According to PlainFlights' airport traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), Dubuque, IA (DBQ) ranks #351 of 382 tracked US airports by total flights (most flights = #1). Dubuque, IA posts top-5% on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as a smaller regional airport.
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DBQ on-time rate vs. the national average
Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.
Volume vs. on-time rate
Where Dubuque, IA sits on volume vs. on-time rate
Among the 382 U.S. airports in the BTS corpus, Dubuque, IA handles more flight
volume than 8% of them, and has a higher on-time rate than
96% 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.
Dubuque, IA vs. a 29-airport national peer sample, volume percentile vs. on-time-rate percentile.
Total flights (2020-2025): 3,012 ·
On-time rate: 89.5%
Delay Cause Breakdown
Top delay cause: Late Aircraft.
Total delay minutes11,424 min
Late Aircraft5,045 min · 44%
Weather2,174 min · 19%
Carrier2,128 min · 19%
NAS (National Aviation System)2,077 min · 18%
Security0 min · 0%
Source: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, On-Time Performance
DBQ - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: October (99.2%) · worst: January (94%)
DBQ - on-time rate by year
2020–2022, year-over-year trend.
DBQ - taxi-out and taxi-in (monthly)
Average taxi-out 14.4 min · taxi-in 4.8 min over the last 24 reported months (U.S. airport mean taxi-out ≈ 16.4 min).
DBQ's average taxi-out (14.4 min) sits near the recent U.S. airport mean (~16.4 min). Month-to-month, it swings from 10.2 min (August 2020) to 22.3 min (February 2021).
Two PlainFlights-derived comparison paths for Dubuque, IA, both outside Iowa 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 Dubuque, IA is on-time standing: 89.5% (10.5 pts above the 79% national flight-weighted average; roughly the top-5% on-time performance) across 3,012 BTS flights (2020–2022). When a departure runs late, the average delay is 83.5 minutes; cancellations run 1.83%.
Delay minutes concentrate in Late Aircraft (44.2% late-aircraft, 18.6% carrier, 18.2% NAS, 19.0% 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, DBQ is strongest in October (99.2% on-time) and weakest in January (94%), a 5.2-point swing. Volume peaks in November (~162 flights/month). The busiest connecting route is to ORD (Chicago) at 91.2% on-time. Field definitions: on-time performance explained.
Dubuque, IA vs. the national on-time distribution
On-time rate among all 382 tracked U.S. airports
89.5%Top 4%higher than 96% of 382 airports
Dubuque, IA
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 (2020–2022).
Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods. On-time rates exclude cancelled and diverted flights.
DBQ'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 DBQ before you book a connection. See top routes →
Travel in October rather than January if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns →
Gate-to-wheels taxi-out averages 14.4 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 Dubuque, IA's on-time rate?
Dubuque, IA (DBQ) has a 89.5% on-time rate across 3,012 BTS-tracked flights (2020-2022), 10.5 pts above the 79% national flight-weighted average; that places it in roughly the top-5% on-time performance.
How does DBQ rank among U.S. airports by traffic volume?
Dubuque, IA ranks #351 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 Dubuque, IA?
Late Aircraft is the leading delay cause at DBQ, accounting for 44.2% of delay minutes. The full breakdown: 44.2% late-aircraft, 18.6% carrier, 18.2% NAS/air-traffic-control, 19.0% weather, and 0.0% security.
When is the best time to fly through Dubuque, IA?
October is historically DBQ's strongest month at 99.2% on-time, while January is the weakest at 94%, a 5.2-point swing across the BTS historical record.