2026 layover guide
St. Louis (STL) connection time
At St. Louis Lambert International Airport, plan on at least 50 min for a domestic connection, 1 h 35 min if you change terminals, and 2 h 20 min if you're arriving from abroad. Here's why, step by step.
Verified Oct 17, 2026By Steven MoHow we check Report a correction
Comfortable: 1 h 30 min
By free shuttle bus or MetroLink train, with another security check
Customs, bag recheck and security
Switching means security again
Quick answer
Plan on at least 50 min for a domestic connection at STL, 1 h 35 min if you change terminals and 2 h 20 min after an international arrival. Changing terminals means going through security again.
- Domestic, same terminal
- 50 min (comfortable: 1 h 30 min)
- Changing terminals
- 1 h 35 min by free shuttle bus or MetroLink train
- From abroad
- 2 h 20 min, including customs and bag recheck
- Hub airlines
- Southwest Airlines
How long a layover do I need?
- Get off the plane and walk to your next gate20 min
- Be at the gate before boarding closes15 min
- Buffer for a small delay15 min
Our estimate, rounded up, not the airline's official minimum connection time. If both flights are on one ticket, the airline will rebook you if a delay makes you miss the second one. How we calculate this
Recommended layovers at STL
Our estimates for common connections, rounded up. Comfortable times leave room for a late arrival.
| Connection | MinimumRecommended minimum |
|---|---|
Domestic to domestic, same terminal Checked bags transfer automatically | 50 min Comfortable: 1 h 30 min |
Domestic to domestic, changing terminals Includes another TSA check | 1 h 35 min Comfortable: 2 h 15 min |
International arrival, connecting domestically Customs, bag recheck and TSA | 2 h 20 min Comfortable: 3 h 15 min |
Same, with Global Entry and PreCheck Faster customs and security | 1 h 50 min Comfortable: 2 h 45 min |
Separate tickets with checked bags No protection if you miss it | 1 h 50 min Comfortable: 2 h 45 min |
Airlines' official minimum connection times can be shorter: if you booked both flights on one ticket, the airline has already checked that the connection is legal and will rebook you if a delay makes you miss it.
Getting around STL
Terminals
Terminal 1 (Concourses A and C) and Terminal 2 (Concourse E).
Changing terminals
Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 aren't connected inside security. You ride the free terminal shuttle bus or the MetroLink Red Line (free between the two terminals) and go through TSA again. Southwest flies from Terminal 2, so most Southwest connections stay put.
Customs and international arrivals
Arriving from abroad, you clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), collect your checked bags, drop them at the recheck belt and go through TSA security again before your connection. International arrivals are processed in Terminal 2.
Tips for connecting at STL
- •Southwest-to-Southwest connections stay in Terminal 2 and don't need another security check.
Plan your trip through STL
The airport guide, and the bag rules for the airlines you're likely to connect on here.
STL connection FAQ
Airlines set their own official minimums at STL and only sell connections that meet them, so a one-ticket itinerary is always "legal". In practice we recommend at least 50 min for a domestic connection, 1 h 35 min when you change terminals and 2 h 20 min after an international arrival.
Other airports
Sources
Last verified Oct 17, 2026. Terminals and connection rules change, so check your airline's connection instructions before a tight layover.
- St. Louis Lambert International Airport official website
- Wikipedia: St. Louis Lambert International Airport (airlines, terminals and ground transportation)
Read how we collect and check this data, or tell us if something's out of date.
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