Airports / California / ONT
Ontario (ONT) TSA wait times
Security at Ontario International Airport is running about 8 minutes in the standard lane, and usually runs 5 to 15 minutes at 9 am on a Friday. PreCheck is moving in about 3 minutes.ONT 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
Up 2 min since 3 am.
How long is security at Ontario, and when is ONT busiest?
So how long is security at Ontario? The left chart shows the Ontario security wait time hour by hour, built from ONT'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 ONT? Work out when to leave home for your flight, or read how these numbers are made. Flying a nearby airport instead? Compare Santa Ana (SNA) and Long Beach (LGB), or every airport in California.
Departures, the next few hours
| Hour | Departures | Typical security wait |
|---|---|---|
| 9 am (Now) | 4 flights | 8 min |
| 10 am | 5 flights | 8 min |
| 11 am | 5 flights | 9 min |
| noon | 5 flights | 8 min |
| 1 pm | 4 flights | 7 min |
Standard, PreCheck, and CLEAR security lanes
Terminals and security at ONT
Which airline you fly decides your terminal. Terminal 4 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.
Regional carriers fly these routes under the mainline brands, so a SkyWest flight shows on your ticket as Delta, United, American or Alaska.
ONT security, common questions
How early should I get to ONT?
For a domestic flight out of Ontario, plan to be inside the terminal about an hour before departure, and about an hour for an international one. That covers a 10 to 20 minute checkpoint queue at the Tuesday 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 ONT security?
Tuesday around 5 am, when 7 departures' worth of passengers are converging on the checkpoint at once. The calmest hour with real traffic is Wednesday at 8 pm, at roughly 5 minutes.
Is TSA PreCheck worth it at ONT?
At the Tuesday peak it turns a 10 to 20 minute queue into something closer to 5 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 ONT?
Ontario 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 Ontario?
At the Tuesday peak around 5 am, the standard lane at ONT typically runs 10 to 20 minutes. Away from the peak it settles to roughly 5 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 ONT?
At the busy Tuesday peak, PreCheck turns the standard 10 to 20 minute wait into about 5 minutes, a saving of roughly 10 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 Southwest at ONT?
Southwest departs from Terminal 4 at Ontario International Airport and flies 45% of the airport's departures. Your terminal is set by the airline you fly, so check your boarding pass for the gate.
Tips for ONT, 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 12 minutes in the standard lane.
- Southwest runs 45% of departures here, so its checkpoints and gates carry the most traffic. Which airline you fly is what decides your terminal.
- Southwest flies from Terminal 4, 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.