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Route · JFK → CLE · 2020–2025 BTS data

New York to Cleveland

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), JFK to CLE (New York to Cleveland) ranks #1683 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.5%
On-time
+6.5 pts
vs US avg
74 min
Delay when late
7,528
Flights
#1683 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.4%

Best Month

Nov 2024 96%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 68%

Distance

425 mi

Carriers

9

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 42 10 2 0 YX
Nov 2025 34 4 1 0 YX
Oct 2025 62 9 1 0 YX
Sep 2025 60 5 1 0 YX
Aug 2025 68 13 1 0 YX
Jul 2025 66 21 3 0 YX
Jun 2025 64 18 4 0 YX
May 2025 67 6 0 0 YX
Apr 2025 64 4 0 0 YX
Mar 2025 67 5 0 0 YX
Feb 2025 58 5 3 0 YX
Jan 2025 66 6 1 0 YX
Dec 2024 133 28 0 1 9E,YX
Nov 2024 149 6 0 0 9E,YX,OO
Oct 2024 157 12 0 0 OO,YX,9E
Sep 2024 150 24 0 0 YX,OO,9E
Aug 2024 160 35 14 0 YX,9E,OO
Jul 2024 159 39 10 0 9E,OO,YX
Jun 2024 154 44 7 0 9E,OO,YX
May 2024 155 23 2 0 9E,YX
Apr 2024 146 13 3 0 9E,YX
Mar 2024 155 12 0 0 9E,YX,OO
Feb 2024 143 8 2 1 9E,OO,YX
Jan 2024 132 15 6 0 9E,YX,OO

JFK–CLE seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (90.6%) · weakest: July (78.5%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 86.6%

Strongest calendar month

October

90.6% on-time · ~120 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~150 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

78.5% on-time · ~127 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.4%

61 of 2,511 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

2 of 2,511 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

JFK - New York

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

JFK on-time profile

CLE - Cleveland

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Cleveland, OH.

CLE on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See JFK and CLE side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare JFK vs CLE

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among JFK's stronger departures

JFK → CLE posts a 85.5% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 3 of 66 BTS-tracked routes leaving New York. The same hub also shows 50 mid-band and 13 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1060 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About JFK to CLE

New York to Cleveland (JFK to CLE) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.5% on-time rate across 7,528 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 73.7 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 425 miles and is served by 9 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 61 of 2,511 flights were cancelled (2.4%) and 2 diverted (0.1%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2024 posted the strongest performance at 96% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 68% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, JFK–CLE peaks in October at 90.6% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~150 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 78.5%, a 12.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does JFK to CLE rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, JFK to CLE ranks #1683 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 JFK to CLE? ▼
Flights from New York to Cleveland have a 85.5% on-time rate based on 7,528 flights. The average delay is 73.7 minutes. The best recent month was Nov 2024 with 96% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for JFK to CLE? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (61 of 2,511 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from JFK to CLE? ▼
The flight distance from New York (JFK) to Cleveland (CLE) is approximately 425 miles. This route is served by 9 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from JFK to CLE? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Nov 2024 (96% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (68% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

JFK Airport

New York
CLE Airport

Cleveland
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 JFK–CLE data

JFK–CLE runs 6.5 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare JFK and CLE airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. JFK airport
  • If your dates flex, October (90.6% on-time) beats July (78.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.5% 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.