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Route · CLE → DTW · 2020–2025 BTS data

Cleveland to Detroit

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), CLE to DTW (Cleveland to Detroit) ranks #1565 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

87.5%
On-time
+8.5 pts
vs US avg
95 min
Delay when late
7,905
Flights
#1565 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.7%

Best Month

Sep 2025 95%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 58%

Distance

95 mi

Carriers

25

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 88 37 2 0 DL,OO
Nov 2025 82 20 1 0 OO,DL,YX
Oct 2025 89 5 0 0 OO,YX
Sep 2025 74 4 0 0 OO,YX
Aug 2025 87 11 0 0 OO
Jul 2025 65 15 2 0 OO,YX
Jun 2025 52 7 1 0 OO,YX
May 2025 45 5 0 0 OO
Apr 2025 32 5 0 0 OO
Mar 2025 39 8 0 0 OO,YX
Feb 2025 54 14 0 0 OO,YX
Jan 2025 66 17 0 0 OO,YX
Dec 2024 127 26 0 0 9E,DL,OO,YX
Nov 2024 132 20 0 0 OO,9E,YX
Oct 2024 145 8 0 0 OO,9E
Sep 2024 140 11 0 0 YX,OO,9E
Aug 2024 139 26 3 0 YX,9E,OO
Jul 2024 136 19 5 0 9E,OO,YX
Jun 2024 132 38 0 0 9E,DL,OO
May 2024 119 16 0 0 9E,DL,OO
Apr 2024 116 17 0 0 9E,DL,OO
Mar 2024 112 18 0 0 9E,DL,OO
Feb 2024 87 10 0 0 9E,DL,OO
Jan 2024 92 22 2 0 9E,DL,OO

CLE–DTW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (93.6%) · weakest: December (82.6%)

80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.6%

Strongest calendar month

September

93.6% on-time · ~120 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~125 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

82.6% on-time · ~111 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.7%

16 of 2,250 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

0 of 2,250 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

CLE - Cleveland

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Cleveland, OH.

CLE on-time profile

DTW - Detroit

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Detroit, MI.

DTW on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See CLE and DTW side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare CLE vs DTW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among CLE's stronger departures

CLE → DTW posts a 87.5% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 12 of 30 BTS-tracked routes leaving Cleveland. The same hub also shows 17 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #505 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About CLE to DTW

Cleveland to Detroit (CLE to DTW) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 87.5% on-time rate across 7,905 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 94.6 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 95 miles and is served by 25 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 16 of 2,250 flights were cancelled (0.7%) and 0 diverted (0.0%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2025 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 58% - a 37-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, CLE–DTW peaks in September at 93.6% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~125 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 82.6%, a 11.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does CLE to DTW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, CLE to DTW ranks #1565 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from CLE to DTW? ▼
Flights from Cleveland to Detroit have a 87.5% on-time rate based on 7,905 flights. The average delay is 94.6 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2025 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for CLE to DTW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (16 of 2,250 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from CLE to DTW? ▼
The flight distance from Cleveland (CLE) to Detroit (DTW) is approximately 95 miles. This route is served by 25 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from CLE to DTW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2025 (95% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (58% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

CLE Airport

Cleveland
DTW Airport

Detroit
Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

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

Using CLE–DTW data

CLE–DTW runs 8.5 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare CLE and DTW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. CLE airport
  • If your dates flex, September (93.6% on-time) beats December (82.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 87.5% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

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

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.