Airport · ALO · Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo, IA
Waterloo, IA posts top-quartile on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as a smaller regional airport. According to the U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, drawn from 4,350 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is late aircraft.
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 87.7%
- On-time
- Top 12%
- on-time, US airports
- 77 min
- Delay when late
- 1.82%
- Cancelled
Key Performance Metrics
Total Flights
4,350
Best Month
Mar 98.4%
Worst Month
Jun 90.4%
Delayed
535
Cancelled
79
ALO on-time rate vs. the national average
Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.
Where ALO sits among all 382 tracked airports
ALO's 87.7% on-time rate falls in the 85-90% band, the 116-airport band it shares.
National on-time-rate distribution
- 60-65% 1
1 airport between 60% and 65% on-time
1 airports
- 65-70% 4
4 airports between 65% and 70% on-time
4 airports
- 70-75% 9
9 airports between 70% and 75% on-time
9 airports
- 75-80% 48
48 airports between 75% and 80% on-time
48 airports
- 80-85%
192 airports between 80% and 85% on-time
192 airports
- 85-90%
116 airports between 85% and 90% on-time
116 airports
- 90-95% 12
12 airports between 90% and 95% on-time
12 airports
What this shows ALO is marked in the 85-90% band.
Delay Cause Breakdown
Top delay cause: Late Aircraft. Total delay minutes: 25,070.
ALO - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: March (98.4%) · worst: June (90.4%)
Seasonal Performance Patterns
Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: March (98.4% on-time). Most delays: June (90.4% on-time).
| Month | Avg Flights | Avg Delayed | Avg Cancelled | On-Time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 102 | 16 | 3 | 92.9% |
| November | 96 | 9 | 1 | 96.1% |
| October | 100 | 9 | 1 | 96.2% |
| September | 92 | 11 | 0 | 93.2% |
| August | 101 | 12 | 2 | 94.1% |
| July | 118 | 19 | 1 | 92.4% |
| June | 96 | 17 | 0 | 90.4% |
| May | 79 | 8 | 1 | 94.5% |
| April | 87 | 5 | 6 | 96.2% |
| March | 103 | 7 | 3 | 98.4% |
| February | 87 | 12 | 3 | 94.5% |
| January | 94 | 15 | 3 | 93.9% |
Year-Over-Year Performance
Annual flight volume and on-time trends at ALO.
ALO - on-time rate by year
2020–2025, year-over-year trend.
| Year | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | On-Time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 781 | 75 | 9 | 90.4% |
| 2023 | 150 | 13 | 4 | 91.3% |
| 2022 | 1,393 | 83 | 24 | 94% |
| 2021 | 1,099 | 45 | 14 | 95.9% |
| 2020 | 927 | 35 | 28 | 96.2% |
Cancellation & Diversion Analysis
Flight disruption statistics for Waterloo, IA.
Cancellation Rate
1.82%
79 of 4,350 flights
Diversion Rate
0.02%
1 of 4,350 flights
Delay Rate
12.3%
535 of 4,350 flights
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of flight data.
| Period | Flights | Dep Delayed | Arr Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 112 | 18 | 21 | 5 | 0 |
| Nov 2025 | 108 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| Oct 2025 | 122 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 104 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 2025 | 110 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Jul 2025 | 122 | 15 | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 2025 | 103 | 13 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 2023 | 70 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Jan 2023 | 80 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| Dec 2022 | 122 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Nov 2022 | 116 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 2022 | 119 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 2022 | 103 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 2022 | 114 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| Jul 2022 | 116 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 2022 | 112 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2022 | 122 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2022 | 120 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Mar 2022 | 124 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 2022 | 110 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| Jan 2022 | 115 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| Dec 2021 | 119 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Nov 2021 | 112 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 2021 | 106 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
Top Routes from ALO
Busiest routes to and from Waterloo, IA.
| Route | Flights | On-Time | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD (Chicago) → ALO (Waterloo) | 1,988 | 86.3% | 234 mi |
| ALO (Waterloo) → ORD (Chicago) | 1,987 | 84.2% | 234 mi |
Airports With a Similar On-Time Rate
Other U.S. airports nationwide whose on-time rate is closest to Waterloo, IA's 87.7%.
Other Airports in Iowa
Compare performance with other Iowa airports.
Des Moines, IA
Des Moines · 169,476 flights
Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA
Cedar Rapids/Iowa City · 91,140 flights
Sioux City, IA
Sioux City · 9,052 flights
Mason City, IA
Mason City · 5,851 flights
Fort Dodge, IA
Fort Dodge · 5,848 flights
Dubuque, IA
Dubuque · 3,012 flights
Keep exploring
More flight data around Waterloo, IA.
Iowa flight data
Statewide on-time and delay aggregates, plus every reporting airport in Iowa.
View IA data →Airport rankings
See where ALO sits among U.S. airports on on-time rate and average delay.
Best on-time airports →Compare airports
Put ALO head-to-head with another airport on delays and reliability.
Open comparison tool →What the Data Says About ALO
Waterloo, IA in Waterloo, Iowa handled 4,350 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 87.7% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 535 experienced delays, 79 were cancelled, and 1 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 1.82%, the diversion rate to 0.02%, and the average delay when departures run late is 77.3 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing ALO against other airports in the same state and nationally.
Breaking down what drives delays at ALO, Late Aircraft leads the pack. Late Aircraft accounts for 34.6% of total delay minutes, followed by NAS (National Aviation System) at 26.0% and Carrier at 21.4%. Weather contributes 18.0% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 0.0%. Travelers often overestimate the weather share; the BTS categorization shows late-arriving aircraft and carrier operations as the larger contributors.
Seasonally, March runs the cleanest at ALO with a 98.4% on-time rate, while June is the roughest at 90.4% - a 8-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in July, when average flights hit 118. The busiest route connecting ALO is to ORD (Chicago), with 1,988 flights at a 86.3% on-time rate. Combine these numbers - 87.7% on-time, 77.3-minute average delay, 1.82% cancellation rate, and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Waterloo, IA.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the on-time performance rate at Waterloo, IA (ALO)? ▼
What is the most common cause of delays at ALO? ▼
What is the average delay time at ALO? ▼
What is the best month to fly from ALO? ▼
What is the worst month for delays at ALO? ▼
How many routes operate from ALO? ▼
What is the cancellation rate at ALO? ▼
Flight Guides
Data-driven guides to help you understand airport and flight performance.
Explore PlainFlights
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using ALO's data
An airport-level on-time rate is a starting point, not a guarantee for your specific flight.
- Check the busiest route from ALO before you book a connection. See top routes
- Travel in March rather than June if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns
- Scores vary by airline and route within the same airport; check the specific carrier you're flying. Browse airlines
On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers at this airport, not any single flight or airline.
Related
Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Airline on-time performance and operational reliability · 2025
Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. Airport figures are computed directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.