Memphis (MEM) TSA wait times
Security at Frederick W. Smith International Airport is running about 8 minutes in the standard lane, and usually runs 5 to 15 minutes at 11 am on a Friday. PreCheck is moving in about 3 minutes.MEM security is about 8 minutes now, usually 5 to 15 at this hour. Busiest 5 to 6 AM and 1 to 3 PM.
Standard lane, right now
Security wait, last 7 hours
Usually 5 to 15 minutes now
Down 11 min since 5 am.
How long is security at Memphis, and when is MEM busiest?
So how long is security at Memphis? The left chart shows the Memphis security wait time hour by hour, built from MEM's own departure schedule. The right ranks the days of the week by how long the wait gets. The calmest window is 4 to 8 PM; plan around the 5 to 6 AM and 1 to 3 PM rushes.Calmest 4 to 8 PM. Plan around the morning and evening rushes.
Planning a trip through MEM? Work out when to leave home for your flight, or read how these numbers are made. Flying a nearby airport instead? Compare Little Rock (LIT) and Columbus (GTR), or every airport in Tennessee.
Departures, the next few hours
| Hour | Departures | Typical security wait |
|---|---|---|
| 11 am (Now) | 4 flights | 8 min |
| noon | 3 flights | 7 min |
| 1 pm | 4 flights | 9 min |
| 2 pm | 5 flights | 10 min |
| 3 pm | 4 flights | 10 min |
Standard, PreCheck, and CLEAR security lanes
Regional carriers fly these routes under the mainline brands, so a SkyWest flight shows on your ticket as Delta, United, American or Alaska.
MEM security, common questions
How early should I get to MEM?
For a domestic flight out of Memphis, plan to be inside the terminal about an hour before departure, and about an hour and a quarter for an international one. That covers a 15 to 30 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 MEM security?
Monday around 5 am, when 8 departures' worth of passengers are converging on the checkpoint at once. The calmest hour with real traffic is Friday at 6 pm, at roughly 6 minutes.
Is TSA PreCheck worth it at MEM?
At the Monday peak it turns a 15 to 30 minute queue into something closer to 7 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 MEM?
Frederick W. Smith 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 Memphis?
At the Monday peak around 5 am, the standard lane at MEM typically runs 15 to 30 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 MEM?
At the busy Monday peak, PreCheck turns the standard 15 to 30 minute wait into about 7 minutes, a saving of roughly 15 minutes when it matters most. Off-peak the two lanes are much closer, because a short line is short in either one.
Tips for MEM, from the data
- Fly between 4 to 8 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 19 minutes in the standard lane.
- Delta runs 19% of departures here, so its checkpoints and gates carry the most traffic. Which airline you fly is what decides your terminal.
Related
Modeled from the flight schedule, not measured. How these numbers are made.