According to PlainFlights' airport traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), Detroit, MI (DTW) ranks #12 of 382 tracked US airports by total flights (most flights = #1). Detroit, MI posts above-median on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as one of the busiest U.S. airports.
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DTW on-time rate vs. the national average
Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.
Volume vs. on-time rate
Where Detroit, MI sits on volume vs. on-time rate
Among the 382 U.S. airports in the BTS corpus, Detroit, MI handles more flight
volume than 97% of them, and has a higher on-time rate than
65% of them, placing it in the quadrant for busy 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.
Detroit, MI vs. a 29-airport national peer sample, volume percentile vs. on-time-rate percentile.
Total flights (2020-2025): 1,488,949 ·
On-time rate: 84.8%
Delay Cause Breakdown
Top delay cause: Carrier.
Total delay minutes8,449,849 min
Carrier4,372,733 min · 52%
NAS (National Aviation System)1,702,451 min · 20%
Late Aircraft1,632,203 min · 19%
Weather731,006 min · 9%
Security11,456 min · 0%
Source: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, On-Time Performance
DTW - seasonal on-time pattern
Best: September (94.5%) · worst: July (90%)
DTW - on-time rate by year
2020–2025, year-over-year trend.
DTW - taxi-out and taxi-in (monthly)
Average taxi-out 18.4 min · taxi-in 9.4 min over the last 24 reported months (U.S. airport mean taxi-out ≈ 16.4 min).
DTW's average taxi-out (18.4 min) sits near the recent U.S. airport mean (~16.4 min). Month-to-month, it swings from 15.7 min (September 2024) to 25.0 min (December 2025).
Two PlainFlights-derived comparison paths for Detroit, MI, both outside Michigan 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 Detroit, MI is the delay mix: Carrier owns 51.7% of 8,449,849 delay minutes across 1,488,949 BTS flights. The on-time headline is 84.8% (5.8 pts above the 79% national average), with 226,988 delayed and 12,186 cancelled (0.82%).
Delay minutes concentrate in Carrier (19.3% late-aircraft, 51.7% carrier, 20.1% NAS, 8.7% weather, 0.1% security). As a busy airport, that mix matters more for connection planning than for a thin schedule.
On the multi-year calendar, DTW is strongest in September (94.5% on-time) and weakest in July (90%), a 4.5-point swing. Volume peaks in March (~22,543 flights/month). The busiest connecting route is to ORD (Chicago) at 81.6% on-time. Field definitions: on-time performance explained.
Detroit, MI vs. the national on-time distribution
On-time rate among all 382 tracked U.S. airports
84.8%Top 35%higher than 65% of 382 airports
Detroit, MI
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.
DTW's on-time book is mid-pack; month and delay-cause mix move more than the headline rate.
Check the busiest route from DTW before you book a connection. See top routes →
Travel in September rather than July if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns →
Gate-to-wheels taxi-out averages 18.4 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 Detroit, MI's on-time rate?
Detroit, MI (DTW) has a 84.8% on-time rate across 1,488,949 BTS-tracked flights (2020-2025), 5.8 pts above the 79% national flight-weighted average; that places it in roughly the above-median on-time performance.
How does DTW rank among U.S. airports by traffic volume?
Detroit, MI ranks #12 of 382 tracked US airports by total BTS flights (most flights = #1), making it one of the busiest U.S. airports.
What's the most common cause of delays at Detroit, MI?
Carrier is the leading delay cause at DTW, accounting for 51.7% of delay minutes. The full breakdown: 19.3% late-aircraft, 51.7% carrier, 20.1% NAS/air-traffic-control, 8.7% weather, and 0.1% security.
When is the best time to fly through Detroit, MI?
September is historically DTW's strongest month at 94.5% on-time, while July is the weakest at 90%, a 4.5-point swing across the BTS historical record.