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Route · DFW → DTW · 2020–2025 BTS data

Dallas/Fort Worth to Detroit

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DFW to DTW (Dallas/Fort Worth to Detroit) ranks #335 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

80.2%
On-time
+1.2 pts
vs US avg
78 min
Delay when late
19,978
Flights
#335 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.5%

Best Month

Feb 2024 87%

Worst Month

May 2024 58%

Distance

986 mi

Carriers

27

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 304 88 2 1 DL,F9,NK,AA
Nov 2025 300 71 6 0 DL,F9,MQ,NK,AA
Oct 2025 310 49 2 0 AA,DL,F9,NK
Sep 2025 289 43 4 0 MQ,DL,NK,F9,AA
Aug 2025 314 79 5 1 AA,F9,MQ,NK,DL
Jul 2025 334 101 4 1 AA,DL,F9,MQ,NK
Jun 2025 332 84 8 0 AA,DL,NK,F9,MQ
May 2025 346 110 7 0 AA,DL,NK,F9,MQ
Apr 2025 358 87 5 0 DL,F9,MQ,NK,AA
Mar 2025 368 79 3 0 AA,DL,F9,NK
Feb 2025 301 48 2 0 AA,DL,F9,NK
Jan 2025 334 61 15 0 AA,DL,NK,F9,MQ
Dec 2024 344 81 1 0 AA,DL,F9,MQ,NK
Nov 2024 337 72 2 0 NK,DL,F9,AA
Oct 2024 354 50 0 0 DL,NK,F9,AA
Sep 2024 289 60 0 0 AA,DL,F9,NK
Aug 2024 317 75 1 3 AA,DL,F9,NK
Jul 2024 317 97 15 0 AA,DL,F9,NK
Jun 2024 310 106 2 2 AA,DL,F9,MQ,NK
May 2024 318 132 16 1 AA,DL,F9,MQ,NK
Apr 2024 271 78 4 0 AA,DL,F9,NK
Mar 2024 274 66 2 0 AA,DL,NK
Feb 2024 249 32 0 0 AA,DL,NK
Jan 2024 249 66 7 4 AA,DL,NK

DFW–DTW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (86.1%) · weakest: July (73.0%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.8%

Strongest calendar month

October

86.1% on-time · ~304 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~304 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

73.0% on-time · ~292 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.5%

113 of 7,519 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

13 of 7,519 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

DFW - Dallas/Fort Worth

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Dallas/Fort Worth, TX.

DFW 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 DFW and DTW side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare DFW vs DTW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among DFW departures

From DFW, this corridor sits with 113 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 183 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (13 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 57 below 75%). Destination: Detroit · fleet on-time rank #3061 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DFW to DTW

19,978 tracked flights put the DFW to DTW pairing (Dallas/Fort Worth to Detroit) at a 80.2% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 78.1 minutes on average. Across the 986-mile route and its 27 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.5% cancelled and 0.2% diverted (7,519 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 87% on-time, while May 2024 came in at just 58% - a 29-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DFW–DTW peaks in October at 86.1% on-time ; the softest month is July at 73.0%, a 13.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DFW to DTW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DFW to DTW ranks #335 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 DFW to DTW? ▼
Flights from Dallas/Fort Worth to Detroit have a 80.2% on-time rate based on 19,978 flights. The average delay is 78.1 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 87% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DFW to DTW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (113 of 7,519 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DFW to DTW? ▼
The flight distance from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Detroit (DTW) is approximately 986 miles. This route is served by 27 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DFW to DTW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (87% on-time). The worst was May 2024 (58% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DFW Airport

Dallas/Fort Worth
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 DFW–DTW data

DFW–DTW is mid-pack at 80.2% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DFW and DTW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DFW airport
  • If your dates flex, October (86.1% on-time) beats July (73.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 80.2% 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.