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Route · DTW → CLE · 2020–2025 BTS data

Detroit to Cleveland

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DTW to CLE (Detroit to Cleveland) ranks #1566 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.5%
On-time
+5.5 pts
vs US avg
82 min
Delay when late
7,904
Flights
#1566 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.7%

Best Month

Oct 2025 94%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 56%

Distance

95 mi

Carriers

25

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 89 39 3 0 DL,OO
Nov 2025 82 19 1 0 OO,DL,YX
Oct 2025 87 5 0 0 OO,YX
Sep 2025 74 7 0 0 OO,YX
Aug 2025 87 24 0 0 OO
Jul 2025 65 23 1 0 OO,YX
Jun 2025 52 15 1 0 OO,YX
May 2025 46 5 0 0 OO
Apr 2025 32 4 0 0 OO
Mar 2025 39 9 0 0 OO,YX
Feb 2025 54 20 0 0 OO,YX
Jan 2025 65 21 0 1 OO,YX
Dec 2024 127 32 0 0 9E,DL,OO,YX
Nov 2024 132 25 0 0 OO,YX,9E
Oct 2024 145 13 0 0 OO,9E
Sep 2024 140 12 0 0 YX,OO,9E
Aug 2024 139 28 3 0 YX,9E,OO
Jul 2024 136 18 5 0 9E,OO,YX
Jun 2024 132 36 0 0 9E,DL,OO
May 2024 119 19 0 0 9E,DL,OO
Apr 2024 116 21 0 0 9E,DL,OO
Mar 2024 112 21 0 0 9E,DL,OO
Feb 2024 87 8 0 1 9E,DL,OO
Jan 2024 92 36 2 0 9E,DL,OO

DTW–CLE seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (91.1%) · weakest: January (77.9%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 78.5%

Strongest calendar month

September

91.1% on-time · ~120 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~125 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

January

77.9% on-time · ~104 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.7%

16 of 2,249 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

2 of 2,249 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

DTW - Detroit

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

DTW on-time profile

CLE - Cleveland

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

CLE on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DTW vs CLE

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among DTW departures

From DTW, this corridor sits with 60 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 94 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (34 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Cleveland · fleet on-time rank #1395 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DTW to CLE

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Detroit to Cleveland (DTW to CLE) running a 84.5% on-time rate over 7,904 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 81.5 minutes. The 95-mile corridor is served by 25 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.7% of 2,249 flights were cancelled, 0.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2025 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 56% - a 38-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DTW–CLE peaks in September at 91.1% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~125 flights per month) ; the softest month is January at 77.9%, a 13.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DTW to CLE rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DTW to CLE ranks #1566 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 DTW to CLE? ▼
Flights from Detroit to Cleveland have a 84.5% on-time rate based on 7,904 flights. The average delay is 81.5 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2025 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DTW to CLE? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (16 of 2,249 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DTW to CLE? ▼
The flight distance from Detroit (DTW) to Cleveland (CLE) is approximately 95 miles. This route is served by 25 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DTW to CLE? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2025 (94% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (56% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DTW Airport

Detroit
CLE Airport

Cleveland
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 DTW–CLE data

DTW–CLE runs 5.5 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare DTW and CLE airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DTW airport
  • If your dates flex, September (91.1% on-time) beats January (77.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.5% 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.