Airport · MSP · Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis, MN 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 1,406,487 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is carrier.

Compiled by PlainFlights Editorial, Flight Performance Editorial Team

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.4%
On-time: Top 29%
on-time, US airports: 80 min
Delay when late: 0.79%
Cancelled

Key Performance Metrics

Total Flights

1,406,487

Best Month

Oct 94.8%

Worst Month

Jul 90.2%

Delayed

205,954

Cancelled

11,052

60-65%

1
65-70%

4
70-75%

9
75-80%

48
80-85%

192
85-90%

116
90-95%

12

What this shows MSP is marked in the 85-90% band.

Delay Cause Breakdown

Top delay cause: Carrier. Total delay minutes: 7,427,976.

Late Aircraft 18.3% (1,359,872 min)

Carrier 50.7% (3,762,817 min)

NAS (National Aviation System) 20.3% (1,511,529 min)

Weather 10.6% (786,141 min)

Security 0.1% (7,617 min)

Seasonal Performance Patterns

Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: October (94.8% on-time). Most delays: July (90.2% on-time).

Month	Avg Flights	Avg Delayed	Avg Cancelled	On-Time %
December	19,219	3,632	240	90.5%
November	19,041	2,119	68	94.5%
October	20,291	2,078	38	94.8%
September	19,857	2,097	27	94.8%
August	21,573	3,564	73	91.7%
July	21,042	4,070	141	90.2%
June	19,115	3,686	88	90.3%
May	18,160	2,518	88	93.1%
April	18,151	2,401	350	93.4%
March	21,067	2,702	409	93.5%
February	17,649	2,428	138	92.9%
January	19,251	3,032	185	91.9%

Year-Over-Year Performance

Annual flight volume and on-time trends at MSP.

Year	Flights	Delayed	Cancelled	On-Time %
2025	225,863	21,135	926	90.6%
2024	253,572	22,044	1,122	91.3%
2023	244,028	19,017	1,465	92.2%
2022	239,701	20,450	2,055	91.5%
2021	242,973	13,695	999	94.4%
2020	200,350	7,199	4,485	96.4%

Cancellation & Diversion Analysis

Flight disruption statistics for Minneapolis, MN.

Cancellation Rate

0.79%

11,052 of 1,406,487 flights

Diversion Rate

0.11%

1,556 of 1,406,487 flights

Delay Rate

14.6%

205,954 of 1,406,487 flights

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of flight data.

Period	Flights	Dep Delayed	Arr Delayed	Cancelled	Diverted
Dec 2025	17,717	2,613	2,628	202	31
Nov 2025	17,608	1,367	1,424	190	16
Oct 2025	19,319	1,298	1,192	21	13
Sep 2025	19,124	1,345	1,477	10	25
Aug 2025	20,603	1,907	1,924	48	27
Jul 2025	21,129	2,594	2,376	94	58
Jun 2025	20,839	2,230	2,107	86	41
May 2025	19,787	1,840	1,980	43	23
Apr 2025	18,334	1,539	1,678	28	17
Mar 2025	18,907	1,644	1,537	66	22
Feb 2025	15,533	1,320	1,327	47	12
Jan 2025	16,963	1,438	1,350	91	20
Dec 2024	20,962	2,083	2,096	60	31
Nov 2024	20,344	1,055	1,077	9	13
Oct 2024	22,108	1,002	946	46	12
Sep 2024	21,369	1,149	1,255	19	14
Aug 2024	23,481	2,611	2,779	79	30
Jul 2024	23,574	3,404	3,559	486	39
Jun 2024	22,533	3,274	3,555	56	28
May 2024	21,697	1,889	1,886	36	35
Apr 2024	20,517	1,312	1,340	19	16
Mar 2024	20,507	1,551	1,446	108	19
Feb 2024	17,611	1,002	880	29	24
Jan 2024	18,869	1,712	1,733	175	31

Top Routes from MSP

Busiest routes to and from Minneapolis, MN.

Route	Flights	On-Time	Distance
DEN (Denver) → MSP (Minneapolis)	32,213	79.9%	680 mi
MSP (Minneapolis) → DEN (Denver)	32,212	82.4%	680 mi
MSP (Minneapolis) → ORD (Chicago)	31,635	80.7%	334 mi
ORD (Chicago) → MSP (Minneapolis)	31,628	79.4%	334 mi
ATL (Atlanta) → MSP (Minneapolis)	21,418	84.7%	907 mi
MSP (Minneapolis) → ATL (Atlanta)	21,403	85.6%	907 mi
PHX (Phoenix) → MSP (Minneapolis)	19,270	85.8%	1,276 mi
MSP (Minneapolis) → PHX (Phoenix)	19,269	84%	1,276 mi
MSP (Minneapolis) → DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth)	18,781	81.3%	852 mi
DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → MSP (Minneapolis)	18,777	79.8%	852 mi
MDW (Chicago) → MSP (Minneapolis)	16,198	81.7%	349 mi
MSP (Minneapolis) → MDW (Chicago)	16,184	84.8%	349 mi
MSP (Minneapolis) → SEA (Seattle)	15,524	87%	1,399 mi
SEA (Seattle) → MSP (Minneapolis)	15,522	87%	1,399 mi
LAS (Las Vegas) → MSP (Minneapolis)	15,087	86.4%	1,299 mi
MSP (Minneapolis) → LAS (Las Vegas)	15,073	85.1%	1,299 mi
CLT (Charlotte) → MSP (Minneapolis)	13,447	83.3%	930 mi
MSP (Minneapolis) → CLT (Charlotte)	13,445	83.4%	930 mi
MSP (Minneapolis) → LAX (Los Angeles)	13,255	84.5%	1,535 mi
LAX (Los Angeles) → MSP (Minneapolis)	13,246	85.7%	1,535 mi

Airports With a Similar On-Time Rate

Other U.S. airports nationwide whose on-time rate is closest to Minneapolis, MN's 85.4%.

Waco, TX

85.4% on-time 15,417 flights

Petersburg, AK

85.4% on-time 8,696 flights

Yakutat, AK

85.4% on-time 8,692 flights

Cheyenne, WY

85.4% on-time 5,577 flights

Green Bay, WI

85.5% on-time 48,314 flights

Charlottesville, VA

85.5% on-time 31,578 flights

Other Airports in Minnesota

Compare performance with other Minnesota airports.

DLH 85.2%

Duluth, MN

Duluth · 23,374 flights

RST 85.8%

Rochester, MN

Rochester · 20,848 flights

BJI 88%

Bemidji, MN

Bemidji · 8,666 flights

BRD 88.9%

Brainerd, MN

Brainerd · 7,762 flights

HIB 89%

Hibbing, MN

Hibbing · 7,678 flights

INL 88.3%

International Falls, MN

International Falls · 7,505 flights

STC 83.2%

St. Cloud, MN

St. Cloud · 1,690 flights

Keep exploring

More flight data around Minneapolis, MN.

Minnesota flight data

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

View MN data →

Airport rankings

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

Best on-time airports →

Compare airports

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

Open comparison tool →

What the Data Says About MSP

Minneapolis, MN in Minneapolis, Minnesota handled 1,406,487 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 85.4% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 205,954 experienced delays, 11,052 were cancelled, and 1,556 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 0.79%, the diversion rate to 0.11%, and the average delay when departures run late is 79.5 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing MSP against other airports in the same state and nationally.

Breaking down what drives delays at MSP, Carrier leads the pack. Carrier accounts for 50.7% of total delay minutes, followed by NAS (National Aviation System) at 20.3% and Late Aircraft at 18.3%. Weather contributes 10.6% 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, October runs the cleanest at MSP with a 94.8% on-time rate, while July is the roughest at 90.2% - a 5-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in August, when average flights hit 21,573. The busiest route connecting MSP is to DEN (Denver), with 32,213 flights at a 79.9% on-time rate. Combine these numbers - 85.4% on-time, 79.5-minute average delay, 0.79% cancellation rate, and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at Minneapolis, MN.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the on-time performance rate at Minneapolis, MN (MSP)? ▼

Minneapolis, MN has an overall on-time departure rate of 85.4%. Out of 1,406,487 total flights tracked, 205,954 experienced delays and 11,052 were cancelled.

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

The top delay cause at Minneapolis, MN is Carrier. Carrier accounts for 50.7% of all delay minutes.

What is the average delay time at MSP? ▼

The average delay at Minneapolis, MN is 79.5 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 MSP? ▼

Based on historical data, October has the best on-time performance at MSP with 94.8% of flights departing on time.

What is the worst month for delays at MSP? ▼

July tends to have the most delays at MSP, with an on-time rate of only 90.2%.

How many routes operate from MSP? ▼

Minneapolis, MN serves at least 20 routes. The busiest route is DEN to MSP (Denver - Minneapolis) with 32,213 flights.

What is the cancellation rate at MSP? ▼

Minneapolis, MN has a cancellation rate of 0.79%, based on 11,052 cancelled flights out of 1,406,487 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 MSP's data

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

Check the busiest route from MSP before you book a connection. See top routes
Travel in October 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.