Airports / Pennsylvania / PHL
Philadelphia (PHL) TSA wait times
Security at Philadelphia International Airport is measured at about 14 minutes in the standard lane, and usually runs 10 to 20 minutes at noon on a Friday. PreCheck is moving in about 5 minutes.PHL security is about 14 minutes now, usually 10 to 20 at this hour. Busiest 6 to 8 AM and 4 to 6 PM.
Standard lane, right now
MeasuredChecked 16:44 UTC, live from LiveReach Media.
Security wait, last 7 hours
Usually 10 to 20 minutes now
Down 6 min since 6 am.
How long is security at Philadelphia, and when is PHL busiest?
So how long is security at Philadelphia? The left chart shows the Philadelphia security wait time hour by hour, built from PHL's own departure schedule. The right ranks the days of the week by how long the wait gets. The calmest window is 10 AM to 2 PM; plan around the 6 to 8 AM and 4 to 6 PM rushes.Calmest 10 AM to 2 PM. Plan around the morning and evening rushes.
Planning a trip through PHL? Work out when to leave home for your flight, or read how these numbers are made. Flying a nearby airport instead? Compare Trenton (TTN) and Atlantic City (ACY), or every airport in Pennsylvania.
Departures, the next few hours
| Hour | Departures | Typical security wait |
|---|---|---|
| noon (Now) | 14 flights | 14 min |
| 1 pm | 14 flights | 13 min |
| 2 pm | 16 flights | 16 min |
| 3 pm | 17 flights | 17 min |
| 4 pm | 22 flights | 23 min |
Standard, PreCheck, and CLEAR security lanes
Terminals and security at PHL
Which airline you fly decides your terminal. Terminal B 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 Philadelphia: what to know
Seven terminals in a line, all connected airside
PHL runs seven terminals in a single line, A-West, A-East, B, C, D, E and F, and all of them connect after security, so you can clear at one checkpoint and walk to any gate. Free airside shuttles cover the longer hops, such as A-East to F and C to F. Terminals D and E share a checkpoint and connector. American Airlines runs about half of all operations here.
PreCheck at A-East and C, CLEAR varies
TSA PreCheck lanes operate at PHL, most reliably at the Terminal A-East and Terminal C checkpoints that anchor American's hub. Because every terminal connects after security, you can clear at whichever checkpoint offers PreCheck and walk to your gate. CLEAR coverage at PHL is not consistent across every checkpoint, so confirm a current location before counting on it rather than assuming it sits at your own terminal.
Hub banks peak, so borrow a quieter checkpoint
As American's main Northeast hub, PHL peaks during the airline's connecting banks, with heavy morning and late-afternoon pushes through Terminals B and C. Since the whole airport connects after security, use the shortest line rather than the checkpoint nearest your gate: clear at a quieter terminal and walk or ride the airside shuttle over. B and C tend to be the busiest, so A-East can move faster.
Regional carriers fly these routes under the mainline brands, so a SkyWest flight shows on your ticket as Delta, United, American or Alaska.
PHL security, common questions
How early should I get to PHL?
For a domestic flight out of Philadelphia, 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 PHL security?
Monday around 5 pm, when 24 departures' worth of passengers are converging on the checkpoint at once. The calmest hour with real traffic is Wednesday at 8 pm, at roughly 7 minutes.
Is TSA PreCheck worth it at PHL?
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 PHL?
Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia?
At the Monday peak around 5 pm, the standard lane at PHL typically runs 20 to 35 minutes. Away from the peak it settles to roughly 7 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 PHL?
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 American at PHL?
American departs from Terminal B at Philadelphia International Airport and flies 49% of the airport's departures. Your terminal is set by the airline you fly, so check your boarding pass for the gate.
Tips for PHL, from the data
- Fly between 10 AM to 2 PM 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.
- American runs 49% of departures here, so its checkpoints and gates carry the most traffic. Which airline you fly is what decides your terminal.
- American flies from Terminal B, which runs the longest lines here. All terminals connect after security, so you can clear at a quieter one and walk over.
Related
Live from PHL's checkpoint feed when fresh, otherwise modeled from the flight schedule. How these numbers are made.