How early should I get to DTW?

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Detroit (Romulus), MI · Checked Oct 14, 2026

The short answer

Arrive 2 hours before a domestic flight

Arrive 3 hours before an international flight

Those are blanket rules. Your real number depends on your terminal, the time of day, traffic from your door, and whether you have PreCheck or a bag. Leave By works out your exact leave time.

Source: metroairport.com

Security lines at DTW

Nationally, TSA checkpoints are busiest from 5 to 7 AM local time. See TSA's hourly numbers and the busiest days to fly.

TSA PreCheck: DTW participates in TSA PreCheck; the airport does not list which checkpoints have PreCheck lanes. The TSA PreCheck enrollment office is in the McNamara Terminal domestic baggage claim area.

CLEAR: Available at this airport (see terminals below for which checkpoints).

Touchless ID: TSA lists Touchless ID at 65 airports and tells travelers to check with their airline. Delta lists DTW as a participating airport with dedicated Touchless ID bag drop. A March 2026 third-party list shows Alaska, American, Delta and Southwest participating at DTW.

Terminals and checkpoints

McNamara Terminal

Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico, Air France, WestJet

Ticketing Lobby, Level 3CLEAR

Bridge from the Parking Garage, Level 2CLEAR

Concourse A is about a mile long; the ExpressTram stops at South Station (gates A1-A28), Terminal Station (A29-A55) and North Station (A56-A78).
Concourses B and C are reached through the tunnel from Concourse A's Terminal Station.
A new real-time parking guidance system (space-level green/red lights, Park Assist app) went live in the McNamara garage in July 2026.
Public buses stop on the Departures Level near Door #1.

Evans Terminal

American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest, Alaska Airlines, Frontier, JetBlue, Sun Country, Avelo, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Volaris

Lobby, Ticketing Area

Serves most non-Delta airlines.
Biometric (facial recognition) boarding is in use at eight international gates.
Parking guidance in the Big Blue Deck (serving Evans) was being installed and expected to go live later in 2026.

Between terminals: Free Terminal-to-Terminal/Westin shuttle departs about every 10 minutes from each terminal's Ground Transportation Center and the Westin entrance; you must clear security again at the other terminal.

Terminals are not connected after security. Go to the right terminal the first time.

Getting to DTW

Rideshare and taxi: Rideshare pickup is at the Big Blue Deck, Level 1 (Evans Terminal: cross the skybridge, then down to Level 1) or the McNamara Parking Garage, Level 4 (cross the skybridge to the Ground Transportation Center Level 6 elevators, then down to Level 4).

Transit: SMART FAST Michigan Route 261 and SMART Route 125 serve both terminals; Route 280 serves Evans only; AirRide runs to Ann Arbor. Buses stop at the Evans Ground Transportation Center and the McNamara Departures Level near Door #1.

Driving and parking: Access is via I-94 and I-275. During MDOT's Restore I-94 project (through 2029), the airport advises using I-275 to Eureka Road and allowing extra time. More than 16,000 parking spaces across the garages.

Construction and changes in 2026

Restore I-94 (Wayne Road to Schaefer Road, about 13 miles, through 2029): since Aug. 1, 2026 eastbound I-94 east of I-275 runs in shared westbound lanes with two lanes each way; the SB Wayne Rd and SB Merriman Rd ramps to EB I-94 and the EB I-94 exit to Ecorse Rd are closed through mid-2027. The airport recommends I-275 to Eureka Road.
I-94/M-39 interchange ramp closures in effect from June 8, 2026 until May 2027.
Dingell Drive tunnels and roadway rehabilitation (the road to the McNamara Terminal) was launched in January 2024 as a year-round, multi-year program expected to finish in 2027; the airport said parking access is not affected.

Checking a bag

Delta (McNamara): domestic bags must be checked at least 45 minutes before departure (30 minutes if no checked bags); bags not accepted more than 6 hours before departure; be at the gate 15 minutes before departure.

DTW tips first-timers miss

Delta and its partners fly from McNamara; nearly every other airline uses Evans. The terminals are not connected after security, so go to the right one.
Through mid-2027, Restore I-94 closes several eastbound I-94 ramps near the airport; the airport recommends I-275 to Eureka Road.
CLEAR is available at both McNamara checkpoints, including the Level 2 checkpoint on the bridge from the parking garage.
McNamara Concourse A is about a mile long; the ExpressTram's South Station serves A1-A28 and North Station serves A56-A78.
The airport's homepage shows live security wait times for both terminals.

Leaving for DTW?

Pick your flight and where you're starting. Leave By checks live traffic, security lines and your terminal, and tells you the minute to walk out the door.