Airport · DBQ · Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, IA
Dubuque, IA posts top-5% 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 3,012 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is late aircraft.
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 89.5%
- On-time
- Top 4%
- on-time, US airports
- 84 min
- Delay when late
- 1.83%
- Cancelled
Key Performance Metrics
Total Flights
3,012
Best Month
Oct 99.2%
Worst Month
Jan 94%
Delayed
315
Cancelled
55
DBQ on-time rate vs. the national average
Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.
Where DBQ sits among all 382 tracked airports
DBQ's 89.5% 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 DBQ is marked in the 85-90% band.
Delay Cause Breakdown
Top delay cause: Late Aircraft. Total delay minutes: 11,424.
DBQ - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: October (99.2%) · worst: January (94%)
Seasonal Performance Patterns
Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: October (99.2% on-time). Most delays: January (94% on-time).
| Month | Avg Flights | Avg Delayed | Avg Cancelled | On-Time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 118 | 8 | 4 | 97.5% |
| November | 162 | 4 | 1 | 98.8% |
| October | 64 | 7 | 1 | 99.2% |
| September | 69 | 4 | 0 | 97.6% |
| August | 112 | 8 | 2 | 97.6% |
| July | 91 | 15 | 0 | 95.2% |
| June | 93 | 12 | 0 | 96.1% |
| May | 77 | 5 | 0 | 97.8% |
| April | 104 | 7 | 3 | 98.1% |
| March | 111 | 10 | 4 | 97% |
| February | 101 | 16 | 3 | 95.4% |
| January | 110 | 20 | 3 | 94% |
Year-Over-Year Performance
Annual flight volume and on-time trends at DBQ.
DBQ - on-time rate by year
2020–2022, year-over-year trend.
| Year | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | On-Time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 903 | 36 | 13 | 96% |
| 2021 | 1,145 | 25 | 13 | 97.8% |
| 2020 | 964 | 37 | 29 | 96.2% |
Cancellation & Diversion Analysis
Flight disruption statistics for Dubuque, IA.
Cancellation Rate
1.83%
55 of 3,012 flights
Diversion Rate
0.03%
1 of 3,012 flights
Delay Rate
10.5%
315 of 3,012 flights
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of flight data.
| Period | Flights | Dep Delayed | Arr Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2022 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 2022 | 124 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Jul 2022 | 124 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 2022 | 120 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2022 | 124 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Apr 2022 | 118 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Mar 2022 | 94 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 2022 | 84 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| Jan 2022 | 92 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Dec 2021 | 118 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Nov 2021 | 162 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 2021 | 116 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| Sep 2021 | 118 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 2021 | 114 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| Jul 2021 | 62 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 2021 | 116 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2021 | 66 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2021 | 102 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2021 | 62 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 2021 | 56 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Jan 2021 | 53 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 2020 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2020 | 66 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 2020 | 98 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Top Routes from DBQ
Busiest routes to and from Dubuque, IA.
| Route | Flights | On-Time | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| DBQ (Dubuque) → ORD (Chicago) | 1,392 | 91.2% | 147 mi |
| ORD (Chicago) → DBQ (Dubuque) | 1,392 | 85.8% | 147 mi |
Airports With a Similar On-Time Rate
Other U.S. airports nationwide whose on-time rate is closest to Dubuque, IA's 89.5%.
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
Waterloo, IA
Waterloo · 4,350 flights
Keep exploring
More flight data around Dubuque, IA.
Iowa flight data
Statewide on-time and delay aggregates, plus every reporting airport in Iowa.
View IA data →Airport rankings
See where DBQ sits among U.S. airports on on-time rate and average delay.
Best on-time airports →Compare airports
Put DBQ head-to-head with another airport on delays and reliability.
Open comparison tool →What the Data Says About DBQ
Dubuque, IA in Dubuque, Iowa handled 3,012 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2022, posting a 89.5% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 315 experienced delays, 55 were cancelled, and 1 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 1.83%, the diversion rate to 0.03%, and the average delay when departures run late is 83.5 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing DBQ against other airports in the same state and nationally.
Breaking down what drives delays at DBQ, Late Aircraft leads the pack. Late Aircraft accounts for 44.2% of total delay minutes, followed by Weather at 19.0% and Carrier at 18.6%. Weather contributes 19.0% 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, October runs the cleanest at DBQ with a 99.2% on-time rate, while January is the roughest at 94% - a 5-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in November, when average flights hit 162. The busiest route connecting DBQ is to ORD (Chicago), with 1,392 flights at a 91.2% on-time rate. Combine these numbers - 89.5% on-time, 83.5-minute average delay, 1.83% cancellation rate, and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Dubuque, IA.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the on-time performance rate at Dubuque, IA (DBQ)? ▼
What is the most common cause of delays at DBQ? ▼
What is the average delay time at DBQ? ▼
What is the best month to fly from DBQ? ▼
What is the worst month for delays at DBQ? ▼
How many routes operate from DBQ? ▼
What is the cancellation rate at DBQ? ▼
Flight Guides
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Using DBQ's data
An airport-level on-time rate is a starting point, not a guarantee for your specific flight.
- Check the busiest route from DBQ before you book a connection. See top routes
- Travel in October rather than January 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.