Washington D.C. (including Baltimore) - How long for Immigration/Customs/Exit at IAD?

If arriving at Dulles at 3 pm, how long does it take to get off plane, go through immigration (U.S. citizen), baggage claim, and customs, before one exits to be picked up by a relative/friend?

It depends on a lot of factors including where you're seated on the arriving flight, and what other flights landed a few minutes before yours. I've made it through in as little as 20 minutes from getting on the little moon buggy to the front curb (although no checked bags on that trip) and it's taken me as long as an hour, too. I'd budget 45 minutes. I believe IAD has a cell phone lot where your ride can wait for your call before coming to fetch you. Call them once you leave Customs with your bags. http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles/801.htm

PS If you have GOES it does help a LOT at IAD but checked bags is often where the delay is, plus the exit where you need to hand in your customs card is also often the bottleneck.

what airline & day of the week.....they may or may not help....good luck...

Worst customs/immigration experience I've ever had was at IAD ... took well over an hour, people were running through throwing the customs forms at the guy by the time I got to the front.

Don't use your cell phone IN the customs area, they go freakin' bonkers.

Yeah, mid-afternoon can be a bit of a zoo.

I would figure 45-60 mins from when the plane lands. The first 20 will be spent deplaning and boarding the moon buggy (although I've found usually they cram the whole flight onto one of those, or maybe two, so unless you're last off you may not be any worse off).

Then the line at immigration can be 20-30 mins. And if you get through quickly you'll still have to wait for your luggage, which I've had take 20-30 mins from when I got off the buggy.

On the other hand, I have gone from buggy to curb in 5 minutes if I carry on, because I use global entry and can skip the lines.

My last flight through Dulles, LHR-IAD, got in at about 3.30-4 (bit early), and customs was completely empty. I walked through in about 10 minutes (though I don't check luggage, and was sitting at the front of C, someone in the back of the plane may have spent a bit longer in line).

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Obscure2k
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If arriving at Dulles at 3 pm, how long does it take to get off plane, go through immigration (U.S. citizen), baggage claim, and customs, before one exits to be picked up by a relative/friend?
Question #1 is what airline are you flying? Question #2 is will you have checked luggage ? And #3, where are you coming from? (it takes longer to process some flights than others, for potential increase in questioning by CBP of at least some of the passengers)

How are you measuring the time? I have never had it take more than 15 minutes from entering the immigration hall (at the main terminal) but I once had them hold us from getting off the moon buggy for about 10 minutes (after which it took 10 minutes to get through the line).

But, of course, it takes a while for them to get people over to immigration via the moon buggy. (And getting off the plane sooner is not an advantage, as they work like a bush taxi in Africa and leave only when full).

As always YMMV.

And with these particular shuttles, you exit via the same door as you enter. Thus, it is to your advantage to be one of the last to board so that you are near the door.

The other shuttles at Dulles use both doors where this is not true.

Here's how it looked for us....
From hitting the taxiway (where I used my cell phone to call our ride) to curbside took us 35 minutes....

Caveats:
We were in business, in bound from FCO on United with our bags priority tagged. Also, we had Global entry. (which means immigration took 60 secs)

FDW

Here's how it looked for us....
From hitting the taxiway (where I used my cell phone to call our ride) to curbside took us 35 minutes....

Caveats:
We were in business, in bound from FCO on United with our bags priority tagged. Also, we had Global entry. (which means immigration took 60 secs)

FDW
Surprised they delivered bags that quickly at IAD to the main terminal

Surprised they delivered bags that quickly at IAD to the main terminal
as was I. We even went to the bathroom first.

FDW

I can assure you that the priority tags had nothing to do with your good fortune on the luggage delivery.

Surprised they delivered bags that quickly at IAD to the main terminal

It does happen sometimes. I have gone from wheels down to getting in a taxi in 30 minutes, including picking up checked luggage. Admittedly, it happened only once on a relatively empty flight from Paris that arrived early, but still . . .

I'm most frequently on the LHR-IAD flight that arrives at 1100, and I am almost always at the curb within 40 minutes of landing.

(And getting off the plane sooner is not an advantage, as they work like a bush taxi in Africa and leave only when full).



In some ways worse, because the moon buggy is loaded and unloaded from the same end, so either the first people on move to the back (and hence are unloaded last) or clog the doorways towards the front (because they know that's where to be) and get dirty looks and pushes as other people board.

or clog the doorways towards the front (because they know that's where to be)

I like to tuck myself into the front corner and hold my bag in my arms. Out of the way, yet still one of the first off.

I like to tuck myself into the front corner and hold my bag in my arms. Out of the way, yet still one of the first off.

Good call. One can hone such skills on DC's Metro system.

I prefer the cross-corridor behind the driver's cab.
Then she doesn't see me, and shout at me :D

Good call. One can hone such skills on DC's Metro system.

LOL - have you memorized the platform sides on OR/BL? Middle at Metro Center, then outside at McPherson and Farragut, then middle at FB/GWU.