Memphis to Detroit

What the Data Says About MEM to DTW

The Memphis to Detroit corridor (MEM → DTW) covers roughly 610 miles and is served by 24 carriers, based on Bureau of Transportation Statistics reporting. Across 4,700 flights in the dataset, this route posts a 88.9% on-time rate with an average delay of 98.1 minutes when flights run late. Over the most recent 24 months of BTS data, 1,810 flights were recorded on this pairing — 17 cancelled (0.9%) and 4 diverted (0.2%). Those baseline metrics tell you what to expect before you book.

Having 24 carriers on the route matters: more carriers generally means more daily schedule options, competitive pricing, and redundancy when flights are cancelled. With 4,700 total flights analyzed, the 88.9% on-time figure is statistically meaningful rather than a small-sample fluke. The 98.1-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, Dec 2023 posted the best performance on this corridor at 98% on-time, while Jan 2024 came in at 72% on-time — a 26-point gap between best and worst recent month. For travelers evaluating the MEM to DTW route, the combination of a 88.9% on-time rate, 98.1-minute average delay, 0.9% recent cancellation rate, and 24 available carriers is the concrete summary of what BTS data shows about reliability on this pairing.