PlainFlights

Route · DTW → IAH · 2020–2025 BTS data

Detroit to Houston

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DTW to IAH (Detroit to Houston) ranks #642 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

80.8%
On-time
+1.8 pts
vs US avg
72 min
Delay when late
14,639
Flights
#642 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.2%

Best Month

Sep 2025 94%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 60%

Distance

1,075 mi

Carriers

34

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 170 64 4 0 DL,F9,NK,UA
Nov 2025 191 33 2 0 UA,DL,F9,NK
Oct 2025 168 14 0 0 UA,DL,NK
Sep 2025 181 10 0 0 UA,DL,NK
Aug 2025 202 28 2 0 NK,UA,DL
Jul 2025 199 38 3 0 DL,UA,NK
Jun 2025 180 60 4 1 DL,UA,NK
May 2025 176 44 1 0 DL,NK,UA
Apr 2025 173 34 0 1 DL,NK,UA
Mar 2025 193 32 0 0 DL,UA,NK
Feb 2025 175 43 0 0 UA,DL,NK
Jan 2025 208 50 8 0 UA,DL,NK
Dec 2024 223 46 1 0 DL,NK,UA
Nov 2024 216 35 0 0 UA,NK,DL
Oct 2024 224 28 0 0 UA,DL,NK
Sep 2024 228 40 0 0 UA,DL,NK
Aug 2024 239 59 1 0 DL,NK,UA
Jul 2024 209 84 16 0 DL,NK,OO,UA
Jun 2024 227 44 2 4 DL,NK,UA
May 2024 212 81 4 4 DL,NK,UA
Apr 2024 187 41 1 1 DL,NK,OO,UA
Mar 2024 172 27 0 1 DL,NK,OO,UA
Feb 2024 154 15 0 0 DL,NK,OO,UA
Jan 2024 160 40 6 2 DL,NK,UA

DTW–IAH seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (87.1%) · weakest: July (74.2%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 76.6%

Strongest calendar month

September

87.1% on-time · ~216 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~223 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

74.2% on-time · ~200 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.2%

55 of 4,667 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

14 of 4,667 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

IAH - Houston

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Houston, TX.

IAH on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DTW vs IAH

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: Houston · fleet on-time rank #2811 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DTW to IAH

14,639 tracked flights put the DTW to IAH pairing (Detroit to Houston) at a 80.8% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 71.5 minutes on average. Across the 1,075-mile route and its 34 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 1.2% cancelled and 0.3% diverted (4,667 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2025 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 60% - a 35-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DTW–IAH peaks in September at 87.1% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~223 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 74.2%, a 12.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DTW to IAH rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DTW to IAH ranks #642 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 IAH? ▼
Flights from Detroit to Houston have a 80.8% on-time rate based on 14,639 flights. The average delay is 71.5 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2025 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DTW to IAH? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.2% of flights on this route were cancelled (55 of 4,667 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DTW to IAH? ▼
The flight distance from Detroit (DTW) to Houston (IAH) is approximately 1,075 miles. This route is served by 34 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DTW to IAH? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2025 (94% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (60% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DTW Airport

Detroit
IAH Airport

Houston
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–IAH data

DTW–IAH is mid-pack at 80.8% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DTW and IAH airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DTW airport
  • If your dates flex, September (87.1% on-time) beats July (74.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 80.8% 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.