Spring break travel through Dallas Fort Worth International Airport will require some planning and patience for both passengers and their chauffeurs. According to a release, 4.7 million customers are expected to travel to, from, and through the airport during the 2026 spring break travel period, March 5-March 24.
The busiest days (when curbsides and routes in and out of the airport will be most congested) are expected to be the weekends of March 13-16 and March 20-23, they say.
The top three overall busiest days, and volume of customers traveling to, through, or from DFW, are expected to be:
- March 15: 262,000
- March 22: 259,000
- March 13: 253,000
The top five busiest days, and volume of customers beginning or ending their trip at DFW, are expected to be:
- March 22: 126,000
- March 13: 125,000
- March 15: 123,000
- March 12: 118,000
- March 19: 116,000
"With many North Texas school districts observing spring break during the same week of March 16-20, travel demand will be more concentrated than usual, making it especially important for customers to plan ahead - including prebooking parking, allowing extra travel time and using DFW’s digital tools to help navigate peak conditions," airport officials say in the release.
Terminal curbs and access roadways will experience the highest congestion from late morning hours into the early evening each day, they say. There will also be especially heavy traffic when approaching terminals from the north, they say.
"Terminal C roadway detours remain in place on International Parkway as bridge construction continues," they advise. "Terminal C is only accessible via the southbound entrance from International Parkway. Customers arriving from the sout, will be required to travel northbound past all terminal entrances and take the left-hand U-turn exit before the North Exit Plaza to return to southbound International Parkway. Then, all customers will take the existing left-hand exit to Terminal C."
Here are some tips they give to help make travel through DFW Airport smoother during spring break:
Arrive early: Plan to arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights. Using drivetime apps to check traffic conditions will ensure proper planning of transit times needed to park, check-in and clear security screening ahead of departure.
The DFW Airport mobile app, available on iOS and Android, can help provide:
Consider public transit: DART's Silver Line connects Plano to Terminal B with stops in Richardson, Addison, Carrollton and Coppell, while DART’s Orange Line, with service from Plano, downtown Dallas, and Irving provides direct access to Terminal A. Trinity Metro’s TEXRail connects riders to Terminal B. Additionally, Trinity Railway Express (TRE) offers service from Dallas and Fort Worth to CentrePort/DFW Airport Station, with terminal access via the TRE Link shuttle. For details on transit schedules and fares, visit DART or Trinity Metro.
Prebook parking: By prebooking parking online, customers can get the best rates as well as save decision-making time when arriving at the airport. In addition to terminal parking options, Express and Remote parking lots provide quick and convenient shuttle service to every terminal.
Follow curbside rules and parking protocols: DFW officials remind that terminal curbs are reserved for active loading and unloading only. Customers waiting to pick up passengers should use designated free cell phone lots or one-hour parking inside terminal garages.
A perk for AA customers: Customers flying American Airlines may check in at any terminal and go through security at the location with the shortest wait times, then connect to their gate using Skylink. Based on live traffic conditions, access into Terminals A, B and C are typically quickest from the north, while Terminals D and E are generally easiest to access from the south, they advise.
