TSA wait times
ENPHX · Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
PHX TSA wait times: how busy will security be?
We forecast how many travelers each PHX 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 3 should be moderately busy before your flight.
| Checkpoint | 6 AM | 7 AM | 8 AM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal 3 Best bet | Moderate~940 travelers | Moderate~895 travelers | Moderate~927 travelers |
At PHX, each terminal has its own security: we only compare the checkpoints of Terminal 3. Source: official airport website, checked 2026-10-09.
A typical week at PHX 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 | 2 AM | 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 | 10 PM | 11 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 2/min | 21/min | 53/min | 69/min | 97/min | 94/min | 81/min | 71/min | 64/min | 69/min | 67/min | 60/min | 63/min | 49/min | 43/min | 41/min | 30/min | 23/min | 24/min | 19/min | 14/min | 6/min |
| Tue | 2/min | 14/min | 36/min | 54/min | 69/min | 78/min | 65/min | 63/min | 58/min | 55/min | 53/min | 51/min | 49/min | 40/min | 34/min | 28/min | 19/min | 15/min | 18/min | 18/min | 15/min | 6/min |
| Wed | 2/min | 13/min | 40/min | 56/min | 68/min | 81/min | 68/min | 67/min | 55/min | 59/min | 59/min | 53/min | 55/min | 43/min | 36/min | 32/min | 24/min | 19/min | 19/min | 23/min | 19/min | 7/min |
| Thu | 2/min | 20/min | 45/min | 62/min | 80/min | 84/min | 68/min | 69/min | 60/min | 62/min | 63/min | 58/min | 61/min | 49/min | 43/min | 41/min | 33/min | 27/min | 31/min | 27/min | 21/min | 7/min |
| Fri | 3/min | 20/min | 45/min | 61/min | 77/min | 83/min | 69/min | 62/min | 54/min | 58/min | 57/min | 54/min | 55/min | 46/min | 39/min | 35/min | 29/min | 21/min | 19/min | 19/min | 13/min | 5/min |
| Sat | 2/min | 15/min | 36/min | 56/min | 74/min | 85/min | 70/min | 58/min | 52/min | 51/min | 49/min | 48/min | 48/min | 38/min | 27/min | 23/min | 16/min | 13/min | 15/min | 16/min | 12/min | 5/min |
| Sun | 1/min | 20/min | 44/min | 64/min | 87/min | 96/min | 77/min | 70/min | 67/min | 74/min | 71/min | 70/min | 73/min | 63/min | 49/min | 49/min | 41/min | 34/min | 29/min | 26/min | 15/min | 6/min |
Busiest days ahead
- Sunday, March 7: about 83,148 travelers screened
- Sunday, March 21: about 81,380 travelers screened
- Sunday, February 28: about 77,512 travelers screened
- Monday, February 15: about 76,900 travelers screened
- Sunday, March 14: about 76,766 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 15% on average, and the busy level was right 79% 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.