Airport Airport

YYZ Toronto International Airport Security Times

IATA Code:

YYZ

Timezone:

UTC/GMT -4:00 hours

Airport local time:

Tuesday, 2:28pm


Wait times are steady
Last Updated:
2:20 PM (UTC/GMT -4:00 hours)2026-03-31
Add Your Time
  • Data

    Qsensor makes use of data from CATSA for this airport.

  • Disclaimer

    Waiting times may not accurately reflect your experience. It is advisable to arrive at the airport well in advance and follow the recommendations of the airlines and airports.

  • Airport Last Updated

    2:20 PM (UTC/GMT -4:00 hours)2026-03-31

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The average wait time at 2 pm at this airport is 3 minutes

Based on data from the past 3 weeks.
Current: 3 min (Similar to usual: avg wait time is 3 min)

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Latest Airport Arrival Time
Domestic 1h 10m before departure
International 1h 31m before departure
How we calculated this

Bag drop closes 45-60 min before departure. With an estimated 25 min bag drop queue, you need to arrive at the desk 70-85 min early. After that, allow 4 min for security (avg on Tuesdays) and 12 min to walk to your gate, which closes 15-20 min before departure.

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Best & Worst Times to Fly

Based on historical security wait times across all days of the week.

Best Time
Afternoon
12pm - 5pm
3 min avg wait
Worst Time
Night
9pm - 4am
5 min avg wait
Flying in the Afternoon instead of Night could save you up to 2 minutes in security lines.

Wait Times by Day of Week

Average wait times based on the last 3 weeks of data.

4m
Mon
4m
Tue
4m
Wed
3m
Thu
4m
Fri
4m
Sat
4m
Sun

Your Guide and Travel Tips for Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

YYZ is Canada’s largest and busiest aviation hub, handling over 45 million passengers annually. Located in Mississauga, approximately 22.5 km (14 miles) northwest of downtown Toronto, it serves as the region’s primary gateway for long-haul international and transborder flights.

The airport operates with two active terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, which are connected by the free, 24/7 Terminal Link train; Terminal 2 was demolished in 2007. Terminal 1 is the primary hub for Air Canada and its Star Alliance partners, while Terminal 3 serves WestJet, Air Transat, and the majority of SkyTeam and Oneworld carriers.

Toronto International Airport FAQ

The current Security wait time at Toronto International Airport is approximately 3 minutes.

Security wait times at Toronto International Airport vary throughout the day. Check the historical wait time chart on this page to find the quietest times.

“YYZ” is the code for Toronto Pearson International Airport, the main international hub located in Mississauga, about 22.5 km from downtown. It handles all long-haul international flights and most jets. “YTZ” is Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, located on the Toronto Islands near downtown, which primarily serves regional routes using turboprops.

You must take the Terminal Link train. It is a free, 24/7 automated train that runs between Terminal 1, Terminal 3, and the Viscount parking area. The ride takes 2–8 minutes.

Important: You cannot walk between terminals past security (airside). You must exit the secure area, take the train (landside), and go through security again at the next terminal.

  • Terminal 1: Primarily Air Canada and Star Alliance partners (Lufthansa, United, Avianca), plus Emirates,.
  • Terminal 3: WestJet, Air Transat, Porter, British Airways, American Airlines, Delta, and most other international carriers.

It depends on your airline and arrival terminal:

  • International to Domestic (Terminal 1 – Air Canada/Star Alliance): If you are eligible for One Stop Security (OSS) (arriving from the US, Europe, or Japan), you usually do not need to claim bags if they are tagged to your final destination. Follow the Purple Signs for connections.
  • International to Domestic (Terminal 3): Yes, you generally must claim your bags, clear customs, and re-drop them.
  • US Connections: You typically do not need to claim bags if they are tagged through to the US, but you will go through US Preclearance.
  • Always confirm: Ask the agent at your originating airport if your bag is checked through to your final destination or just to Toronto.

  • Domestic to Domestic: Usually yes (minimum connection time is ~40-50 mins).
  • International/US Connections: 1 hour is considered very high risk. It is recommended to have at least 90 minutes to 2 hours due to potential customs delays, long walking distances between gates, and the need to change terminals.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) opens at 3:30 AM and closes at 9:00 PM in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Arriving earlier than 3:30 AM for a 6:00 AM flight will not get you through security faster as the facility will be closed.

Yes. You can use the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app. It is free, allows you to submit your declaration digitally, and gives you access to a dedicated express line, which is often faster than the standard line.

Ride-sharing apps have specific designated pickup zones:

  • Terminal 1: Ground Level (one floor below Arrivals), at Door Q or P (Inner Curb). Terminal 3: Arrivals Level, at Door D (Outer Curb). Note: Uber Black and Lyft Lux may pick up at Door A at both terminals.

Use one of the Cell Phone Waiting Areas. The main lot is on Network Road. You can park for free for up to 45 minutes, but you must stay with your vehicle. Do not circle the terminal curbs; you may be fined.

The UP Express train connects Pearson to Union Station in 25 minutes. A one-way adult fare is $12.35 (standard) or $9.25 if you use a PRESTO card. Kids under 12 ride free.

Yes. Select the network “Toronto Pearson Public Wi-Fi”. It is free and available throughout both terminals.

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Live data: For the majority of the airports we track we use live data from the airport. For the remaining airports we provide an estimate, and we communicate that it’s a best-guess only.

Search: By airport name, IATA code, city, county, country or region. To save you time, we keep your last visited airports on the front page. If you can’t find an airport, contact us using the contact form and we will look to add it. 

Current average wait time: The airport’s latest average security, passport control or customs queue wait time. If the airport has multiple queues, we display the average of them. If you want a more granular view that includes wait times for individual queues, take a look at the terminal level wait times. We regularly update each airport’s data,  but make sure you click the “i” icon to check when the last update was made.

Terminal level wait times: The latest security or customs queue wait time for individual terminals. Click on the terminal to access more information at the terminal level. Please note that this data is not available for all airports. We are working to expand this functionality to as many airports as possible.

Historical wait times: The typical wait time on different days and times over the past 2 weeks. Click the filter at the top right of the graph to cycle through the days of the week.

Add a security or customs queue wait time: How was your airport security experience? Contribute to the community by inputting your wait time. This feature is only available for airports where Qsensor does not automatically track data. To add a wait time, simply click the “Add Your Time” button on the airports page and follow the instructions.

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Please note that this data is monitored and may be modified or deleted if found to be invalid.

Click the “i” icon to view and take note of more contextual information on each airport. “Airport Last Updated” denotes the last time the data was refreshed.

Our sources for wait time data vary and may include air travel data aggregators, federal agencies such as the TSA, CATSA CBP, or information from the airport and its affiliated service providers. For some airports, Qsensor utilises its proprietary queue modelling technology to project wait times. Additionally, we crowdsource data from passengers who have input their wait time using the “Add Your Time” button.

Qsensor is not affiliated with any airport, airline, or associated service provider.

We regularly check queue times and flight delays for accuracy, however all times are estimates and waiting times and delays may not accurately reflect your experience. It is advisable to arrive at the airport well in advance and follow the recommendations of the airlines and airports.

There are a wide array of ways that queue data is measured. Including but not limited to looking at how long a passenger takes to get from scanning their boarding pass to exiting the security or customs area. Auditing passengers on how long it took them to pass through security or customs as well as Qsensors’ proprietary system for user added wait times. 

For airport wait times, we currently support over 110 airports worldwide. Whether it be London Heathrow, Istanbul, or Miami – we have got you covered. More are added all the time. Is Qsensor missing an airport that you want to be supported? We are more than happy to accommodate your request, get in touch via the contact form. 

For flight delays and cancellations, we currently support 7 airports, with the goal of expanding coverage going forwards.

Qsensor automatically tracks wait times for a variety of airports including London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Amsterdam Schiphol, Kempegowda Bangalore, Madrid Barajas, Hong Kong, Istanbul, and many more!

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Get insights into flight on-time performance and make better travel decisions. Please note, this feature is not available for all airports, but we’re adding more all the time!

To keep wait times relevant, the message “There is currently no data for this airport.” is shown when no traveller has recently inputted a wait time.

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For airports Qsensor automatically tracks, this message may also be shown if we haven’t recently gotten data from the airport. This typically rectifies itself within 12 hours.

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This FAQ section is updated periodically, please check back for updates. This FAQ was last updated on the 15th of March, 2026.

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