PlainFlights

Route · DTW → LGA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Detroit to New York

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DTW to LGA (Detroit to New York) ranks #299 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83%
On-time
+4 pts
vs US avg
74 min
Delay when late
21,400
Flights
#299 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.1%

Best Month

Feb 2024 91%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 68%

Distance

502 mi

Carriers

14

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 354 115 23 2 DL,YX,NK
Nov 2025 371 109 11 0 DL,NK,YX
Oct 2025 386 99 13 0 YX,DL,NK
Sep 2025 365 60 3 2 DL,NK,YX
Aug 2025 333 55 4 0 YX,NK,DL
Jul 2025 338 79 29 3 NK,YX,DL
Jun 2025 304 86 8 0 DL,NK,YX
May 2025 311 96 2 0 DL,NK,YX
Apr 2025 270 46 0 0 DL,NK,YX
Mar 2025 319 53 3 2 DL,NK,YX
Feb 2025 272 57 5 2 DL,YX,NK
Jan 2025 321 81 2 1 DL,YX,NK
Dec 2024 358 83 0 0 9E,DL,NK,YX
Nov 2024 368 41 0 0 NK,YX,DL
Oct 2024 384 36 0 0 DL,YX,NK,9E
Sep 2024 368 41 0 1 YX,DL,NK
Aug 2024 351 66 15 2 DL,NK,YX
Jul 2024 357 89 18 1 DL,NK,YX
Jun 2024 335 54 7 0 AA,DL,NK,YX
May 2024 355 69 2 2 AA,DL,NK,YX
Apr 2024 342 58 7 0 AA,DL,NK,YX
Mar 2024 323 50 0 0 AA,DL,NK,YX
Feb 2024 316 29 4 1 AA,DL,NK,YX
Jan 2024 342 69 15 1 9E,DL,NK,YX

DTW–LGA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (87.5%) · weakest: December (79.2%)

78%80%82%84%86%88% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.2%

Strongest calendar month

September

87.5% on-time · ~300 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

November

~329 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

79.2% on-time · ~320 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.1%

171 of 8,143 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

20 of 8,143 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

LGA - New York

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for New York, NY.

LGA on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DTW vs LGA

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: New York · fleet on-time rank #1939 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DTW to LGA

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Detroit to New York (DTW to LGA) running a 83% on-time rate over 21,400 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 74.3 minutes. The 502-mile corridor is served by 14 carriers, and over the last 24 months 2.1% of 8,143 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 68% - a 23-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DTW–LGA peaks in September at 87.5% on-time while November carries the heaviest traffic (~329 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 79.2%, a 8.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DTW to LGA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DTW to LGA ranks #299 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 LGA? ▼
Flights from Detroit to New York have a 83% on-time rate based on 21,400 flights. The average delay is 74.3 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DTW to LGA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (171 of 8,143 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DTW to LGA? ▼
The flight distance from Detroit (DTW) to New York (LGA) is approximately 502 miles. This route is served by 14 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DTW to LGA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (91% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (68% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DTW Airport

Detroit
LGA Airport

New York
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–LGA data

DTW–LGA runs 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 LGA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DTW airport
  • If your dates flex, September (87.5% on-time) beats December (79.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83% 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.