Methods and systems for adjusting the access search window based on the movement of a mobile station (MS) are disclosed. The MS searches for pilot signals using a search window that has an initial size. At a first and second time, the MS determines its position. The MS then determines the distance between the position of the MS at the first time and the second time. When the distance is less than a threshold distance, the MS measures the strength of a pilot signal within the access search window and identifies one or more signal peaks within the access search window that are above a specified signal strength. Next, the MS modifies the access search window into one or more smaller access search windows. The one or more smaller access search windows collectively have a size that is smaller than the initial size.