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Route · DTW → STL · 2020–2025 BTS data

Detroit to St. Louis

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DTW to STL (Detroit to St. Louis) ranks #1111 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.6%
On-time
+6.6 pts
vs US avg
70 min
Delay when late
10,354
Flights
#1111 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.6%

Best Month

Feb 2024 94%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 62%

Distance

440 mi

Carriers

30

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 156 60 3 1 DL,WN,OO
Nov 2025 153 31 3 0 OO,DL,WN
Oct 2025 171 36 0 0 OO,WN,DL
Sep 2025 148 12 0 0 WN,OO,DL,NK
Aug 2025 175 26 0 0 WN,NK,DL
Jul 2025 188 46 1 0 OO,WN,YX,DL,NK
Jun 2025 176 39 2 0 NK,OO,WN,DL
May 2025 149 20 0 0 OO,WN,DL
Apr 2025 135 21 0 1 DL,OO,WN
Mar 2025 125 9 0 1 OO,WN,DL
Feb 2025 114 27 0 0 DL,WN
Jan 2025 126 28 4 1 DL,OO,WN
Dec 2024 155 31 0 0 DL,OO,WN
Nov 2024 154 18 0 1 WN,DL
Oct 2024 171 14 0 0 WN,DL,OO
Sep 2024 158 17 0 0 WN,OO,DL
Aug 2024 166 28 0 0 DL,WN
Jul 2024 176 32 3 0 DL,WN
Jun 2024 171 36 0 0 DL,WN
May 2024 159 29 0 0 9E,DL,WN
Apr 2024 159 17 0 1 9E,DL,WN
Mar 2024 160 17 0 0 9E,DL,OO,WN
Feb 2024 108 7 0 0 DL,OO,WN
Jan 2024 127 29 5 0 9E,DL,WN,OO

DTW–STL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (90.8%) · weakest: June (79.3%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.4%

Strongest calendar month

September

90.8% on-time · ~141 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~158 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

79.3% on-time · ~138 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.6%

21 of 3,680 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

6 of 3,680 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

STL - St. Louis

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for St. Louis, MO.

STL on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DTW vs STL

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among DTW's stronger departures

DTW → STL posts a 85.6% 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 #1018 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About DTW to STL

Detroit to St. Louis (DTW to STL) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.6% on-time rate across 10,354 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 70.2 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 440 miles and is served by 30 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 21 of 3,680 flights were cancelled (0.6%) and 6 diverted (0.2%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 62% - a 32-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DTW–STL peaks in September at 90.8% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~158 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 79.3%, a 11.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DTW to STL rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DTW to STL ranks #1111 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 STL? ▼
Flights from Detroit to St. Louis have a 85.6% on-time rate based on 10,354 flights. The average delay is 70.2 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DTW to STL? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (21 of 3,680 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DTW to STL? ▼
The flight distance from Detroit (DTW) to St. Louis (STL) is approximately 440 miles. This route is served by 30 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DTW to STL? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (94% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (62% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DTW Airport

Detroit
STL Airport

St. Louis
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–STL data

DTW–STL runs 6.6 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 STL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DTW airport
  • If your dates flex, September (90.8% on-time) beats June (79.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.6% 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.