Fastest And Slowest CA Airports For Holiday Travel Revealed In New Ranking

The Golden State is home to airports with some of the best — and the worst — wait times for international travel during the holiday season, according to a new ranking released this week.

Travel website Upgraded Points crunched the numbers for wait times at U.S. Customs and Border Protection checkpoints at airports nationwide, where both citizens and visitors are required to pass through upon entry into the country.

The site looked at CBP data from the 2024 winter holiday travel season — the week before Christmas through New Year's Day.

It found the average wait time was 22 minutes, which aligned closely with the rest of the year.

"Factors such as arrival time and citizenship status significantly impact how long it takes travelers to clear these checkpoints," Upgraded Points wrote.

For example, travelers arriving between 5 a.m. and 3 p.m. can except 26% longer compared to other times in the day. And non-U.S. citizens can expect to wait 97% longer than citizens.

But the most important factor in determining wait times is the airport.

Orlando International Airport had the worst wait times, at an average of 32.7 minutes for all travelers.

Los Angeles International Airport came in at a close second, with an average wait time of 30.3 — and an average maximum wait time of 75.5 minutes.

On the other end of the spectrum, Orange County's John Wayne Airport had among the shortest wait times: just 4.9 minutes on average, and an average maximum wait time of 7.2 minutes.

Here's a look at all the California airpots and their rankings, from longest to shortest wait times:

Check out the full list and more data on wait times at Upgraded Points.

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