Airport · DTW · Detroit, Michigan

Detroit, MI

Detroit, MI posts above-median on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as one of the busiest U.S. airports. According to the U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, drawn from 1,488,949 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is carrier.

Compiled by PlainFlights Editorial, Flight Performance Editorial Team

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.8%
On-time: Top 35%
on-time, US airports: 81 min
Delay when late: 0.82%
Cancelled

Key Performance Metrics

Total Flights

1,488,949

Best Month

Sep 94.5%

Worst Month

Jul 90%

Delayed

226,988

Cancelled

12,186

60-65%

1
65-70%

4
70-75%

9
75-80%

48
80-85%

192
85-90%

116
90-95%

12

What this shows DTW is marked in the 80-85% band.

Delay Cause Breakdown

Top delay cause: Carrier. Total delay minutes: 8,449,849.

Late Aircraft 19.3% (1,632,203 min)

Carrier 51.7% (4,372,733 min)

NAS (National Aviation System) 20.1% (1,702,451 min)

Weather 8.7% (731,006 min)

Security 0.1% (11,456 min)

Seasonal Performance Patterns

Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: September (94.5% on-time). Most delays: July (90% on-time).

Month	Avg Flights	Avg Delayed	Avg Cancelled	On-Time %
December	20,433	3,763	173	90.6%
November	20,565	2,570	70	93.7%
October	21,540	2,452	48	94.2%
September	20,662	2,255	50	94.5%
August	22,087	3,713	144	91.5%
July	21,682	4,314	185	90%
June	20,019	3,823	125	90.3%
May	19,487	2,781	99	92.9%
April	19,632	2,707	365	93.1%
March	22,543	3,092	413	93%
February	19,019	2,851	169	92.3%
January	20,489	3,513	191	91.4%

Year-Over-Year Performance

Annual flight volume and on-time trends at DTW.

Year	Flights	Delayed	Cancelled	On-Time %
2025	245,065	24,010	1,357	90.2%
2024	262,727	23,906	1,354	90.9%
2023	252,131	21,403	1,476	91.5%
2022	252,776	20,912	2,613	91.7%
2021	257,846	15,641	1,098	93.9%
2020	218,404	8,733	4,288	96%

Cancellation & Diversion Analysis

Flight disruption statistics for Detroit, MI.

Cancellation Rate

0.82%

12,186 of 1,488,949 flights

Diversion Rate

0.10%

1,486 of 1,488,949 flights

Delay Rate

15.2%

226,988 of 1,488,949 flights

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of flight data.

Period	Flights	Dep Delayed	Arr Delayed	Cancelled	Diverted
Dec 2025	19,870	3,116	3,058	250	17
Nov 2025	19,781	1,784	1,694	256	13
Oct 2025	21,900	1,474	1,511	30	17
Sep 2025	20,020	1,195	1,162	19	18
Aug 2025	21,826	1,963	1,928	63	41
Jul 2025	22,496	2,895	2,791	222	39
Jun 2025	21,539	2,580	2,418	120	29
May 2025	21,109	1,866	1,929	34	32
Apr 2025	20,117	1,574	1,555	62	20
Mar 2025	20,733	1,856	1,835	87	34
Feb 2025	17,167	1,792	1,750	77	21
Jan 2025	18,507	1,915	1,952	137	14
Dec 2024	22,197	2,488	2,290	54	27
Nov 2024	21,971	1,397	1,352	11	12
Oct 2024	23,462	1,452	1,313	55	10
Sep 2024	22,327	1,332	1,363	31	15
Aug 2024	23,667	2,680	2,575	179	36
Jul 2024	23,502	2,986	2,955	483	31
Jun 2024	22,814	2,570	2,581	73	36
May 2024	22,589	2,179	2,167	55	43
Apr 2024	21,543	1,636	1,634	46	24
Mar 2024	21,518	1,765	1,778	27	20
Feb 2024	18,194	1,024	1,022	16	13
Jan 2024	18,943	2,397	2,339	324	23

Top Routes from DTW

Busiest routes to and from Detroit, MI.

Route	Flights	On-Time	Distance
ORD (Chicago) → DTW (Detroit)	29,459	81.6%	235 mi
DTW (Detroit) → ORD (Chicago)	29,443	82.5%	235 mi
ATL (Atlanta) → DTW (Detroit)	27,906	82.3%	594 mi
DTW (Detroit) → ATL (Atlanta)	27,904	84.6%	594 mi
MCO (Orlando) → DTW (Detroit)	21,666	77.4%	957 mi
DTW (Detroit) → MCO (Orlando)	21,656	80.5%	957 mi
DTW (Detroit) → LGA (New York)	21,400	83%	502 mi
LGA (New York) → DTW (Detroit)	21,397	83.9%	502 mi
DTW (Detroit) → DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth)	19,999	79.9%	986 mi
DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → DTW (Detroit)	19,978	80.2%	986 mi
CLT (Charlotte) → DTW (Detroit)	19,721	84.6%	500 mi
DTW (Detroit) → CLT (Charlotte)	19,717	86.8%	500 mi
DTW (Detroit) → LAS (Las Vegas)	18,476	82.2%	1,749 mi
LAS (Las Vegas) → DTW (Detroit)	18,473	83.4%	1,749 mi
DTW (Detroit) → EWR (Newark)	17,096	80.7%	488 mi
EWR (Newark) → DTW (Detroit)	17,087	82%	488 mi
DTW (Detroit) → DEN (Denver)	16,963	82.7%	1,123 mi
DEN (Denver) → DTW (Detroit)	16,944	80.5%	1,123 mi
PHL (Philadelphia) → DTW (Detroit)	15,938	84.4%	453 mi
DTW (Detroit) → PHL (Philadelphia)	15,936	84.4%	453 mi

Airports With a Similar On-Time Rate

Other U.S. airports nationwide whose on-time rate is closest to Detroit, MI's 84.8%.

Minot, ND

84.8% on-time 29,078 flights

Champaign/Urbana, IL

84.8% on-time 17,865 flights

Garden City, KS

84.8% on-time 8,568 flights

Kahului, HI

84.7% on-time 304,696 flights

Tallahassee, FL

84.7% on-time 60,451 flights

Staunton, VA

84.7% on-time 4,017 flights

Other Airports in Michigan

Compare performance with other Michigan airports.

GRR 81.9%

Grand Rapids, MI

Grand Rapids · 195,613 flights

TVC 81.3%

Traverse City, MI

Traverse City · 50,174 flights

FNT 78.1%

Flint, MI

Flint · 31,426 flights

LAN 85%

Lansing, MI

Lansing · 21,361 flights

MBS 84.1%

Saginaw/Bay City/Midland, MI

Saginaw/Bay City/Midland · 20,046 flights

AZO 87.1%

Kalamazoo, MI

Kalamazoo · 17,506 flights

MQT 83.1%

Marquette, MI

Marquette · 12,906 flights

PLN 84.2%

Pellston, MI

Pellston · 9,995 flights

Keep exploring

More flight data around Detroit, MI.

Michigan flight data

Statewide on-time and delay aggregates, plus every reporting airport in Michigan.

View MI data →

Airport rankings

See where DTW sits among U.S. airports on on-time rate and average delay.

Best on-time airports →

Compare airports

Put DTW head-to-head with another airport on delays and reliability.

Open comparison tool →

What the Data Says About DTW

Detroit, MI in Detroit, Michigan handled 1,488,949 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 84.8% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 226,988 experienced delays, 12,186 were cancelled, and 1,486 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 0.82%, the diversion rate to 0.10%, and the average delay when departures run late is 81.3 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing DTW against other airports in the same state and nationally.

Breaking down what drives delays at DTW, Carrier leads the pack. Carrier accounts for 51.7% of total delay minutes, followed by NAS (National Aviation System) at 20.1% and Late Aircraft at 19.3%. Weather contributes 8.7% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 0.1%. Travelers often overestimate the weather share; the BTS categorization shows late-arriving aircraft and carrier operations as the larger contributors.

Seasonally, September runs the cleanest at DTW with a 94.5% on-time rate, while July is the roughest at 90% - a 5-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in March, when average flights hit 22,543. The busiest route connecting DTW is to ORD (Chicago), with 29,459 flights at a 81.6% on-time rate. Combine these numbers - 84.8% on-time, 81.3-minute average delay, 0.82% cancellation rate, and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Detroit, MI.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the on-time performance rate at Detroit, MI (DTW)? ▼

Detroit, MI has an overall on-time departure rate of 84.8%. Out of 1,488,949 total flights tracked, 226,988 experienced delays and 12,186 were cancelled.

What is the most common cause of delays at DTW? ▼

The top delay cause at Detroit, MI is Carrier. Carrier accounts for 51.7% of all delay minutes.

What is the average delay time at DTW? ▼

The average delay at Detroit, MI is 81.3 minutes. This includes delays from carrier issues, weather, National Aviation System constraints, security, and late-arriving aircraft.

What is the best month to fly from DTW? ▼

Based on historical data, September has the best on-time performance at DTW with 94.5% of flights departing on time.

What is the worst month for delays at DTW? ▼

July tends to have the most delays at DTW, with an on-time rate of only 90%.

How many routes operate from DTW? ▼

Detroit, MI serves at least 20 routes. The busiest route is ORD to DTW (Chicago - Detroit) with 29,459 flights.

What is the cancellation rate at DTW? ▼

Detroit, MI has a cancellation rate of 0.82%, based on 12,186 cancelled flights out of 1,488,949 total flights tracked.

Flight Guides

Data-driven guides to help you understand airport and flight performance.

Best & Worst Airlines for On-Time Performance

Which carriers consistently outperform peers

Why Flights Get Cancelled

Cancellation causes broken down by data

How to Choose Reliable Flight Routes

Use delay data to pick flights that arrive on time

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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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using DTW's data

An airport-level on-time rate is a starting point, not a guarantee for your specific flight.

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
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.

All airports → | Rankings →

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights Editorial

Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Airline on-time performance and operational reliability · 2025 Accessed 2026-07-23

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.