New Study Shares Best and Worst Times to Go Through Immigration and Customs

A new study released by Upgraded Points used data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to reveal which U.S. airports have the longest and shortest wait times at Immigration and Customs in 2022. The study honed in on 34 of the nation’s busiest airports and considered essential factors such as the best months, time of day and day of the week to quickly breeze through what can often be a daunting line.

Top 5 Airports with the Longest Wait Times

At the top of the list with the worst wait time among airports surveyed is Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) with an average wait time of 31.95 minutes, a 79% increase from the overall average wait time of 17.88 minutes. Interestingly, Miami International Airport (MIA) claimed second place as the worst airport in terms of Immigration and Customs wait times (23.61 minutes) meaning that international travelers will need to practice some patience before hitting the beach in the Sunshine State.

Image from Upgraded Points

Rounding out the top five for airports with the longest wait times at Immigration and Customs were John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) at 23.58 minutes, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) at 20.34 minutes and O’Hare International Airport (ORD) at 20.26 minutes.

Top 5 Airports with the Quickest Wait Times

According to the study, data shows that 52.86% of passengers complete Immigration and Customs in 15 minutes or less. And some popular U.S. airports, like Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), have escorting travelers through the process down to a science. Also coming through with impressive stats were Denver International Airport (DEN), Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) and Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW).

Image from Upgraded Points

However, not all travelers will be so lucky, hovering just beneath the average were San Francisco International Airport (SFO), O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). Finally, at the bottom of the Pack with the three worst scores were Miami International Airport (MIA) with just 37.45% of travelers clearing Immigration and Customs in 15 minutes or less, Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) with 35.81% and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) at 16.08%.

Wait Times by Month, Day of Week and Hour

Anyone who has tried booking a last-minute getaway during the height of spring break can tell you that the demand for travel certainly varies throughout the year. Unsurprisingly, the study found the same to be true with summer months like July (20.92 minutes on average) and August (20.61 minutes on average) having the highest wait times to go through Immigration and Customs at U.S. airports closely followed by April with an average of 19.26 minutes. Vacationers looking to avoid the crowds might consider planning their next adventure sometime between October and March.
 

Image from Upgraded Points

As for which time of day and day of the week is best, Upgraded Points notes that late-night flights (after 9 p.m.) on Mondays, Tuesdays and Sundays enjoy the shortest wait time at Immigration and Customs.

About the Author

Senior Editor for VAX VacationAccess and world explorer, Jenna loves writing about all things travel. When she’s not busy creating content, she spends her time exploring the great outdoors, cuddling with her two black cats and researching her next big (sometimes strange) adventure.