Route · DTW → LEX · 2020–2025 BTS data
Detroit to Lexington
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DTW to LEX (Detroit to Lexington) ranks #2459 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 87.4%
- On-time
- +8.4 pts
- vs US avg
- 82 min
- Delay when late
- 5,054
- Flights
- #2459 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
0.7%
Best Month
Sep 2024 96%
Worst Month
Jul 2025 60%
Distance
296 mi
Carriers
11
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 41 | 8 | 0 | 1 | YX,OO |
| Nov 2025 | 59 | 11 | 4 | 0 | OO |
| Oct 2025 | 65 | 7 | 0 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Sep 2025 | 56 | 6 | 0 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Aug 2025 | 61 | 10 | 0 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Jul 2025 | 57 | 23 | 0 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Jun 2025 | 58 | 15 | 1 | 0 | OO,YX |
| May 2025 | 66 | 10 | 0 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Apr 2025 | 86 | 8 | 0 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Mar 2025 | 88 | 12 | 0 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Feb 2025 | 78 | 19 | 1 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Jan 2025 | 84 | 16 | 3 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Dec 2024 | 78 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 9E,OO,YX |
| Nov 2024 | 82 | 13 | 0 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Oct 2024 | 84 | 6 | 0 | 2 | OO,YX |
| Sep 2024 | 80 | 3 | 0 | 0 | YX,OO |
| Aug 2024 | 77 | 11 | 1 | 0 | YX,OO |
| Jul 2024 | 76 | 13 | 1 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Jun 2024 | 72 | 14 | 0 | 0 | OO,YX |
| May 2024 | 57 | 13 | 0 | 0 | OO |
| Apr 2024 | 56 | 3 | 0 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Mar 2024 | 57 | 4 | 0 | 0 | YX,OO |
| Feb 2024 | 49 | 8 | 0 | 0 | OO,YX |
| Jan 2024 | 52 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 9E,YX,OO |
DTW–LEX seasonal on-time pattern
Best: September (92.2%) · weakest: July (78.8%)
Strongest calendar month
September
92.2% on-time · ~71 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
March
~80 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
July
78.8% on-time · ~65 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
0.7%
12 of 1,619 flights
Diversion Rate
0.2%
3 of 1,619 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 profileLEX - Lexington
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Lexington, KY.
LEX on-time profileCompare the two airports
See DTW and LEX side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare DTW vs LEXOrigin-hub reliability standing
Among DTW's stronger departures
DTW → LEX posts a 87.4% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 34 of 94 BTS-tracked routes leaving Detroit. The same hub also shows 60 mid-band and 0 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #530 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to DTW–LEX.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About DTW to LEX
Detroit to Lexington (DTW to LEX) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 87.4% on-time rate across 5,054 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 82.0 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 296 miles and is served by 11 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 12 of 1,619 flights were cancelled (0.7%) and 3 diverted (0.2%).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2024 posted the strongest performance at 96% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 60% - a 37-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, DTW–LEX peaks in September at 92.2% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~80 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 78.8%, a 13.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does DTW to LEX rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from DTW to LEX? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for DTW to LEX? ▼
How far is the flight from DTW to LEX? ▼
When is the best time to fly from DTW to LEX? ▼
Airports on this route
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–LEX data
DTW–LEX runs 8.4 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 LEX airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DTW airport
- If your dates flex, September (92.2% on-time) beats July (78.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 87.4% 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.
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.