Mak LourenLogan Airport guide
How Early Should You Leave for Logan Airport?
A simple way to time your trip to Boston Logan: airline deadlines, security, real drive times from Boston neighborhoods and a buffer for traffic.
How early to leave for Logan Airport depends on three numbers you can check: your airline’s check-in and bag-drop deadline, the time you want for security and the walk to the gate, and the drive time from where you are at that hour. Add them up, then add a buffer for traffic, weather and construction. This guide shows how to work it out, with real drive times from Boston neighborhoods.
- Start with your airline
- TSA advises travelers to contact their airline, because recommended arrival times vary by airport and date.1 Your airline also sets the cutoff for checking bags.
- Add security and the walk to your gate
- Allow more time at peak hours, on holiday weekends and for international departures, where document checks take longer.
- Add the drive, then a buffer
- From most Boston neighborhoods the drive is 5 to 26 minutes, depending on the hour.4 Add extra time for rush hour, snow and airport construction.
Check before you go. Massport posts live alerts and construction updates for Logan, and these can change how long the trip to your terminal takes.23 In autumn 2026, for example, Massport is warning of flight delays during FAA-required safety work.
In this guide
How early to leave for Logan Airport: the method
Work backward from your departure time in four steps.
- Find your airline’s deadlines. Look up the check-in and bag-drop cutoff and the boarding time for your flight. These are set by the airline, not the airport, and are usually earlier for international flights.
- Add time for security and the walk. Give yourself a cushion before the cutoff for the security line and the walk to the gate. Use more on Monday mornings, Friday afternoons, holiday weekends and school vacations. TSA’s MyTSA app shows how busy a checkpoint has typically been at that day and time.1
- Add the drive for the hour you will travel. Use the table below or a live map. A 10-minute trip at 5 am can take twice as long at 5 pm.
- Add a buffer. Allow extra time for weather, events in the city, construction near the terminals, and finding the right Departures curb.
The answer is the latest sensible time to leave. If missing the flight would be costly, leave earlier rather than later.
Drive times to Logan from Boston neighborhoods
Logan sits across the harbor from downtown, so the tunnels make most of the city a short drive. The Ted Williams Tunnel (I-90) and the Sumner and Callahan tunnels (Route 1A) are the main road links. Rush hour is what changes the picture, especially from Cambridge, Fenway, Longwood and Harvard Square.
| From | 5 am | 8 am | 11 am | 5 pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seaport (BCEC) | 5 min | 6 min | 6 min | 8 min |
| Financial District | 7 min | 8 min | 8 min | 10 min |
| Beacon Hill | 7 min | 8 min | 9 min | 9 min |
| North End | 7 min | 9 min | 10 min | 11 min |
| Kendall Square, Cambridge | 9 min | 12 min | 12 min | 17 min |
| Back Bay (Copley) | 10 min | 12 min | 13 min | 17 min |
| Fenway / Kenmore | 10 min | 14 min | 13 min | 23 min |
| Longwood Medical Area | 12 min | 18 min | 17 min | 25 min |
| Harvard Square | 13 min | 20 min | 15 min | 26 min |
Google Maps traffic estimates for a weekday (Tuesday, October 6, 2026), retrieved October 1, 2026. These are typical times, not guarantees.4
From the suburbs, the drive depends on the highway you use and the time of day. Routes from the South Shore, MetroWest and the North Shore all funnel into the same tunnels and approach roads, so allow more buffer for longer trips.
What changes the timing at Logan
Time of day
Early-morning roads are usually clear, but many flights leave between 5 and 8 am, so terminals can already be busy. The morning commute and the afternoon and evening rush are the slowest times on the roads.
Your terminal and current construction
Logan has four terminals: A, B, C and E. Check which one your airline uses. Massport’s construction updates list current closures. In October 2026 these included the pedestrian bridge between Terminals A and B, some pre-security escalators in Terminal B, and doors and a sidewalk at Terminal E.3 Closures like these add walking time.
International departures
International flights usually have earlier check-in deadlines and document checks at the counter. Follow your airline’s guidance for international departures, which normally means arriving earlier than for a domestic flight.
Weather, holidays and events
Snow and ice slow the tunnels and approach roads. Holiday weekends, school vacations and big events in the city add traffic and longer lines. On those days, use the top of your range.
Worked examples
These examples show the method. The airline cutoffs and buffers below are assumptions for illustration. Use your own airline’s numbers.
| Trip | Working | Leave by |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 am domestic flight, checking a bag, leaving Back Bay | Assume a bag-drop cutoff 45 minutes before departure (6:15). Aim to be at the curb 45 minutes before that for security and the walk (5:30). Drive about 10 minutes at that hour, plus a 20-minute buffer. | About 5:00 am |
| 5:30 pm domestic flight, carry-on only, leaving Harvard Square | Plan to be at the gate by boarding time, around 5:00, and at the curb by about 3:45 with time for security. The drive is about 26 minutes at rush hour, plus a 30-minute buffer. | About 2:50 pm |
| 8:00 pm international flight, leaving the Financial District | Assume the airline asks you to check in three hours ahead (5:00). The drive is about 10 minutes, plus a 20-minute buffer. | About 4:30 pm |
Want the timing handled for you?
Book a Boston to Logan Airport transfer and your chauffeur arrives at the time you set, with space for your luggage. Calculated airport rates include tolls.
Leaving for Logan with a chauffeur
A prearranged car takes the guesswork out of the last part of the trip. You choose the pickup time when you book Boston to Logan Airport car service. Your chauffeur arrives at your door, loads the bags and drops you at the Departures (upper) level of your airline’s terminal, where curbside drop-off is allowed.5
- Tell us your flight and terminal when you book, and whether you are checking bags.
- Pick the right vehicle. A Business Sedan carries up to 3 passengers with 2 suitcases. A Business SUV carries up to 6 passengers with 6 suitcases.
- Plan the return. For arrivals, the chauffeur tracks your flight, and complimentary wait time is 40 minutes for domestic and 60 minutes for international flights.6 See our Logan Airport pickup and drop-off guide for where chauffeurs meet passengers at each terminal.
Comparing options? Our guide to the best way to get from Boston to Logan Airport covers transit, rideshare, taxi and private car.
Frequently asked questions
How early should I get to Logan Airport for a domestic flight?
Check your airline’s recommendation and bag-drop cutoff first. TSA says arrival times vary by airport and date, so it points travelers to their airline.1 Then add time for security and the walk to the gate, and more at busy times.
How early should I leave for an international flight from Logan?
Follow your airline’s guidance for international check-in, which usually means arriving earlier than for a domestic flight. Then add your drive time and a buffer for traffic.
How long does it take to drive to Logan from downtown Boston?
From the Financial District, about 7 to 10 minutes depending on the hour, based on Google Maps weekday estimates. From Back Bay it is about 10 to 17 minutes. From Harvard Square it is about 13 to 26 minutes.
When is traffic to Logan worst?
The weekday morning commute and the afternoon and evening rush are the slowest times, along with snowstorms, holiday weekends and big events. Plan the longest buffer for those times.
Can my driver wait at the Departures curb?
No. Massport allows drivers to stop on the Departures (upper) level only long enough to unload, and curbside waiting is not allowed.5
Leaving for Logan? Book your ride ahead
Private car service from Boston, Greater Boston and New England to Boston Logan, at the time you choose.
- Business SedanUp to 3 passengers
- Business SUVUp to 6 passengers
- First ClassSedan $150/hr, SUV $155/hr
- Business VanUp to 15 passengers
Related Logan guides
Sources
- TSA: Frequently asked questions, “How early should I arrive to the airport?” (retrieved October 2, 2026)
- Massport: Alerts (retrieved October 2, 2026)
- Massport: Roadway and Construction Updates (retrieved October 1, 2026)
- Google Maps Directions traffic estimates (Tuesday, October 6, 2026), retrieved October 1, 2026.
- Massport: Pickup and Drop-Off at Boston Logan (retrieved October 1, 2026)
- Mak Louren Terms and Conditions: wait time and flight delays