Detroit to Columbus

What the Data Says About DTW to CMH

The Detroit to Columbus corridor (DTW → CMH) covers roughly 155 miles and is served by 23 carriers, based on Bureau of Transportation Statistics reporting. Across 8,740 flights in the dataset, this route posts a 86.6% on-time rate with an average delay of 86.3 minutes when flights run late. Over the most recent 24 months of BTS data, 2,873 flights were recorded on this pairing — 8 cancelled (0.3%) and 4 diverted (0.1%). Those baseline metrics tell you what to expect before you book.

Having 23 carriers on the route matters: more carriers generally means more daily schedule options, competitive pricing, and redundancy when flights are cancelled. With 8,740 total flights analyzed, the 86.6% on-time figure is statistically meaningful rather than a small-sample fluke. The 86.3-minute average delay applies only to flights that actually ran late, so it is not the average wait across all departures — the majority of flights on this route depart on time under the BTS definition of a delay (15+ minutes past schedule).

Looking at recent months, Sep 2025 posted the best performance on this corridor at 94% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at 68% on-time — a 26-point gap between best and worst recent month. For travelers evaluating the DTW to CMH route, the combination of a 86.6% on-time rate, 86.3-minute average delay, 0.3% recent cancellation rate, and 23 available carriers is the concrete summary of what BTS data shows about reliability on this pairing.