TSA wait times
ENMSP · Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
MSP TSA wait times: how busy will security be?
We forecast how many travelers each MSP security checkpoint will screen, hour by hour, from the official TSA throughput reports. Pick your flight time to see which checkpoint should be the least busy for you.
Forecasts, not live wait times. Busy levels compare each checkpoint with its own past year. Times are local airport time.
When is your flight?
Security checkpoints before a 9 AM departure on Tuesday, October 27
Foxy's pickTerminal 1 North should be moderately busy before your flight.
| Checkpoint | 6 AM | 7 AM | 8 AM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 North Best bet | Moderate~676 travelers | Moderate~721 travelers | Moderate~726 travelers |
| Terminal 1 South | Moderate~943 travelers | Moderate~1,189 travelers | Moderate~1,084 travelers |
At MSP, each terminal has its own security: we only compare the checkpoints of Terminal 1. Source: official airport website, checked 2026-10-09.
A typical week at MSP security
Travelers screened per minute, all checkpoints together, forecast average over the next four weeks. This is a flow of people, not a wait time.
Calm Moderate Busy compared with the rest of the week.
| Day | 3 AM | 4 AM | 5 AM | 6 AM | 7 AM | 8 AM | 9 AM | 10 AM | 11 AM | 12 PM | 1 PM | 2 PM | 3 PM | 4 PM | 5 PM | 6 PM | 7 PM | 8 PM | 9 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 9/min | 31/min | 53/min | 50/min | 45/min | 41/min | 38/min | 30/min | 39/min | 39/min | 45/min | 32/min | 21/min | 28/min | 26/min | 19/min | 11/min | 5/min | 2/min |
| Tue | 8/min | 22/min | 42/min | 38/min | 41/min | 38/min | 34/min | 25/min | 31/min | 31/min | 35/min | 24/min | 16/min | 25/min | 21/min | 16/min | 8/min | 5/min | 2/min |
| Wed | 9/min | 25/min | 45/min | 40/min | 40/min | 38/min | 35/min | 25/min | 33/min | 31/min | 40/min | 28/min | 22/min | 31/min | 29/min | 20/min | 10/min | 5/min | 2/min |
| Thu | 11/min | 38/min | 63/min | 57/min | 48/min | 46/min | 40/min | 30/min | 42/min | 41/min | 54/min | 41/min | 28/min | 37/min | 39/min | 26/min | 14/min | 7/min | 3/min |
| Fri | 11/min | 38/min | 60/min | 55/min | 48/min | 46/min | 36/min | 29/min | 40/min | 38/min | 46/min | 31/min | 23/min | 32/min | 29/min | 20/min | 9/min | 6/min | 2/min |
| Sat | 10/min | 31/min | 43/min | 38/min | 40/min | 37/min | 28/min | 22/min | 29/min | 24/min | 29/min | 19/min | 15/min | 18/min | 16/min | 10/min | 6/min | 3/min | 2/min |
| Sun | 9/min | 27/min | 43/min | 33/min | 36/min | 34/min | 32/min | 31/min | 45/min | 42/min | 47/min | 35/min | 25/min | 32/min | 30/min | 24/min | 13/min | 9/min | 3/min |
Busiest days ahead
- Tuesday, December 29: about 50,698 travelers screened
- Saturday, December 26: about 47,850 travelers screened
- Sunday, November 29: about 47,685 travelers screened
- Friday, March 5: about 47,240 travelers screened
- Thursday, March 11: about 47,123 travelers screened
How we forecast
Every week, the TSA publishes how many travelers each checkpoint screened, hour by hour. Our model learns each checkpoint's patterns from years of these reports (weekdays, seasons, holidays) and is retested every week against what really happened.
Tested on 2026: for the 3 hours before a departure, our forecasts were off by 17% on average, and the busy level was right 77% of the time. Treat them as typical conditions, not a guarantee.
Source: TSA throughput data (FOIA Reading Room), U.S. government work. Updated Oct. 27, 2026. For live wait times, see the official airport website.