Rainbow Bridge Border Wait Time
Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY · Canada → US (Northbound entry)
Current wait
Passenger vehicles
- Standard0 min
- NEXUSN/A
- Ready LaneN/A
Commercial vehicles
- StandardN/A
- FASTN/A
Hours: 24 hrs/day
Latest snapshot: 10/29/2026, 8:45:10 AM UTC
Best & worst times to cross
Typical wait times by day of week + hour, averaged from the last four weeks of data. Times are approximate local at the crossing.
Quietest
- Mon 4am–5am0 min avg
- Tue 4am–5am0 min avg
- Tue 5am–6am0 min avg
Busiest
- Sat 1pm–2pm31 min avg
- Sat 11am–noon30 min avg
- Sat 2pm–3pm28 min avg
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Guides for this crossing
About this crossing
Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY (Rainbow Bridge) is a US Customs and Border Protection port of entry on the Canadian border. Wait times shown are for travelers entering the United States. Numbers come directly from CBP and update roughly every hour while the port is staffed.
Don't Wait is an independent app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting for CBP, CBSA or any other government agency.
Typical waits at Rainbow Bridge
Computed from the waits we recorded at this crossing (standard passenger lane, whenever a wait was reported). Past patterns are not a prediction.
Over the last 90 days (25,807 readings), the standard passenger-vehicle lane at Rainbow Bridge averaged 9 min. Weekdays averaged 8 min and weekends 13 min.
Saturdays were the busiest day on average (15 min) and Thursdays the quietest (7 min).
The busiest stretch was Saturdays 11am–2pm, averaging 23 min. The quietest was Tuesdays 3am–6am, averaging 1 min. Times are local to the crossing.
Waits reached 30 minutes or more in 6% of readings and 60 minutes or more in under 1%.
CBP publishes passenger-vehicle wait times here for standard, NEXUS and Ready Lane lanes.
Commercial-truck waits are published for standard and FAST lanes.
Posted hours: 24 hrs/day.
Frequently asked
Do I need a passport to cross at Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY?
Yes. US citizens entering by land need a passport, passport card, enhanced driver's license, or NEXUS card. Non-US citizens need a valid passport plus any required visa or travel authorization.
Are NEXUS lanes always faster?
NEXUS lanes are typically much faster than standard lanes, especially at peak times, but they can still see delays when traffic is heavy or when a few lanes are open. NEXUS lets pre-approved low-risk travelers cross between the US and Canada quickly using dedicated lanes. Apply at ttp.cbp.dhs.gov.
What hours is the Buffalo/Niagara Falls crossing open?
24 hrs/day. Hours are set by CBP and may change for holidays or staffing.
How often is this wait time updated?
CBP officers at each port update their reported wait time roughly every hour while the port is staffed. We re-poll the CBP feed every five minutes and cache the result for both speed and to be kind to the upstream feed.
Why is the wait time blank or "no data"?
CBP doesn't publish a number for that lane right now — usually because the port hasn't reported in over an hour, the lane is closed, or the port is idle. We show whatever CBP publishes without modification.
When is the best time to cross at Buffalo/Niagara Falls, NY?
In our last 90 days of recorded waits, the quietest stretch for standard passenger vehicles was Tuesdays 3am–6am (about 1 min on average) and the busiest was Saturdays 11am–2pm (about 23 min). Times are local; today's live wait can differ.