Houston (IAH) TSA wait times
Security at George Bush Intercontinental Airport is running about 17 minutes in the standard lane, and usually runs 10 to 25 minutes at 11 am on a Friday. PreCheck is moving in about 6 minutes.IAH security is about 17 minutes now, usually 10 to 25 at this hour. Busiest 5 to 7 AM and 4 to 6 PM.
Standard lane, right now
Security wait, last 7 hours
Usually 10 to 25 minutes now
Up 3 min since 5 am.
How long is security at Houston, and when is IAH busiest?
So how long is security at Houston? The left chart shows the Houston security wait time hour by hour, built from IAH's own departure schedule. The right ranks the days of the week by how long the wait gets. The calmest window is 7 to 11 AM; plan around the 5 to 7 AM and 4 to 6 PM rushes.Calmest 7 to 11 AM. Plan around the morning and evening rushes.
Planning a trip through IAH? Work out when to leave home for your flight, or read how these numbers are made. Flying a nearby airport instead? Compare Houston (HOU) and College Station/Bryan (CLL), or every airport in Texas.
Departures, the next few hours
| Hour | Departures | Typical security wait |
|---|---|---|
| 11 am (Now) | 22 flights | 17 min |
| noon | 16 flights | 12 min |
| 1 pm | 19 flights | 14 min |
| 2 pm | 16 flights | 12 min |
| 3 pm | 22 flights | 17 min |
Standard, PreCheck, and CLEAR security lanes
Terminals and security at IAH
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 Houston: what to know
Five terminals, one Skyway
Bush Intercontinental has five terminals, A through E, each with its own checkpoint. After security, the elevated Skyway train links all of the terminals airside, running about every two minutes and reaching Terminal D/E from Terminal A in roughly four minutes, so you can clear at one terminal and ride to your gate in another. United runs its hub across Terminals B and C.
PreCheck at A and C, CLEAR in A, C and E
TSA PreCheck lanes run at the terminal checkpoints, with dedicated PreCheck at Terminal A North and Terminal C North. CLEAR operates in Terminals A, C and E. Because the Skyway connects the terminals airside, PreCheck and CLEAR travelers can clear at a terminal that has the lane they want and then ride to their departure gate.
Morning and afternoon United banks
Bush Intercontinental is busiest in the morning bank, roughly 6 to 9 am, and again from about 3 to 5 pm as United's connections peak. Because the Skyway ties every terminal together airside, you can clear at a less crowded terminal's checkpoint and take the train to your gate, which helps when Terminal B or C is backed up.
Regional carriers fly these routes under the mainline brands, so a SkyWest flight shows on your ticket as Delta, United, American or Alaska.
IAH security, common questions
How early should I get to IAH?
For a domestic flight out of Houston, 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 IAH security?
Monday around 5 pm, when 31 departures' worth of passengers are converging on the checkpoint at once. The calmest hour with real traffic is Tuesday at 8 pm, at roughly 6 minutes.
Is TSA PreCheck worth it at IAH?
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 IAH?
George Bush Intercontinental 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 Houston?
At the Monday peak around 5 pm, the standard lane at IAH 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 IAH?
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 IAH?
United departs from Terminal C at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and flies 65% of the airport's departures. Your terminal is set by the airline you fly, so check your boarding pass for the gate.
Tips for IAH, from the data
- Fly between 7 to 11 AM if you can. That window sits between the two daily rushes, when the checkpoint is at its calmest.
- The 5 pm hour is the single busiest today, at about 25 minutes in the standard lane.
- United runs 65% 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.