Airports / Washington / SEA
Seattle (SEA) TSA wait times
Security at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport is measured at about 15 minutes in the standard lane, and usually runs 20 to 35 minutes at 9 am on a Friday. PreCheck is moving in about 5 minutes.SEA security is about 15 minutes now, usually 20 to 35 at this hour. Busiest 7 to 9 AM and 3 to 5 PM.
Standard lane, right now
MeasuredAs of 16:43 UTC, live from the Port of Seattle feed.
Security wait, last 7 hours
Usually 20 to 35 minutes now
Up 20 min since 3 am.
How long is security at Seattle, and when is SEA busiest?
So how long is security at Seattle? The left chart shows the Seattle security wait time hour by hour, built from SEA'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 7 to 9 AM and 3 to 5 PM rushes.Calmest 4 to 8 PM. Plan around the morning and evening rushes.
Planning a trip through SEA? Work out when to leave home for your flight, or read how these numbers are made. Flying a nearby airport instead? Compare Everett (PAE) and Bellingham (BLI), or every airport in Washington.
Departures, the next few hours
| Hour | Departures | Typical security wait |
|---|---|---|
| 9 am (Now) | 35 flights | 25 min |
| 10 am | 34 flights | 24 min |
| 11 am | 25 flights | 16 min |
| noon | 24 flights | 16 min |
| 1 pm | 23 flights | 15 min |
Standard, PreCheck, and CLEAR security lanes
Flying out of Seattle: what to know
One terminal, every gate connected
Seattle-Tacoma works from one central terminal with four connected concourses, A through D, plus two satellite buildings, the North and South Satellites. Five checkpoints on the ticketing level all feed a single secure area, so you can clear at any of them and reach any gate. The satellites are linked by an underground train and the four main concourses by walking or that same train. Alaska and Delta lead the flying here.
PreCheck, CLEAR and SEA Spot Saver
TSA PreCheck lanes run at SEA's checkpoints, and CLEAR Plus operates too, with lanes reported at Checkpoints 1 and 6. Seattle also offers SEA Spot Saver, a free timed-entry option in the standard line. Because every checkpoint connects to every gate, a PreCheck or CLEAR member can enter wherever the line is shortest and still ride or walk to any concourse or satellite.
Peak times and the end-checkpoint tip
SEA's heaviest stretches are the early-morning departure bank and the late-afternoon return, and it runs notably busy in summer. Use the connected layout to your advantage: the checkpoints toward the ends of the ticketing hall are often shorter than the central ones, and since all five reach the same secure area, clearing at a quieter end checkpoint and walking to your gate can save time.
Regional carriers fly these routes under the mainline brands, so a SkyWest flight shows on your ticket as Delta, United, American or Alaska.
SEA security, common questions
How early should I get to SEA?
For a domestic flight out of Seattle, 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 Thursday 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 SEA security?
Thursday around 8 am, when 36 departures' worth of passengers are converging on the checkpoint at once. The calmest hour with real traffic is Saturday at 10 pm, at roughly 8 minutes.
Is TSA PreCheck worth it at SEA?
At the Thursday 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 SEA?
Seattle–Tacoma 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 Seattle?
At the Thursday peak around 8 am, the standard lane at SEA typically runs 20 to 35 minutes. Away from the peak it settles to roughly 8 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 SEA?
At the busy Thursday 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.
Tips for SEA, 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 8 am hour is the single busiest today, at about 26 minutes in the standard lane.
- Alaska runs 47% of departures here, so its checkpoints and gates carry the most traffic. Which airline you fly is what decides your terminal.
Related
Live from SEA's checkpoint feed when fresh, otherwise modeled from the flight schedule. How these numbers are made.