5 Airports Where Security Lines Are Shortest (And 5 Where They're Way Too Long)

As if air travel weren’t hectic enough already, this year brought on some of the longest airport security lines the U.S. has ever seen. The problem has eased up a bit and should get even better soon thanks to new scanning technology and added lanes, but it doesn’t change the fact that lines at some airports generally move quicker than others.

The Points Guy recently conducted a study with market research company J.D. Power to determine which airports have the longest and shortest security wait times, based on passenger surveys from the last half of 2015 and the first half of 2016. Book wisely to avoid a monster wait:

The 5 airports with shortest security wait times:

1. Tampa

2. Portland

3. Fort Lauderdale

4. San Diego

5. San Francisco

The 5 airports with longest security wait times:

1. John F. Kennedy

2. Orlando

3. Newark Liberty

4. Chicago O’Hare

5. Denver

Of course, you can get through security faster by investing in TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, which grant access to separate lines that are usually shorter. A handful of apps also track security waits in real-time, if you’d like to preview the slog that awaits on your way to the airport. Oh, what fun!

Head to The Points Guy to see his overall airport rankings and how each one stacks up in terms of delays, cancellations, and amenities.