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SFO San Francisco layover guide

A layover at SFO.

San Francisco International Airport

Lounges, security and customs waits, and what a connection at SFO actually involves. LYVR plans the whole layover, with real walk times on the indoor map.

Updated October 2026 · Sources

18lounges at SFO, with what gets you in
7open to Priority Pass or DragonPass members
Livesecurity wait times in the app
CBP datacustoms and border queues in the app
SFOConnections

Connecting
at SFO.

Yes, if you're arriving from another country. Every international arrival at SFO 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.

Wait times

The lines at SFO, before you're in them.

Open the Airports tab in LYVR and pick SFO.

Security · Live

Security lines

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

Border · CBP data

Customs and border

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 only shows the checks your connection actually crosses.

In your plan

Counted in your time to spare

Every checkpoint on your connection becomes a step in the layover plan, so the time to spare already allows for the lines.

Lounges

18 lounges at SFO.

2 open with a credit card, 7 with Priority Pass or DragonPass, 12 with airline elite status. Rules and hours change, so check with the lounge before you go.

International , airside (first left after TSA)

Golden Gate Lounge

07:00 - 20:00

Memberships
Priority Pass
Temporary: Terminal 2, Concourse D (after security)

The Centurion Lounge

Credit cards
Amex Platinum CardAmex Business Platinum CardAmex Centurion CardAmex Delta SkyMiles Reserve (Delta flights)
Terminal 1

Alaska Airlines Lounge

Airline status
Alaska Airlines Atmos Gold and up (long-haul international flights)oneworld Sapphire (international flights)
Terminal 1

Alaska Lounge - Additional Fee Applies

05:00 - 23:59

Memberships
Priority Pass
Airline status
Alaska Airlines Atmos Gold and up (long-haul international flights)oneworld Sapphire (international flights)
Terminal 1

American Airlines Admirals Club

Airline status
American Airlines Platinum and up (international flights)oneworld Sapphire (long-haul international flights)
Terminal 1

The Club SFO

04:30 - 23:30

Memberships
Priority Pass
Terminal 2

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge

Airline status
Air Canada Aeroplan 50K and upStar Alliance Gold
Terminal 2

Delta Sky Club

Airline status
SkyTeam Elite Plus
Terminal 3

American Express - The Centurion Lounge

Credit cards
Amex Platinum CardAmex Business Platinum CardAmex Centurion CardAmex Delta SkyMiles Reserve (Delta flights)
Terminal 3

United Club

Airline status
United Airlines Premier Gold and up (international flights)Star Alliance Gold
Terminal A

Air France - KLM Lounge

Memberships
DragonPass
Airline status
Air France Gold and upSkyTeam Elite Plus
Terminal A

British Airways Lounge

Airline status
British Airways Silver and uponeworld Sapphire (long-haul international flights)
Terminal A

China Airlines Lounge

08:00 - 20:30

Memberships
Priority Pass
Airline status
China Airlines Emerald and upSkyTeam Elite Plus
Terminal A

Emirates Lounge

Airline status
Emirates Gold and up
Terminal A

Golden Gate Lounge

Memberships
Priority Pass
Terminal A

Virgin Atlantic Club House Lounge

Airline status
Virgin Atlantic Gold and upSkyTeam Elite Plus
Terminal A

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse

09:00 - 13:30

Memberships
Priority Pass
Airline status
Virgin Atlantic Gold and upSkyTeam Elite Plus
Terminal G

United Polaris Lounge

Entry by premium-cabin ticket or a paid day pass.

Plan it in LYVR

Your SFO layover, planned to the minute.

Save your flights and LYVR finds the connection at SFO on its own, then times every part of it.

Time to spare

Every minute, accounted for.

Deplaning, every walk on the indoor map, the checkpoints your connection passes and when the doors close. What's left is yours to plan.

A LYVR layover plan: deplane, re-clear security with a live wait, free time with Ask AI, the train between terminals, then board
Lounge access

Lounges you can actually get into.

Add your cards and memberships once. Every lounge at SFO shows whether you're in.

A LYVR lounge list with The Centurion Lounge marked eligible with Platinum Card
Turn-by-turn, indoors

Directions that know which floor you're on.

Around walls, up escalators, onto the train between terminals and through security on the way.

Turn-by-turn directions inside a terminal: stay on the train, get off at the next terminal
Long layovers

Time to see San Francisco?

Getting out, the ride each way, security on the way back and a cushion, checked against your passport. Then a day, planned.

Leaving the airport on a layover: hours in the city, rated worth it
Layover questions

SFO, answered.

Do I have to go through security again on a connection at SFO?

Yes, if you're arriving from another country. Every international arrival at SFO 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.

Can I check the security wait time at SFO?

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

How long is the customs or passport line at SFO?

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.

Which lounges at SFO can I use on a layover?

LYVR lists 18 lounges at SFO, 6 of them on Priority Pass. 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.

Which credit cards get me into a lounge at SFO?

Amex Platinum Card: The Centurion Lounge, American Express - The Centurion Lounge; Amex Business Platinum Card: The Centurion Lounge, American Express - The Centurion Lounge; Amex Centurion Card: The Centurion Lounge, American Express - The Centurion Lounge; Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve: The Centurion Lounge, American Express - The Centurion Lounge. Card benefits change, so check your card's terms before you go.

Does airline status get me into a lounge at SFO?

Yes, at 12 lounges: Alaska Airlines Lounge (Alaska Airlines Atmos Gold and up (long-haul international flights), oneworld Sapphire (international flights)); Alaska Lounge - Additional Fee Applies (Alaska Airlines Atmos Gold and up (long-haul international flights), oneworld Sapphire (international flights)); American Airlines Admirals Club (American Airlines Platinum and up (international flights), oneworld Sapphire (long-haul international flights)); Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge (Air Canada Aeroplan 50K and up, Star Alliance Gold); Delta Sky Club (SkyTeam Elite Plus); United Club (United Airlines Premier Gold and up (international flights), Star Alliance Gold). Status entry needs a same-day departing flight on that airline or its alliance, and some tiers only count on international flights.

How much time do I need for a layover at SFO?

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.

Is a 1 hour layover enough at SFO?

For a domestic connection on one ticket, usually yes. Arriving at SFO 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.

What is there to do on a layover at SFO?

With an hour or two, eat near your gate and walk the terminal. With more, SFO's 18 lounges (6 on Priority Pass) have quiet seats, food and often showers. 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.

Can I leave the airport on a layover at SFO?

Yes, if you have time. Arriving from abroad, you've already cleared US immigration and customs at SFO, so leaving only adds the trip into San Francisco 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 San Francisco.

Got a layover
at SFO?

Free, in your browser. LYVR finds the layover, times every walk and fills the gap.

Plan my layover →

Sources

Lounges from Priority Pass's and DragonPass's directories, the card networks' lounge lists (American Express, Capital One, Chase, Mastercard), each operator's own booking or waitlist page, and the Wikivoyage article on San Francisco International Airport (CC BY-SA). Who gets in is worked out with the same rules the LYVR app uses for your saved cards, memberships and airline status. Wait times come from the airport's or TSA's own data, US Customs and Border Protection. Terminal times are LYVR's curated estimates. Compiled October 2026; details change, so confirm with the airport, airline or lounge before you travel. LYVR isn't affiliated with San Francisco International Airport.