Thanksgiving airport security: the busiest days and hours
When will the lines be longest, and when is it calmer? Here’s what TSA’s own passenger counts show for the last five Thanksgivings, plus hour-by-hour patterns at the 30 busiest U.S. airports.
The busiest days
People screened at TSA checkpoints each day around Thanksgiving 2025. The pale bar is Thanksgiving Day and the orange bar is the Sunday after. The dotted lines show the same days in 2024.
- Busiest: the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It topped every other day of the holiday in 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. In 2025, 3,134,613 people went through security that day, TSA’s all-time record.
- Also very busy: the Monday after and the days just before. In 2025: Monday after 2,893,451, the Friday a week before 2,792,495, Wednesday before 2,753,036, Saturday after 2,696,816, Tuesday before 2,675,261.
- Calmest: Thanksgiving Day. 1,559,165 people in 2025. The Friday after (2,392,036) is also lighter than the days around it.
ESTIMATE For 2026, travel in the eight weeks through Oct 29 ran about 1.4% below the same weeks last year. If Thanksgiving follows that trend, Sunday Nov 29 would bring about 3.1 million people and Wednesday Nov 25 about 2.7 million. A stronger holiday could set a new record instead. TSA usually publishes its own forecast the week before.
The busiest hours, airport by airport
- The morning rush is the worst. Nationwide, 5–6 AM was the busiest hour on both days, with about 23% more people than the same hour on a normal day on the Sunday.
- Wednesday evening is calmer. Nationwide, about 40% as many people went through security at 7 PM on the Wednesday as at the 5 AM peak.
- Sunday stays busy all day. Nationwide, security was as busy at 4 PM on the Sunday after as at 8 AM. Overall, 41% more people went through than on a normal day, versus 24% more on the Wednesday.
All 30 airports at a glance
Busiest hour and the calmest two daytime hours (9 AM–7 PM) at each airport, local time, Thanksgiving 2025. Tap a row to see its chart.
| Airport | Wednesday before: busiest | Calmer | Sunday after: busiest | Calmer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAXLos Angeles | 8–9 AM+25% vs. normal | 3–5 PM | 8–9 AM+38% vs. normal | 3–5 PM | Thank LAX Tower |
| JFKNew York JFK | 3–4 PM+12% vs. normal | 10 AM–12 PM | 4–5 PM+16% vs. normal | 11 AM–1 PM | Thank JFK Tower |
| ORDChicago O’Hare | 7–8 AM+14% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | 4–5 PM+36% vs. normal | 10 AM–12 PM | Thank ORD Tower |
| ATLAtlanta | 7–8 AM+21% vs. normal | 10 AM–12 PM | 7–8 AM+40% vs. normal | 10 AM–12 PM | Thank ATL Tower |
| MCOOrlando | 6–7 AM+8% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | 5–6 AM+34% vs. normal | 11 AM–1 PM | Thank MCO Tower |
| DFWDallas/Fort Worth | 9–10 AM+13% vs. normal | 11 AM–1 PM | 8–9 AM+30% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | Thank DFW Tower |
| MIAMiami | 6–7 PM+4% vs. normal | 11 AM–1 PM | 6–7 PM+30% vs. normal | 11 AM–1 PM | Security guide · Thank MIA Tower |
| EWRNewark | 6–7 AM+22% vs. normal | 10 AM–12 PM | 4–5 PM+23% vs. normal | 10 AM–12 PM | Thank EWR Tower |
| SFOSan Francisco | 7–8 AM+25% vs. normal | 4–6 PM | 7–8 AM+34% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | Thank SFO Tower |
| LASLas Vegas | 11 AM–12 PM+11% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | 5–6 AM+37% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | Thank LAS Tower |
| DENDenver | 8–9 AM+48% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | 11 AM–12 PM+67% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | Thank DEN Tower |
| PHXPhoenix | 8–9 AM+29% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | 8–9 AM+42% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | Thank PHX Tower |
| BOSBoston | 4–5 AM+24% vs. normal | 10 AM–12 PM | 6–7 AM+32% vs. normal | 10 AM–12 PM | Thank BOS Tower |
| IAHHouston Bush | 4–5 PM+15% vs. normal | 1–3 PM | 4–5 PM+37% vs. normal | 9–11 AM | Thank IAH Tower |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma | 8–9 AM+34% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | 7–8 AM+42% vs. normal | 2–4 PM | Thank SEA Tower |
| FLLFort Lauderdale | 5–6 AM+21% vs. normal | 11 AM–1 PM | 10–11 AM+45% vs. normal | 2–4 PM | Security guide · Thank FLL Tower |
| LGANew York LaGuardia | 1–2 PM+43% vs. normal | 11 AM–1 PM | 1–2 PM+48% vs. normal | 10 AM–12 PM | Thank LGA Tower |
| DTWDetroit | 6–7 AM+18% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | 7–8 AM+34% vs. normal | 4–6 PM | Thank DTW Tower |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul | 5–6 AM+42% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | 5–6 AM+52% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | Thank MSP Tower |
| SANSan Diego | 5–6 AM+36% vs. normal | 4–6 PM | 10–11 AM+53% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | Thank SAN Tower |
| PHLPhiladelphia | 4–5 AM+22% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | 5–6 AM+38% vs. normal | 9–11 AM | Thank PHL Tower |
| TPATampa | 5–6 AM+25% vs. normal | 1–3 PM | 5–6 AM+53% vs. normal | 12–2 PM | Thank TPA Tower |
| IADWashington Dulles | 7–8 AM+16% vs. normal | 12–2 PM | 4–5 PM+34% vs. normal | 12–2 PM | Thank IAD Tower |
| CLTCharlotte | 7–8 AM+26% vs. normal | 10 AM–12 PM | 4–5 PM+41% vs. normal | 10 AM–12 PM | Thank CLT Tower |
| DCAWashington Reagan National | 6–7 AM+41% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | 6–7 AM+51% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | Thank DCA Tower |
| AUSAustin | 4–5 AM+25% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | 5–6 AM+44% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | Thank AUS Tower |
| BNANashville | 4–5 AM+26% vs. normal | 5–7 PM | 5–6 AM+53% vs. normal | 9–11 AM | Thank BNA Tower |
| HNLHonolulu | 11 AM–12 PM+16% vs. normal | 4–6 PM | 11 AM–12 PM+21% vs. normal | 4–6 PM | Thank HNL Tower |
| RDURaleigh-Durham | 5–6 AM+32% vs. normal | 10 AM–12 PM | 5–6 AM+52% vs. normal | 9–11 AM | Thank RDU Tower |
| BWIBaltimore/Washington | 5–6 AM+55% vs. normal | 9–11 AM | 5–6 AM+73% vs. normal | 12–2 PM | Thank BWI Tower |
“vs. normal” compares the whole day with the average Tuesday–Saturday of the following week (Dec 2–6, 2025).
Up in the sky
While the lines build on the ground, air traffic controllers keep the extra flights safely apart. The FAA handled more than 313,000 flights from Nov 25 to Dec 1, 2025, its busiest Thanksgiving period in 15 years. The single busiest day in the air was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, with over 52,000 flights.
- Early flights tend to have fewer delays, since delays build up through the day. Security is busiest then, so leave extra time.
- Check delays before you leave home. See FAA delays right now →
- TSA’s advice: arrive at least 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international one, and allow more on the busiest days.
Flying home for Thanksgiving? Say thanks.
The controllers and pilots working the holiday rush can’t take tips, but a quick note means a lot. It’s free and takes 30 seconds.
Thank your controllers →Thank your pilots →Questions
What is the busiest day to fly at Thanksgiving?
The Sunday after Thanksgiving. It was the busiest day of the holiday in every year we checked (2019 and 2022 to 2025), and on Nov 30, 2025 TSA screened 3,134,613 people, the most in its history. In 2026 that Sunday is Nov 29.
What is the least busy day to fly at Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving Day itself. In 2025 TSA screened 1,559,165 people on Thanksgiving, about 43% fewer than the day before. The Friday after is also lighter than the days around it.
What time is airport security busiest at Thanksgiving?
Early morning. Across all U.S. airports, the busiest hour on both the Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving 2025 was 5–6 AM local time. On the Wednesday, evenings were much calmer; on the Sunday, it stayed busy most of the day.
How many people will fly for Thanksgiving 2026?
Nobody knows yet, and TSA usually publishes its forecast shortly before the holiday. As a rough estimate: travel in the last eight weeks has been running about 1.4% below the same weeks of 2025. If Thanksgiving follows that trend, the Sunday after (Nov 29, 2026) would see about 3.1 million people at TSA checkpoints. A busier-than-usual holiday could set a new record instead.
Where do these numbers come from?
Daily totals are TSA’s published checkpoint numbers. Hourly numbers by airport are TSA’s own counts, which it publishes every week in its FOIA reading room. Flight numbers are from the FAA. Thank ATC is an independent website, not affiliated with TSA or the FAA.
Sources and method. Daily totals: TSA checkpoint travel numbers ↗. Hourly numbers by airport: TSA’s throughput reports for Nov 23–29, 2025 ↗ and Nov 30–Dec 6, 2025 ↗ (FOIA reading room), all checkpoints added up for each airport, in local time. These hourly reports include Known Crewmember screenings and add up to about 2% less than TSA’s published daily totals. Flight numbers: FAA, Nov 21, 2025 ↗ and the FAA’s Dec 3, 2025 update. The 2026 figures are Thank ATC’s estimates, not TSA forecasts. Thank ATC is independent and not affiliated with TSA, the FAA or any airport. Updated 2026-10-31.