Garitas
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Tamaulipas Texas

Is SENTRI worth it at Hidalgo?

It depends
SENTRI saves ~41m per crossing — worth it if you cross often
Vs. the General lane · up to ~57m at the worst hour
See the live wait times Best time →

What about you?

I cross 8× a month
≈ 5h 28m
LESS TIME IN LINE / MO
≈ 66 h
PER YEAR
$0.36
PER HOUR SAVED
SENTRI costs $120 USD for 5 years. With 8 crossings a month, every hour you get back costs $0.36.

Trusted-lane vs. General average, from this crossing's official CBP hourly statistics (last 57 days). Closed hours don't count.

Savings throughout the day

SENTRI
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM11 PM
Trusted-lane savings vs. the General lane by hour (minutes)
Hour SENTRI savings General wait
12 AM 38 38
1 AM 34 34
2 AM 27 27
3 AM 19 19
4 AM 22 22
5 AM 25 28
6 AM 28 31
7 AM 30 34
8 AM 35 39
9 AM 41 46
10 AM 45 49
11 AM 45 50
12 PM 50 54
1 PM 50 54
2 PM 54 60
3 PM 56 61
4 PM 57 61
5 PM 55 60
6 PM 52 57
7 PM 48 53
8 PM 46 50
9 PM 44 48
10 PM 41 45
11 PM 36 40

If you arrive at 4 AM

General ~22m
SENTRI ~0m
At this hour, SENTRI saves you ~22m over General.

Frequently asked questions

How much does SENTRI save at Hidalgo?
About ~41m per crossing over the General lane on average, and up to ~57m at the worst hour, based on this crossing's own CBP wait history.
Is SENTRI worth it for me?
If you cross Hidalgo often, yes — every 10 crossings is roughly 7 h less in line. If you cross only occasionally the payoff is smaller; check the live times before you leave.
How do I get SENTRI?
SENTRI is issued by CBP through the Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP). It needs an interview appointment and an enrollment fee.