PlainFlights

Route · LGA → DTW · 2020–2025 BTS data

New York to Detroit

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), LGA to DTW (New York to Detroit) ranks #301 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.9%
On-time
+4.9 pts
vs US avg
83 min
Delay when late
21,397
Flights
#301 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.2%

Best Month

Sep 2024 92%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 66%

Distance

502 mi

Carriers

15

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 355 120 20 0 DL,YX,NK
Nov 2025 371 96 12 0 DL,NK,YX
Oct 2025 386 98 7 0 DL,YX,NK
Sep 2025 365 41 2 0 DL,NK,YX
Aug 2025 333 36 4 0 YX,NK,DL
Jul 2025 339 88 32 1 DL,NK,YX
Jun 2025 304 89 12 1 DL,NK,YX
May 2025 312 76 3 0 DL,NK,YX
Apr 2025 270 46 1 0 DL,NK,YX
Mar 2025 319 47 2 0 NK,YX,DL
Feb 2025 272 61 7 0 YX,DL,NK
Jan 2025 320 79 4 0 YX,DL,NK
Dec 2024 356 76 0 0 9E,DL,NK,YX
Nov 2024 367 42 0 0 NK,YX,DL
Oct 2024 383 36 0 0 DL,YX,NK
Sep 2024 368 28 1 0 YX,NK,DL
Aug 2024 350 98 17 2 DL,NK,YX
Jul 2024 356 92 22 0 DL,NK,YX
Jun 2024 336 76 9 1 AA,DL,NK,YX
May 2024 355 76 2 1 AA,DL,NK,YX
Apr 2024 343 64 6 1 9E,AA,DL,NK,YX
Mar 2024 323 38 0 0 AA,DL,NK,YX
Feb 2024 316 31 5 0 AA,DL,NK,YX
Jan 2024 342 58 14 1 9E,DL,NK,YX

LGA–DTW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (88.5%) · weakest: July (77.4%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 80.8%

Strongest calendar month

September

88.5% on-time · ~301 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

November

~328 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

77.4% on-time · ~287 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.2%

182 of 8,141 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

8 of 8,141 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

LGA - New York

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

LGA on-time profile

DTW - Detroit

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Detroit, MI.

DTW on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare LGA vs DTW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among LGA departures

From LGA, this corridor sits with 64 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 75 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (8 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 3 below 75%). Destination: Detroit · fleet on-time rank #1620 of 4927.

What the Data Says About LGA to DTW

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show New York to Detroit (LGA to DTW) running a 83.9% on-time rate over 21,397 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 83.3 minutes. The 502-mile corridor is served by 15 carriers, and over the last 24 months 2.2% of 8,141 flights were cancelled, 0.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2024 posted the strongest performance at 92% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 66% - a 26-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, LGA–DTW peaks in September at 88.5% on-time while November carries the heaviest traffic (~328 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 77.4%, a 11.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does LGA to DTW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, LGA to DTW ranks #301 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 LGA to DTW? ▼
Flights from New York to Detroit have a 83.9% on-time rate based on 21,397 flights. The average delay is 83.3 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2024 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for LGA to DTW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.2% of flights on this route were cancelled (182 of 8,141 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from LGA to DTW? ▼
The flight distance from New York (LGA) to Detroit (DTW) is approximately 502 miles. This route is served by 15 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from LGA to DTW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2024 (92% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (66% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

LGA Airport

New York
DTW Airport

Detroit
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 LGA–DTW data

LGA–DTW runs 4.9 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare LGA and DTW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. LGA airport
  • If your dates flex, September (88.5% on-time) beats July (77.4%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.9% 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.