Chicago (ORD) TSA wait times
Security at Chicago O'Hare International Airport is running about 24 minutes in the standard lane, and usually runs 15 to 35 minutes at 11 am on a Friday. PreCheck is moving in about 8 minutes.ORD security is about 24 minutes now, usually 15 to 35 at this hour. Busiest 6 to 8 AM and 4 to 6 PM.
Standard lane, right now
Security wait, last 7 hours
Usually 15 to 35 minutes now
Up 4 min since 5 am.
How long is security at Chicago, and when is ORD busiest?
So how long is security at Chicago? The left chart shows the Chicago security wait time hour by hour, built from ORD'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 6 to 8 AM and 4 to 6 PM rushes.Calmest 4 to 8 PM. Plan around the morning and evening rushes.
Planning a trip through ORD? Work out when to leave home for your flight, or read how these numbers are made, or see the ORD terminal map and gate walk times. Flying a nearby airport instead? Compare Chicago (MDW) and Rockford (RFD), or every airport in Illinois.
Departures, the next few hours
| Hour | Departures | Typical security wait |
|---|---|---|
| 11 am (Now) | 59 flights | 24 min |
| noon | 63 flights | 26 min |
| 1 pm | 63 flights | 26 min |
| 2 pm | 59 flights | 24 min |
| 3 pm | 59 flights | 24 min |
Standard, PreCheck, and CLEAR security lanes
Terminals and security at ORD
Which airline you fly decides your terminal. Terminal 1 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 Chicago: what to know
Four terminals, one connected core
O'Hare screens across four passenger terminals, 1, 2, 3 and 5, with roughly ten checkpoints among them. Terminals 1, 2 and 3 share one connected secure area, so you can clear at any of their checkpoints and walk or use the underground pedestrian tunnels to reach any domestic gate. Terminal 5 sits apart with its own checkpoint and is not airside-connected to the others. United and American run most flights here.
PreCheck and CLEAR by terminal
TSA PreCheck lanes operate in Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and Terminal 5 has its own PreCheck screening. CLEAR is present too, with lanes reported in Terminals 1, 2 and 5. Because Terminal 5 is a separate secure zone, pick the checkpoint in the terminal your flight actually departs from rather than assuming you can cross over after screening.
Busiest hours and the cross-checkpoint trick
Lines build in the early-morning bank, roughly 5 to 8 am, and again during the late-afternoon connecting push. Since Terminals 1, 2 and 3 share one secure area, check the posted waits and clear at whichever of their checkpoints is shortest, then use the connecting walkways to reach your gate. Terminal 5 travelers do not have that flexibility, so allow extra time there.
Regional carriers fly these routes under the mainline brands, so a SkyWest flight shows on your ticket as Delta, United, American or Alaska.
ORD security, common questions
How early should I get to ORD?
For a domestic flight out of Chicago, plan to be inside the terminal about an hour and a quarter before departure, and about an hour and a half for an international one. That covers a 25 to 50 minute checkpoint queue at the Sunday 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 ORD security?
Sunday around 7 am, when 77 departures' worth of passengers are converging on the checkpoint at once. The calmest hour with real traffic is Tuesday at 9 pm, at roughly 6 minutes.
Is TSA PreCheck worth it at ORD?
At the Sunday peak it turns a 25 to 50 minute queue into something closer to 12 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 ORD?
Chicago O'Hare 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 Chicago?
At the Sunday peak around 7 am, the standard lane at ORD typically runs 25 to 50 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 ORD?
At the busy Sunday peak, PreCheck turns the standard 25 to 50 minute wait into about 12 minutes, a saving of roughly 25 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 ORD?
United departs from Terminal 1 at Chicago O'Hare International Airport and flies 28% of the airport's departures. Your terminal is set by the airline you fly, so check your boarding pass for the gate.
Tips for ORD, 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 7 am hour is the single busiest today, at about 34 minutes in the standard lane.
- United runs 28% 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 1, 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.