This Chicago Airport Has The Best Experience With TSA In The US

Travel is escapism—whether you’re going to Maui, Big Sky, Palm Beach, or somewhere else that will alleviate all your worries, it’s always thrilling to pack all your stuff, plan an itinerary, and get on your way. That is until you have to head through the dreaded airport and maneuver your way through the TSA.

Going through the TSA can be likened to the security we must endure at sporting events, concerts, and theme parks: It causes a lot of unwarranted stress. Fortunately for us, one of Chicago’s airports just ranked as having one of the best TSA experiences in the country.

According to a new study from the travel media company Upgraded Points, Chicago Midway International Airport has the best TSA experience in the country and has one of the fewest TSA complaints of any U.S. airport.

Upgraded Points analyzed TSA complaint data from 2015 to 2023 and found the average across airports was 3.92 complaints per 100K passengers. Chicago Midway International Airport ranked fifth with 2.8 complaints per 100K passengers.

The top five U.S. airports with the least TSA complaints include:

1. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
   • 1.97 complaints per 100,000 passengers
2. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
   • 2.63 complaints per 100,000 passengers
3. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
   • 2.74 complaints per 100,000 passengers
4. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
   • 2.75 complaints per 100,000 passengers
5. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) and Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
   • 2.8 complaints per 100,000 passengers

And while you may think O’Hare International Airport would rank with the most complaints. We were pleasantly surprised to find out it remained in the top ten of the least complaints, falling at number seven. It turns out that the TSA in Chicago is actually better than most of the other airports across the country.

The top five U.S. airports with the most TSA complaints include:

1. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
   • 6.83 complaints per 100,000 passengers
2. Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)
   • 5.78 complaints per 100,000 passengers
3. Orlando International Airport (MCO)
   • 5.6 complaints per 100,000 passengers
4. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
   • 5.5 complaints per 100,000 passengers
5. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
   • 5.38 complaints per 100,000 passengers

You can view the entire study here.