According to PlainFlights' airport traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), Watertown, SD (ATY) ranks #350 of 382 tracked US airports by total flights (most flights = #1). Watertown, SD posts top-quartile on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as a smaller regional airport.
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ATY on-time rate vs. the national average
Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.
Volume vs. on-time rate
Where Watertown, SD sits on volume vs. on-time rate
Among the 382 U.S. airports in the BTS corpus, Watertown, SD handles more flight
volume than 8% of them, and has a higher on-time rate than
88% of them, placing it in the quadrant for quiet and reliable.
Flight volume and on-time rate are independent figures: a busy airport can still run
reliably, and a quiet one can still run late.
Watertown, SD vs. a 29-airport national peer sample, volume percentile vs. on-time-rate percentile.
Total flights (2020-2025): 3,061 ·
On-time rate: 87.6%
Delay Cause Breakdown
Top delay cause: Carrier.
Total delay minutes26,989 min
Carrier15,229 min · 56%
Late Aircraft4,760 min · 18%
NAS (National Aviation System)3,555 min · 13%
Weather3,445 min · 13%
Security0 min · 0%
Source: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, On-Time Performance
ATY - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: May (97.8%) · worst: February (85.4%)
ATY - on-time rate by year
2020–2025, year-over-year trend.
ATY - taxi-out and taxi-in (monthly)
Average taxi-out 15.5 min · taxi-in 4.9 min over the last 24 reported months (U.S. airport mean taxi-out ≈ 16.4 min).
ATY's average taxi-out (15.5 min) sits near the recent U.S. airport mean (~16.4 min). Month-to-month, it swings from 10.9 min (September 2020) to 27.3 min (December 2025).
Two PlainFlights-derived comparison paths for Watertown, SD, both outside South Dakota so the neighborhoods are not same-state geography. Axes stay disjoint: volume peers exclude the on-time peer set. Same-state compare stays below.
The standout signal at Watertown, SD is the delay mix: Carrier owns 56.4% of 26,989 delay minutes across 3,061 BTS flights. The on-time headline is 87.6% (8.6 pts above the 79% national average), with 380 delayed and 46 cancelled (1.50%).
Delay minutes concentrate in Carrier (17.6% late-aircraft, 56.4% carrier, 13.2% NAS, 12.8% weather, 0.0% security). As a quieter airport, a single late inbound can swing the month more than at a mega-hub.
On the multi-year calendar, ATY is strongest in May (97.8% on-time) and weakest in February (85.4%), a 12.4-point swing. Volume peaks in March (~115 flights/month). The busiest connecting route is to DEN (Denver) at 83.7% on-time. Field definitions: on-time performance explained.
Watertown, SD vs. the national on-time distribution
On-time rate among all 382 tracked U.S. airports
87.6%Top 12%higher than 88% of 382 airports
Watertown, SD
60%95%
U.S. airports by on-time rate, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more airports. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data (2020–2025).
Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods. On-time rates exclude cancelled and diverted flights.
ATY's on-time book is stronger than most peers; the remaining risk sits in the delay mix, not a weak headline rate.
Check the busiest route from ATY before you book a connection. See top routes →
Travel in May rather than February if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns →
Gate-to-wheels taxi-out averages 15.5 min here; check the monthly series before a tight connection. Taxi times →
On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers at this airport, not any single flight or airline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Watertown, SD's on-time rate?
Watertown, SD (ATY) has a 87.6% on-time rate across 3,061 BTS-tracked flights (2020-2025), 8.6 pts above the 79% national flight-weighted average; that places it in roughly the top-quartile on-time performance.
How does ATY rank among U.S. airports by traffic volume?
Watertown, SD ranks #350 of 382 tracked US airports by total BTS flights (most flights = #1), making it a smaller regional airport.
What's the most common cause of delays at Watertown, SD?
Carrier is the leading delay cause at ATY, accounting for 56.4% of delay minutes. The full breakdown: 17.6% late-aircraft, 56.4% carrier, 13.2% NAS/air-traffic-control, 12.8% weather, and 0.0% security.
When is the best time to fly through Watertown, SD?
May is historically ATY's strongest month at 97.8% on-time, while February is the weakest at 85.4%, a 12.4-point swing across the BTS historical record.