Best, Worst US Airports for TSA Security Wait Times

Waiting in the TSA security checkpoint line is often the most frustrating part of air travel. And if you haven't enrolled in TSA Pre-Check, the wait can be downright brutal if you're flying out at a busy time. To help travelers plan ahead and know exactly what to expect, Upgraded Points has analyzed TSA data at 25 major U.S. airports to determine the best and worst when it comes to getting through security.

Salt Lake City takes the crown as the best of the nation's busiest airports when it comes to TSA wait times with passengers standing in line for an average of just 9.1 minutes. Even if you're passing through security at the worst time-Sunday from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m.-you'll only be in line for about 26 minutes on average.

With an average wait time of just 10.5 minutes, Virginia's Washington Dulles International Airport is a welcome sight for time-strapped passengers. Flying out on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday night between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. can cut your wait at TSA down to as little as one minute, according to Upgraded Points' research.

Boston Logan International Airport narrowly trails Dulles with an average TSA wait time of 10.6 minutes. However, air travelers hopping in line on a Friday between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. could be standing around for as long as 45 minutes. Instead, consider flying on a Thursday between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. for the shortest wait.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is the best airport in the Midwest when it comes to getting through security quickly. On average, it will only take you about 13 minutes to successfully navigate the TSA checkpoint and only a minute when traveling between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on a Saturday night.

A hub for American Airlines in the Southeast, Charlotte Douglas International Airport ties Detroit Metropolitan Airport for the fifth-shortest TSA wait time at an average of 13.2 minutes. Wednesday from 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. is the fastest time to get through security in Charlotte while Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. are the ideal periods to have your belongings scanned in Detroit. In both instances, you should be on your way in under 120 seconds.

Newark Liberty International Airport fared the worst with an average security wait time of 23.1 minutes. If patience isn't your strong suit, consider flying out late Friday night as the average wait time drops to just 15 minutes between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Fridays compared to an hour between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. on Mondays.

Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport fares better than Newark Liberty by more than three minutes with an average wait time of 19.8 minutes. Nonetheless, even the shortest average wait time at security is eight minutes between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Wednesdays.

Navigating the TSA checkpoint at Miami International Airport is a similar experience to flying out of Houston with an average wait time of 19.6 minutes. Security lines here run the fastest on Sundays from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. when the average wait is only eight minutes.

While Washington Dulles ranks second-best among the nation's busiest airports for security wait times nearby Baltimore/Washington International Airport fares fourth-worst with passengers standing in line for an average of 18.2 minutes. However, you can get through TSA in as little as two minutes if you check in on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.

With an average security wait time of 17.3 minutes, Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport ranks fifth-worst in the nation. Travelers should avoid flying out early Sunday morning as that average balloons to 37 minutes Sundays between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. On the flip side, you'll only spend seven minutes waiting on average when getting in line Tuesdays between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.