Seattle · security and when to leave
SEA TSA wait times by hour
TSA screens about 57,900 people a day at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. Its own hour-by-hour counts for Sep 6 to Oct 24, 2026 show when the lines build, and the calculator below turns that into the time to leave home.
Updated Oct 31, 2026By Steven MoHow we check Report a correction
Allow up to 30 min, 10 with PreCheck. About 4,400 people an hour
Allow about 20 min, 5 with PreCheck. About 1,800 people an hour
At the busiest time; 1 h 25 min when it's quieter
TSA's counts, Sep 6 to Oct 24, 2026
Quick answer
Allow up to 30 minutes for security at SEA at its busiest (6 AM–12 PM) and about 20 in the 7–9 PM lull, or 10 and 5 with PreCheck. TSA doesn't publish wait times by airport, so these are planning allowances from its hourly counts of people screened, not live waits. Get to SEA about 1 h 35 min before a domestic flight around 8:30 AM, or 1 h 25 min before one around 8:30 PM, with just a carry-on. Add about 20 minutes to check a bag, and allow 2 h 35 min for an international flight.
- Busiest hours
- 6 AM–12 PM
- Quietest daytime hours
- 7–9 PM
- Busiest day
- Thursday (quietest: Saturday)
- When it's open
- Screening at SEA picks up around 3 AM, lines build from about 4 AM and it winds down after 12 AM.
- Busiest checkpoint
- SCP 3, 27% of travelers
- Data
- TSA's counts of people screened, Sep 6 to Oct 24, 2026
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When should I leave for SEA?
- 5:50 AM Drive to the airportincludes 5 min for traffic or delays35 min
- 6:25 AM Get dropped off at the terminal5 min
- 6:30 AM Security30 min
- 7:00 AM Walk to your gate15 min
- 7:15 AM Spare time for surprises15 min
- 7:30 AM At the gate when boarding starts30 min
Security at that time: busiest in TSA's counts for an average day, so we allow 30 min. That's a planning allowance, not a live wait. How we calculate this
SEA security wait times by hour
People screened per hour across SEA's checkpoints, averaged over 7 weeks of TSA data (Sep 6 to Oct 24, 2026), and how long to allow for security in each hour. More people means longer lines, though TSA staffs up for the peaks, so read it as when lines build rather than exact waits.
- Quiet
- Moderate
- Busy
- Busiest
Wait times to allow, hour by hour
| Hour | People | Standard | PreCheck |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 AM–1 AM | 61 | 15 min | 5 min |
| 1 AM–2 AM | 33 | 15 min | 5 min |
| 2 AM–3 AM | 64 | 15 min | 5 min |
| 3 AM–4 AM | 388 | 15 min | 5 min |
| 4 AM–5 AM | 2,134 | 20 min | 5 min |
| 5 AM–6 AM | 3,249 | 25 min | 10 min |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 4,266 | 30 min | 10 min |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 4,377 | 30 min | 10 min |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 4,266 | 30 min | 10 min |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 4,368 | 30 min | 10 min |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 4,369 | 30 min | 10 min |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 3,794 | 30 min | 10 min |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 3,088 | 25 min | 10 min |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 2,969 | 25 min | 10 min |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 3,122 | 25 min | 10 min |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 2,962 | 25 min | 10 min |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 2,910 | 25 min | 10 min |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 2,501 | 20 min | 5 min |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 2,208 | 20 min | 5 min |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 1,982 | 20 min | 5 min |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 1,648 | 20 min | 5 min |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 1,686 | 20 min | 5 min |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 1,049 | 15 min | 5 min |
| 11 PM–12 AM | 388 | 15 min | 5 min |
Minutes are what we'd allow at that hour's level of traffic: planning allowances, not measured or live waits.
Security at SEA is busiest 6 AM–12 PM, when about 4,400 people go through every hour: 2.4 times as many as in the 7–9 PM lull.
Thursday is the busiest day (about 63,500 people) and Saturday the quietest (about 50,800). Screening at SEA picks up around 3 AM, lines build from about 4 AM and it winds down after 12 AM.
TSA reports its lines against 30 minutes: on the busy Fourth of July weekend in 2021, 99.7% of travelers in standard lanes waited less than that. So at SEA's busiest hours we plan for 30 minutes in the standard lane and 10 with PreCheck, and less when it's quieter.
These aren't live waits. For today's line, check Seattle–Tacoma International Airport's official site: many airports post live checkpoint waits.
How early to get to SEA
How long before departure to reach the airport if you're dropped off at the terminal. Flights around 8:30 AM hit security in its busiest hour; flights around 8:30 PM in a quieter stretch.
| Your trip | Flights around 8:30 AM | Around 8:30 PM |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic, carry-on only | 1 h 35 min | 1 h 25 min |
| Domestic, checking a bag | 1 h 55 min | 1 h 35 min |
| Domestic, carry-on, PreCheck or CLEAR | 1 h 15 min | 1 h 10 min |
| International, checking a bag | 2 h 35 min | 2 h 15 min |
Parking adds 15 to 25 minutes and returning a rental car about 30; the calculator above adds them for you. Most U.S. airlines close bag drop 45 minutes before domestic departures and 60 before international ones, and on holiday weekends we'd allow another 15 to 25 minutes. How we work these out
SEA security checkpoints
SEA has 7 main checkpoints in TSA's data. SCP 3 screens 27% of departing travelers.
| Checkpoint (TSA's name) | Share of travelers | Busy from |
|---|---|---|
| SCP 3 | 27% | 4 AM |
| SCP 6 | 23% | 4 AM |
| SCP 4 | 18% | 2 AM |
| SCP 5 | 13% | 4 AM |
| SCP 1 | 11% | 4 AM |
| SCP IAF | 5% | 6 AM |
| SCP 2 | 4% | 4 AM |
Terminals: Main terminal with Concourses A–D, plus the North and South satellites. Concourses A–D connect by walkway, and the SEA Underground trains link the main terminal with the N and S satellites, all inside security.
Checkpoint names are TSA's own. Use the checkpoint for your terminal or concourse; at many airports any checkpoint reaches every gate, but not at all of them.
Getting through SEA security faster
- Fly Saturday, or at a time that reaches security in the 7–9 PM lull, if you can: SEA's checkpoints see about 1,800 people an hour then, against 4,400 at the peak.
- TSA PreCheck or CLEAR: in TSA's 2021 holiday-weekend figures 99% of PreCheck travelers waited under 5 minutes. In our plan it saves about 20 minutes at SEA's busiest hours.
- Checking a bag? The bag drop lines peak at the same hours as security, so add about 20 minutes then, and get there before your airline closes bag drop (usually 45 minutes before a domestic flight).
- On the first flights of the day, expect a line as soon as screening starts: lines at SEA build from about 4 AM.
- Alaska uses Concourses C and D and the N satellite, so check whether you need the train.
SEA TSA wait times FAQ
About 1 h 35 min before departure with just a carry-on if your flight leaves around 8:30 AM, when security at SEA is busiest, or 1 h 25 min around 8:30 PM. Checking a bag, allow 1 h 55 min at the busiest times. That's for being dropped off at the terminal; add 15 to 25 minutes to park.
More for SEA
TSA wait times nearby: Spokane (GEG) · Pasco (PSC) · Everett (Paine Field) (PAE) · Bellingham (BLI)
Sources
Updated Oct 31, 2026 with TSA's counts for Sep 6 to Oct 24, 2026. TSA publishes these counts weekly with a delay of about a week, and staffing changes day to day, so check your airport's live wait before you leave.
- TSA FOIA reading room: TSA throughput data, people screened at every checkpoint, hour by hour (7 weekly files, Sep 6 to Oct 24, 2026)
- TSA throughput data, latest week used (to Oct 24, 2026)
- TSA: 99.7% of standard-lane travelers waited less than 30 minutes and 99% of PreCheck travelers less than 5 over the Fourth of July weekend (2021)
- Seattle–Tacoma International Airport official website
Read how we collect and check this data, or tell us if something's out of date.
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