STLKSTLNormal25°C / 77°F

St. Louis Lambert International Airport

St. Louis, United States · North America

Solid mid-size US airport with quick security and local food charm but penalized by split terminals requiring shuttle and only basic lounge options.

Airportist Score

6.9/ 10

Editorial 0–10 from comfort, navigation, food, transport, and disruption resilience — not a Google rating.

Passengers

15.9M

Average security

18 min

STLGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for STL.

Updated Sep 2, 2026

Two terminals 1+ mile apart (T1: A/C concourses; T2: E mainly Southwest); free 10-min shuttle only connection
Southwest dominates (~60%+ share) in T2; AA, Delta, United in T1
~15.9M passengers in 2024; historic former TWA hub now focused O&D
Three TSA checkpoints (two T1, one T2); PreCheck available, typical waits 10-25 min
MetroLink light rail at both terminals to downtown in ~30-40 min
Local food standouts: Ted Drewes frozen custard, Schlafly, Budweiser Brew House

15 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Comfort6.5

Navigation6.2

Food7.3

Transport7.8

Disruption resilience6.7

Key Stats

Annual passengers

15.9M

Terminals

2 active terminals

On-time departures

77%

Average security

18 min

Best For

Southwest flyers (dedicated T2)Cheap public transit to downtownLocal St. Louis food tastesQuick security most days

Watch Out For

Split terminals with no airside linkLimited quality lounges (Wingtips mediocre)MetroLink evening safety concerns reportedGarage parking pricey (~$31/day)

12 photos

Built in 1953-1956, this Modern building was designed by Minoru Yamasaki to serve as the main airport terminal for St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The building was expanded in 1965 with a matching addition, expanding the main hall of the landslide head house of the terminal to its present s

Overview of E Concourse at St Louis Lambert International Airport T2

Ticketing Hall of Terminal 2 at St. Louis Lambert International Airport

Terminal 1 MetroLink Access at St. Louis Lambert International Airport

Most important tips

Know before you go

A compact traveler cheat sheet for timing, terminals, food, and disruption checks.

Timing

Arrive 90-120 min early domestic

Security is usually fast outside peaks; 2 hours covers check-in and the free terminal shuttle if needed.

Early mornings (5-7am) and evenings are quickest; holiday or PreCheck outages can push waits higher—check MyTSA/flystl.com live.

Terminal

Confirm terminal before parking or drop-off

T1 (A/C) and T2 (E/Southwest) are not walkable airside; free shuttle every 8-15 min takes ~10 min.

Wrong terminal means re-clearing security after shuttle—use MetroLink between stations as free alternative if timed right.

Food

Hit Ted Drewes for the local win

Skip generic chains for Ted Drewes frozen custard (A and C gates) or Schlafly/4Hands local beer and eats.

T2 has Shake Shack and Pasta House options; Vino Volo and Budweiser Brew House elevate T1 beyond basics.

Status

Check live TSA and shuttle tracking

flystl.com shows real-time security waits and Super Park shuttle locations; MetroLink is reliable but watch evening safety.

On-time hovers ~77%; weather or hub connections elsewhere drive most delays—Southwest volume can cascade in T2.

Nearby airports

Passenger airports within about 150 km.

STLGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for STL.

Updated Sep 2, 2026

Two terminals 1+ mile apart (T1: A/C concourses; T2: E mainly Southwest); free 10-min shuttle only connection
Southwest dominates (~60%+ share) in T2; AA, Delta, United in T1
~15.9M passengers in 2024; historic former TWA hub now focused O&D
Three TSA checkpoints (two T1, one T2); PreCheck available, typical waits 10-25 min
MetroLink light rail at both terminals to downtown in ~30-40 min
Local food standouts: Ted Drewes frozen custard, Schlafly, Budweiser Brew House

15 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Comfort6.5

Navigation6.2

Food7.3

Transport7.8

Disruption resilience6.7

Key Stats

Annual passengers

15.9M

Terminals

2 active terminals

On-time departures

77%

Average security

18 min

Best For

Southwest flyers (dedicated T2)Cheap public transit to downtownLocal St. Louis food tastesQuick security most days

Watch Out For

Split terminals with no airside linkLimited quality lounges (Wingtips mediocre)MetroLink evening safety concerns reportedGarage parking pricey (~$31/day)

STLGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for STL.

Updated Sep 2, 2026

Two terminals 1+ mile apart (T1: A/C concourses; T2: E mainly Southwest); free 10-min shuttle only connection
Southwest dominates (~60%+ share) in T2; AA, Delta, United in T1
~15.9M passengers in 2024; historic former TWA hub now focused O&D
Three TSA checkpoints (two T1, one T2); PreCheck available, typical waits 10-25 min
MetroLink light rail at both terminals to downtown in ~30-40 min
Local food standouts: Ted Drewes frozen custard, Schlafly, Budweiser Brew House

15 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Comfort6.5

Navigation6.2

Food7.3

Transport7.8

Disruption resilience6.7

Key Stats

Annual passengers

15.9M

Terminals

2 active terminals

On-time departures

77%

Average security

18 min

Best For

Southwest flyers (dedicated T2)Cheap public transit to downtownLocal St. Louis food tastesQuick security most days

Watch Out For

Split terminals with no airside linkLimited quality lounges (Wingtips mediocre)MetroLink evening safety concerns reportedGarage parking pricey (~$31/day)

STLGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Security wait times

A current security estimate is not available. Check the official airport site or MyTSA before travel.

MyTSA

Official airport site TSA screening guide

Operational status

Normal operations

No Flighty-reported operational issues for this airport.

Status update: 05:17 CDT

Source: Flighty Airports

Status response Sep 6, 10:17 UTC · Confirm live conditions with official sources before travel.

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for STL.

Updated Sep 2, 2026

Two terminals 1+ mile apart (T1: A/C concourses; T2: E mainly Southwest); free 10-min shuttle only connection
Southwest dominates (~60%+ share) in T2; AA, Delta, United in T1
~15.9M passengers in 2024; historic former TWA hub now focused O&D
Three TSA checkpoints (two T1, one T2); PreCheck available, typical waits 10-25 min
MetroLink light rail at both terminals to downtown in ~30-40 min
Local food standouts: Ted Drewes frozen custard, Schlafly, Budweiser Brew House

15 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Comfort6.5

Navigation6.2

Food7.3

Transport7.8

Disruption resilience6.7

Key Stats

Annual passengers

15.9M

Terminals

2 active terminals

On-time departures

77%

Average security

18 min

Best For

Southwest flyers (dedicated T2)Cheap public transit to downtownLocal St. Louis food tastesQuick security most days

Watch Out For

Split terminals with no airside linkLimited quality lounges (Wingtips mediocre)MetroLink evening safety concerns reportedGarage parking pricey (~$31/day)

Most important tips

Know before you go

A compact traveler cheat sheet for timing, terminals, food, and disruption checks.

Timing

Arrive 90-120 min early domestic

Security is usually fast outside peaks; 2 hours covers check-in and the free terminal shuttle if needed.

Early mornings (5-7am) and evenings are quickest; holiday or PreCheck outages can push waits higher—check MyTSA/flystl.com live.

Terminal

Confirm terminal before parking or drop-off

T1 (A/C) and T2 (E/Southwest) are not walkable airside; free shuttle every 8-15 min takes ~10 min.

Wrong terminal means re-clearing security after shuttle—use MetroLink between stations as free alternative if timed right.

Food

Hit Ted Drewes for the local win

Skip generic chains for Ted Drewes frozen custard (A and C gates) or Schlafly/4Hands local beer and eats.

T2 has Shake Shack and Pasta House options; Vino Volo and Budweiser Brew House elevate T1 beyond basics.

Status

Check live TSA and shuttle tracking

flystl.com shows real-time security waits and Super Park shuttle locations; MetroLink is reliable but watch evening safety.

On-time hovers ~77%; weather or hub connections elsewhere drive most delays—Southwest volume can cascade in T2.

STLGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for STL.

Updated Sep 2, 2026

Two terminals 1+ mile apart (T1: A/C concourses; T2: E mainly Southwest); free 10-min shuttle only connection
Southwest dominates (~60%+ share) in T2; AA, Delta, United in T1
~15.9M passengers in 2024; historic former TWA hub now focused O&D
Three TSA checkpoints (two T1, one T2); PreCheck available, typical waits 10-25 min
MetroLink light rail at both terminals to downtown in ~30-40 min
Local food standouts: Ted Drewes frozen custard, Schlafly, Budweiser Brew House

15 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Comfort6.5

Navigation6.2

Food7.3

Transport7.8

Disruption resilience6.7

Key Stats

Annual passengers

15.9M

Terminals

2 active terminals

On-time departures

77%

Average security

18 min

Best For

Southwest flyers (dedicated T2)Cheap public transit to downtownLocal St. Louis food tastesQuick security most days

Watch Out For

Split terminals with no airside linkLimited quality lounges (Wingtips mediocre)MetroLink evening safety concerns reportedGarage parking pricey (~$31/day)

STLGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Security wait times

A current security estimate is not available. Check the official airport site or MyTSA before travel.

MyTSA

Official airport site TSA screening guide

Operational status

Normal operations

No Flighty-reported operational issues for this airport.

Status update: 05:17 CDT

Source: Flighty Airports

Status response Sep 6, 10:17 UTC · Confirm live conditions with official sources before travel.

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for STL.

Updated Sep 2, 2026

Two terminals 1+ mile apart (T1: A/C concourses; T2: E mainly Southwest); free 10-min shuttle only connection
Southwest dominates (~60%+ share) in T2; AA, Delta, United in T1
~15.9M passengers in 2024; historic former TWA hub now focused O&D
Three TSA checkpoints (two T1, one T2); PreCheck available, typical waits 10-25 min
MetroLink light rail at both terminals to downtown in ~30-40 min
Local food standouts: Ted Drewes frozen custard, Schlafly, Budweiser Brew House

15 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Comfort6.5

Navigation6.2

Food7.3

Transport7.8

Disruption resilience6.7

Key Stats

Annual passengers

15.9M

Terminals

2 active terminals

On-time departures

77%

Average security

18 min

Best For

Southwest flyers (dedicated T2)Cheap public transit to downtownLocal St. Louis food tastesQuick security most days

Watch Out For

Split terminals with no airside linkLimited quality lounges (Wingtips mediocre)MetroLink evening safety concerns reportedGarage parking pricey (~$31/day)

STLGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Security wait times

A current security estimate is not available. Check the official airport site or MyTSA before travel.

MyTSA

Official airport site TSA screening guide

Operational status

Normal operations

No Flighty-reported operational issues for this airport.

Status update: 05:17 CDT

Source: Flighty Airports

Status response Sep 6, 10:17 UTC · Confirm live conditions with official sources before travel.

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for STL.

Updated Sep 2, 2026

Two terminals 1+ mile apart (T1: A/C concourses; T2: E mainly Southwest); free 10-min shuttle only connection
Southwest dominates (~60%+ share) in T2; AA, Delta, United in T1
~15.9M passengers in 2024; historic former TWA hub now focused O&D
Three TSA checkpoints (two T1, one T2); PreCheck available, typical waits 10-25 min
MetroLink light rail at both terminals to downtown in ~30-40 min
Local food standouts: Ted Drewes frozen custard, Schlafly, Budweiser Brew House

15 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Comfort6.5

Navigation6.2

Food7.3

Transport7.8

Disruption resilience6.7

Key Stats

Annual passengers

15.9M

Terminals

2 active terminals

On-time departures

77%

Average security

18 min

Best For

Southwest flyers (dedicated T2)Cheap public transit to downtownLocal St. Louis food tastesQuick security most days

Watch Out For

Split terminals with no airside linkLimited quality lounges (Wingtips mediocre)MetroLink evening safety concerns reportedGarage parking pricey (~$31/day)

STLGuide

Live airport status

Current operations

Security wait times

A current security estimate is not available. Check the official airport site or MyTSA before travel.

MyTSA

Official airport site TSA screening guide

Operational status

Normal operations

No Flighty-reported operational issues for this airport.

Status update: 05:17 CDT

Source: Flighty Airports

Status response Sep 6, 10:17 UTC · Confirm live conditions with official sources before travel.

Guide quick facts

Pulled from the editorial markdown guide for STL.

Updated Sep 2, 2026

Two terminals 1+ mile apart (T1: A/C concourses; T2: E mainly Southwest); free 10-min shuttle only connection
Southwest dominates (~60%+ share) in T2; AA, Delta, United in T1
~15.9M passengers in 2024; historic former TWA hub now focused O&D
Three TSA checkpoints (two T1, one T2); PreCheck available, typical waits 10-25 min
MetroLink light rail at both terminals to downtown in ~30-40 min
Local food standouts: Ted Drewes frozen custard, Schlafly, Budweiser Brew House

15 official sources

Airportist Score Breakdown

Comfort6.5

Navigation6.2

Food7.3

Transport7.8

Disruption resilience6.7

Key Stats

Annual passengers

15.9M

Terminals

2 active terminals

On-time departures

77%

Average security

18 min

Best For

Southwest flyers (dedicated T2)Cheap public transit to downtownLocal St. Louis food tastesQuick security most days

Watch Out For

Split terminals with no airside linkLimited quality lounges (Wingtips mediocre)MetroLink evening safety concerns reportedGarage parking pricey (~$31/day)