures | Typical security wait |
|---|---|---|
| noon (Now) | 20 flights | 19 min |
| 1 pm | 21 flights | 20 min |
| 2 pm | 22 flights | 22 min |
| 3 pm | 22 flights | 22 min |
| 4 pm | 21 flights | 21 min |
Standard, PreCheck, and CLEAR security lanes
Terminals and security at EWR
Which airline you fly decides your terminal. Terminal C 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 Newark: what to know
Three terminals, six checkpoints, no airside link
Newark has three terminals, A, B and C, with about six checkpoints in all, one in A, three in B and two in C. The terminals do not connect airside; the AirTrain that links them runs outside security. Clear at the checkpoint for your own terminal, and note that United, the airport's largest carrier, operates its hub out of Terminal C.
PreCheck across A and B, CLEAR by terminal
TSA PreCheck lanes run at each checkpoint in Terminals A and B and at Terminal C's north checkpoint. CLEAR operates in the terminals as well, though its availability at a given checkpoint can shift with TSA staffing. PreCheck enrollment through CLEAR is offered at the Terminal A and C checkpoints. Check your terminal's current lanes before counting on one.
Heaviest in United's Terminal C
Newark's security pressure is heaviest in Terminal C, United's hub, and during the morning and late-afternoon banks. Because the AirTrain between terminals runs landside, there is no clearing at a quieter terminal and walking over. Give yourself extra time in Terminal C, and remember Terminal B handles international arrivals and their customs lines.
Regional carriers fly these routes under the mainline brands, so a SkyWest flight shows on your ticket as Delta, United, American or Alaska.
EWR security, common questions
How early should I get to EWR?
For a domestic flight out of Newark, 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 Monday 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 EWR security?
Monday around 5 am, when 25 departures' worth of passengers are converging on the checkpoint at once. The calmest hour with real traffic is Saturday at 3 am, at roughly 6 minutes.
Is TSA PreCheck worth it at EWR?
At the Monday 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 EWR?
Newark Liberty International 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 Newark?
At the Monday peak around 5 am, the standard lane at EWR typically runs 20 to 35 minutes. Away from the peak it settles to roughly 6 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 EWR?
At the busy Monday 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 United at EWR?
United departs from Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport and flies 59% of the airport's departures. Your terminal is set by the airline you fly, so check your boarding pass for the gate.
Tips for EWR, from the data
- Fly between 9 AM to 1 PM if you can. That window sits between the two daily rushes, when the checkpoint is at its calmest.
- The 5 am hour is the single busiest today, at about 26 minutes in the standard lane.
- United runs 59% of departures here, so its checkpoints and gates carry the most traffic. Which airline you fly is what decides your terminal.
- United flies from Terminal C, which runs the longest lines here. All terminals connect after security, so you can clear at a quieter one and walk over.
Related
Modeled from the flight schedule, not measured. How these numbers are made.