← Back to LeaveTime← All guides

Does security wait time change by time of day?

Yes, and here's a real example

At Atlanta (ATL), our model's typical (median) international security wait is about 26 minutes at midday versus about 17 minutes in the evening - almost 10 minutes' difference at the same airport, same day, just a different hour.

Why: it's about the whole bank of flights, not yours

Queue load for security (and immigration, where it applies) is driven by how many seats are scheduled to depart that terminal in the same rough time window as your flight - not by your flight alone. A quiet hour with few departures moves faster than a peak hour with many wide-bodies boarding at once, regardless of which specific flight you're on.

Get your own leave-time estimate

Flight
Date
Starting location
Trip details

These are general, statistically-modelled estimates - not a guarantee. Always allow extra time for anything unusual, and check your airline's and airport's own current guidance.

Does security wait time change by time of day? - LeaveTime