Columbus Border Wait Time
Columbus, NM · Mexico → US (Northbound entry)
Also known as Palomas
Current wait
Passenger vehicles
- Standard5 min
- SENTRIN/A
- Ready LaneLanes Closed
Commercial vehicles
- StandardLanes Closed
- FASTN/A
Hours: 24 hrs/day
Latest snapshot: 10/29/2026, 3:50:10 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
- Sun 12am–1am0 min avg
- Sun 1am–2am0 min avg
- Sun 2am–3am0 min avg
Busiest
- Mon 4pm–5pm15 min avg
- Mon 10am–11am13 min avg
- Fri 3pm–4pm13 min avg
Nearby crossings
Guides for this crossing
About this crossing
Columbus, NM is a US Customs and Border Protection port of entry on the Mexican 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 Columbus
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 (25,315 readings), the standard passenger-vehicle lane at Columbus averaged 6 min. Weekdays averaged 6 min and weekends 6 min.
Mondays were the busiest day on average (7 min) and Thursdays the quietest (4 min).
The busiest stretch was Sundays 4pm–7pm, averaging 14 min. The quietest was Sundays 2am–5am, averaging 0 min. Times are local to the crossing.
Waits reached 30 minutes or more in 1% of readings and never reached 60 minutes.
CBP publishes passenger-vehicle wait times here for standard, SENTRI 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 Columbus, NM?
Yes. US citizens need a passport, passport card, enhanced driver's license, or SENTRI card. Non-US citizens need a valid passport plus any required visa.
Are SENTRI lanes always faster?
SENTRI 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. SENTRI provides expedited US entry for pre-approved low-risk travelers from Mexico. Apply at ttp.cbp.dhs.gov.
What hours is the Columbus 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 Columbus, NM?
In our last 90 days of recorded waits, the quietest stretch for standard passenger vehicles was Sundays 2am–5am (about 0 min on average) and the busiest was Sundays 4pm–7pm (about 14 min). Times are local; today's live wait can differ.