A layover at EWR.

Yes, if you're arriving from another country. Every international arrival at EWR clears passport control and customs, collects and rechecks checked bags, and goes back through TSA security before a connecting flight, even a domestic one. The exception is a flight that was precleared before departure, such as from Canada, Ireland or Abu Dhabi. Domestic-to-domestic connections stay airside.

LYVR shows live security wait times for each checkpoint, grouped by terminal, refreshed every couple of minutes.

LYVR shows the average customs wait for the current hour over the latest week, for US citizens and visitors, from US Customs and Border Protection's own data.

LYVR lists 8 lounges at EWR. Which ones you can get into depends on your ticket, airline status, credit card or a lounge membership. Each lounge on this page lists what gets you in, and LYVR checks it against your own profile.

Yes, at 5 lounges: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse (Virgin Atlantic Gold and up, SkyTeam Elite Plus); Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge (Air Canada Aeroplan 50K and up, Star Alliance Gold); American Admirals Club (American Airlines Platinum and up (international flights), oneworld Sapphire (long-haul international flights)); British Airways Galleries Lounge (British Airways Silver and up, oneworld Sapphire (long-haul international flights)); Delta Sky Club (SkyTeam Elite Plus). Status entry needs a same-day departing flight on that airline or its alliance, and some tiers only count on international flights.

It depends on your terminals, whether you re-clear security or customs, and how far the gates are apart. LYVR adds up deplaning, every walk on the indoor map, any checkpoints your connection passes and the boarding door time, then shows exactly how much time you have to spare.

For a domestic connection on one ticket, usually yes. Arriving at EWR from another country, no: you clear passport control and customs, collect and recheck checked bags and go back through TSA security, so plan on 2.5 to 3 hours, unless your flight was precleared before departure. If a delay makes you miss a connection on one ticket, the airline rebooks you. LYVR works out your exact time to spare for your own two gates.

With an hour or two, eat near your gate and walk the terminal. With more, EWR's 8 lounges have quiet seats, food and often showers, and there are sleep suites and spas you can use with Priority Pass. LYVR's Explore tab lists every restaurant, bar and shop near your gate with the walk time, so you only see what fits in your layover.

Yes, if you have time. Arriving from abroad, you've already cleared US immigration and customs at EWR, so leaving only adds the trip into Newark and back and TSA security on the return. As a rule of thumb, it's worth it with about 4 hours on a domestic layover and 6 on an international one. LYVR checks the ride each way and how much time you'd really have in Newark.