My Crossword Solving Times
I do a lot of crosswords. Like, a lot a lot. (In 2021 I logged at least 2,500 puzzles, and the actual total is probably closer to 3,000.) Based on my placement at crossword tournaments, I estimate I am among the 100 fastest crossword solvers in the United States. This page documents my fastest solve times for various daily/weekly outlets' puzzles.
All listed times are for standard-size (15x15) puzzles unless explicitedly stated otherwise. The day of the week is listed because most publications steadily increase the difficulty of puzzles over the course of the week. (But not always: the WSJ runs a Friday "challenge crossword" of variable difficulty [typically easier than the Thursday], and the ever-contrarian New Yorker gets easier over the course of the week.)
| The Atlantic | ||
|---|---|---|
| 15x15 | 2/26/23 | 2:37 |
| LA Times | ||
| Monday | 4/17/23 | 1:39 |
| Tuesday | 5/21/24 | 1:37 |
| Wednesday | 2/7/24 | 1:50 |
| Thursday | 3/23/23 | 2:09 |
| Friday | 4/12/24 | 2:10 |
| Saturday | 3/16/24 | 2:27 |
| Sunday (21x) | 3/31/24 | 5:00 |
| Newsday | ||
| Monday | 1/23/23 | 1:25 |
| Tuesday | 1/9/24 | 1:38 |
| Wednesday | 1/25/23 | 1:44 |
| Thursday | 1/4/24 | 2:45 |
| Friday | 1/26/24 | 3:41 |
| Saturday* | 4/29/23 | 9:00 |
| Sunday (21x) | 1/14/24 | 6:57 |
| The New Yorker | ||
| Monday | 4/15/24 | 2:53 |
| Tuesday | 3/1/23 | 2:12 |
| Wednesday | 1/10/24 | 2:09 |
| Thursday | 5/4/23 | 1:33 |
| Friday | 2/24/23 | 2:07 |
| New York Times | ||
| Monday | 7/31/23 | 1:22 |
| Tuesday | 1/10/23 | 1:44 |
| Wednesday | 12/28/22 | 2:02 |
| Thursday | 11/10/22 | 2:47 |
| Friday | 2/23/24 | 3:01 |
| Saturday | 7/1/23 | 2:25 |
| Sunday (21x) | 10/29/23 | 5:48 |
| Universal | ||
| 15x15 | 1/6/24 | 1:31 |
| 21x21 | 1/29/23 | 4:32 |
| USA Today | ||
| 15x15 | 1/8/24 | 1:51 |
| Vox | ||
| 9x9 | 3/14/23 | 0:35 |
| 15x15 | 11/26/22 | 1:59 |
| Wall Street Journal | ||
| Monday | 4/8/24 | 1:49 |
| Tuesday | 5/28/24 | 2:09 |
| Wednesday | 3/27/24 | 2:12 |
| Thursday | 4/11/24 | 3:17 |
| Friday | 8/12/22 | 3:11 |
| Saturday | 8/12/22 | 3:11 |
| Washington Post | ||
| 15x15 | 3/9/22 | 2:35 |
| 21x21 | 1/8/23 | 5:51 |
* Newsday's "Saturday Stumper" is infamous for being the hardest puzzle in any major outlet, hence the conspicuously slow solve time relative to everything else here.