Passenger Index / Airports / STL

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)

St. Louis, Missouri · Medium hub · #36 of 458 by 12-month departing passengers screened

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) screened about 6.6 million departing passengers at TSA checkpoints in the 12 months to September 30, 2026, roughly flat (+0.7%) on the prior 12 months. Over the same period, US Customs and Border Protection processed about 212,000 arriving international passengers there. That ranks STL 36th of 458 US airports by departing passengers screened in Passenger Index's data.

12 months October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026 · published figures rounded to 3 significant figures. TSA data covers 350 of the 365 days; the annual figure is scaled to a full year.

Departing passengers screened (TSA), 12M
6.6 million
+0.7% YoY
International arrivals (CBP), 12M
212,000
+7.7% YoY

Key facts

Airport
St. Louis Lambert International Airport · TSA name: St Louis Lambert International
Location
St Louis, Missouri
IATA code
STL
Hub class
Medium hub (0.7% of US TSA checkpoint throughput)
Size rank
#36 of 458 airports by 12-month departing passengers screened
CBP-monitored
Yes - international arrivals reported
Data through
September 30, 2026 (public); October 3, 2026 in Premium

Monthly passengers, last 12 months

MonthDeparting passengers screened (TSA)International arrivals (CBP)
September 2026546,39910,562
August 2026542,44118,083
July 2026629,85928,336
June 2026611,27927,772
May 2026601,23319,038
April 2026516,16215,703
March 2026562,04318,030
February 2026436,56514,479
January 2026442,72018,199
December 2025535,88215,428
November 2025527,34613,222
October 2025591,54213,016

Exact monthly totals for complete calendar months. A month with too few reported days shows "—". Year-over-year change by month, the latest 7 and 30 days and weekly data are in the paid plans.

Annual passengers

YearDeparting passengers screened (TSA)YoYInternational arrivals (CBP)YoY
20256,520,615-0.8%*197,414-0.6%
20246,583,316+4.5%199,056+4.8%
20236,290,373+11.0%*—n/a
20214,460,767+75.1%*—n/a
20202,564,248-63.0%*—n/a

Complete calendar years with a full set of monthly data. Year-over-year compares the same dates, using only days reported in both years. * Year-over-year change adjusted for days with a checkpoint missing from TSA's files (how).

How these numbers are built and what they do not count →

Daily STL traffic in Passenger Index Premium

This page shows 12-month, monthly and annual totals. Premium subscribers get STL's latest 7- and 30-day passengers with year-over-year change, daily and weekly history back to 2015, the departing and international-arrival series side by side, Airport Data for every US airport, and CSV and Excel downloads - data through October 3, 2026.

Open Airport Data

Frequently asked questions

How many passengers does St. Louis Lambert International Airport handle?

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) screened about 6.6 million departing passengers at TSA checkpoints in the 12 months to September 30, 2026, roughly flat (+0.7%) on the prior 12 months. Over the same period, US Customs and Border Protection processed about 212,000 arriving international passengers there. That ranks STL 36th of 458 US airports by departing passengers screened in Passenger Index's data.

How many passengers did STL screen last month?

In September 2026, 546,399 departing passengers were screened at TSA checkpoints at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), according to Passenger Index's compilation of TSA FOIA throughput data. CBP processed 10,562 arriving international passengers there that month.

Is passenger traffic at STL growing?

In the 12 months to September 30, 2026, departing passengers screened at STL were roughly flat (+0.7%) year over year; CBP international arrivals were +7.7%. Year-over-year compares the same 365 days a year earlier, using only days reported in both years.

Is STL a large hub airport?

STL is a medium hub in Passenger Index's FAA-style classification: it handled 0.7% of national TSA checkpoint throughput in the 12 months to September 30, 2026 (0.25% to 1% is the medium hub band). The FAA's official hub classes use calendar-year enplanements, so they can differ slightly.

How many international passengers arrive at STL?

US Customs and Border Protection processed about 212,000 arriving international passengers (US citizens and visitors) at STL in the 12 months to September 30, 2026. Travelers who cleared US immigration abroad at a preclearance airport (for example in Canada, Ireland or the Caribbean) arrive as domestic passengers and are not in this count.

Can this be split into domestic and international passengers?

Not from this data. TSA screening does not record where a passenger is flying, and CBP counts international arrivals only, so there is no international-departures figure to subtract. The two series measure opposite directions and are shown side by side, never added.

Why is this lower than the passenger count St. Louis Lambert International Airport reports?

Airports usually report enplaned plus deplaned passengers, counting every arriving and departing passenger including connections. TSA counts departing passengers once, at screening; arrivals and connecting passengers who stay airside are not screened again, so this measure runs well below airport-reported totals, especially at connecting hubs.

Where does this data come from?

TSA checkpoint throughput by airport from the TSA FOIA reading room and passengers processed from CBP Airport Wait Times, both US federal public-domain data, compiled and validated by Passenger Index. The 12-month headline is rounded to three significant figures; the monthly and annual tables are exact. Passenger Index Premium has the full daily series.

Cite this page

Passenger Index, "St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) passenger traffic", 12 months to September 30, 2026. https://passengerindex.com/web/airports/stl/

Related airports

Nearby in the ranking

Other airports in Missouri

All 458 airports ranked →