Security lines at O'Hare are moving quickly as of Tuesday morning (Tue Mar 24). The most recent reports show 2–20 minutes for general security lines: one traveler cleared Terminal 5 in 2 minutes (Tue Mar 24, 11:44 AM), while another reported 20 minutes (Tue Mar 24, 11:27 AM). An earlier report from mid-morning noted 20 minutes total processing time, entering the line at 9:29 AM and clearing by 9:49 AM (Tue Mar 24, 11:37 AM).
TSA PreCheck travelers are experiencing significantly faster screening. One PreCheck passenger at Terminal 2 got through in 5 minutes (Mon Mar 23, 08:36 PM), and another at Terminal 5 cleared in 5 minutes (Mon Mar 23, 01:19 PM). Reports from the previous few days (Mon Mar 23 and earlier) consistently show PreCheck waits of 5–7 minutes, with Clear members reporting even faster times around 6 minutes (Mon Mar 23, 10:01 AM).
Arrive 30–45 minutes before your flight if you have TSA PreCheck or Clear. If you're in a general security line, plan for 45 minutes to an hour to account for peak traffic. Morning departures appear slightly faster based on recent reports, so consider an early flight if possible.
- General line: 5–180 min (10 data points)
- PreCheck: 30–30 min (1 data points)
04:40 PM
@HipposinTutus @publicpolicyman I’m sitting on a plane that just landed at Ohare from Ft Lauderdale. 15 minutes through TSA in Florida ⏱️ 15m
12:56 PM
(1↑)
@GavinNewsom @realDonaldTrump I’m at OHare it is literally a 5 minute wait to go through TSA and I thanked everyone of them for working without pay. ⏱️ 5m
10:57 AM
@SharylAttkisson i flew tsa precheck last week out of ohare, philly, and boston and the longest i waited was 30 min ⏱️ 30m
10:48 AM
@SoUnserious_ Atlanta has to many ratchet workers. All the other airlines have figured this out in two weeks. Atlanta still behind for obvious reasons Just left Chicago ohare yesterday. TSA took 20 m... ⏱️ 20m
10:01 AM
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@catvielma @fly2ohare Wild. I’m at Ohare as well, got into Clear + TSA precheck line at 8:28 (no line) and through the screener by 8:34. Not bad at all.
08:47 AM
(1↑)
@basedseattle Got through Ohare two Saturdays ago in 15 minutes. Got through Orlando last Saturday in 10 minutes. Still trying to figure out how TSA agents missing paychecks causes long lines. Suspect... ⏱️ 15m, 10m
08:35 AM
TSA lines at ohare were basically non existent and no ICE in sight.
08:10 AM
(6↑)
⚠️ TSA Wait Times at Ohare International Airport (ORD) are longer than usual! Avg. across all lines: Current: 25 min Typical: 5 min Difference: +20 min Plan extra time for security screening. Check... ⏱️ 25m, 5m, 20m
11:45 PM
(7↑)
Indianapolis TSA taking like 15 minutes rn and people handing TSA agents gas cards and gift cards bc they arnt getting paid meanwhile ohare is like a 3 hour wait 👀👀👀👀 ⏱️ 15m, 180m