What's the Best Time of Day to Get Through Security at Copenhagen Airport?

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What's the Best Time of Day to Get Through Security at Copenhagen Airport?

The short answer

Security at Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is usually quick — the average wait is about 5 minutes. It's calmest around 09:00, in the mid-afternoon (13:00–14:00), and after 19:00, and busiest at 07:00 (the day's peak), with broad busy windows 10:00–12:00 and 16:00–18:00.

If you only remember one thing: check the live wait before you leave home — on individual peak days the wait has reached 45–60 minutes.

👉 See the current CPH security wait time

What our data shows

We've measured CPH's Terminal 2 security wait every 5 minutes since June 2022 — over 727,000 readings. The daily pattern is clear:

  • Average: about 5 minutes across the whole period — usually fast.
  • Busiest hour: 07:00 (about 9 minutes on average) — the classic morning wave.
  • Broad busy windows: 10:00–12:00 and 16:00–18:00 (about 8 minutes).
  • Calmest daytime: around 09:00 (about 7 min) and mid-afternoon 13:00–14:00 (about 6 min).
  • After 19:00 it drops fast: about 4 min at 19:00 and about 2 min at 20:00.

👉 See CPH wait-time statistics and trends · Wait time by weekday

Busiest weekdays and months

  • Weekday: Sunday (avg 5.9 min) and Monday (5.4 min) are busiest; midweek is calmest (Wednesday 4.4 min).
  • Month: the summer holidays peak — July (7.0 min), August (6.1) and June (6.0); January–February are calmest (3.4–3.9 min).
  • Trend: waits have fallen from 2022 (avg 5.9 min) to 2025 (4.8 min) — security has generally gotten faster.

How to plan around it

  • Flying early? 07:00 is the day's peak — and for very early departures security may not be open yet (it opens at least two hours before the first flight). (When does CPH security open?)
  • Have flexibility? Aim for around 09:00 or the early afternoon (13:00–14:00).
  • Flying in the evening? After 19:00 the queue is usually very short.
  • Whatever your slot: glance at the live wait time right before you head to the airport.

How early should I still arrive?

A quiet queue is a bonus, not a plan. Most airlines still recommend arriving 2–3 hours before departure (closer to 3 for non-Schengen/long-haul). (How early should you arrive at CPH?)

FAQ

What is the best time to go through security at Copenhagen Airport? Around 09:00, the mid-afternoon (13:00–14:00), and after 19:00 are calmest. 07:00 is the day's peak, and 10:00–12:00 and 16:00–18:00 are also busy. The average is about 5 minutes. Check the live wait time for the current situation.

When is CPH security busiest? 07:00 is the busiest hour (about 9 min on average), followed by the broad 10:00–12:00 and 16:00–18:00 windows. By weekday, Sunday and Monday are busiest.

How long does security take at CPH right now? The average is about 5 minutes, but it swings with the departure waves and has reached 45–60 min on peak days. The CPH security wait tracker shows the current, timestamped wait.

Which month is busiest at CPH? July is the busiest month (avg 7.0 min), closely followed by June and August. January and February are calmest.

Figures in this article are based on our own measurements of CPH's published Terminal 2 security wait, sampled every 5 minutes since June 2022 (over 727,000 readings; averages reflect the lower bound of each reported range, through June 2026). 👉 Check the live CPH security wait time