LiveWaits

How early should I get to the airport?

We work backwards from your flight to the minute you should leave home.

When should you leave?

Find your flight by route to get your leave-by time.

Your trip

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Leave-by for a 6 PM flight today

Worked examples at the busiest US airports, for a domestic flight at 6 PM with a 30-minute drive and your own car in the lot. Pick your own airport and time above to change any of it.

Airport Security Door to gate Leave home by
Chicago (ORD) 25 min 103 min 4:17 PM
Denver (DEN) 31 min 109 min 4:11 PM
Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) 27 min 105 min 4:15 PM
Atlanta (ATL) 24 min 102 min 4:18 PM
Phoenix (PHX) 18 min 96 min 4:24 PM
Los Angeles (LAX) 18 min 96 min 4:24 PM
Charlotte (CLT) 22 min 93 min 4:27 PM
Las Vegas (LAS) 13 min 84 min 4:36 PM

Security minutes are modeled from published flight schedules, not measured. Every leg above, and why the answer beats a flat "two hours," is set out in how the numbers are made.