Detroit to Norfolk

What the Data Says About DTW to ORF

The Detroit to Norfolk corridor (DTW → ORF) covers roughly 529 miles and is served by 22 carriers, based on Bureau of Transportation Statistics reporting. Across 5,260 flights in the dataset, this route posts a 84.1% on-time rate with an average delay of 82.7 minutes when flights run late. Over the most recent 24 months of BTS data, 1,548 flights were recorded on this pairing — 11 cancelled (0.7%) and 7 diverted (0.5%). Those baseline metrics tell you what to expect before you book.

Having 22 carriers on the route matters: more carriers generally means more daily schedule options, competitive pricing, and redundancy when flights are cancelled. With 5,260 total flights analyzed, the 84.1% on-time figure is statistically meaningful rather than a small-sample fluke. The 82.7-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 2024 posted the best performance on this corridor at 95% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at 60% on-time — a 34-point gap between best and worst recent month. For travelers evaluating the DTW to ORF route, the combination of a 84.1% on-time rate, 82.7-minute average delay, 0.7% recent cancellation rate, and 22 available carriers is the concrete summary of what BTS data shows about reliability on this pairing.