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Route · PWM → DTW · 2020–2025 BTS data

Portland to Detroit

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PWM to DTW (Portland to Detroit) ranks #2957 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

86.6%
On-time
+7.6 pts
vs US avg
101 min
Delay when late
3,850
Flights
#2957 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.8%

Best Month

Oct 2025 93%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 64%

Distance

668 mi

Carriers

17

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 40 14 0 0 DL,OO
Nov 2025 36 6 1 0 DL
Oct 2025 61 4 0 0 DL
Sep 2025 60 9 0 0 DL
Aug 2025 61 16 1 0 DL
Jul 2025 58 21 0 1 YX,DL
Jun 2025 58 14 1 0 DL,YX
May 2025 56 6 0 0 DL,YX
Jan 2025 35 11 0 0 OO
Dec 2024 61 10 1 0 OO,YX
Nov 2024 76 12 0 2 OO,9E
Oct 2024 85 26 0 0 OO
Sep 2024 84 11 0 0 YX,OO
Aug 2024 82 12 0 0 YX,9E
Jul 2024 83 16 0 0 DL,YX
Jun 2024 72 16 1 0 DL,YX
May 2024 31 7 1 0 DL
Apr 2024 30 1 1 0 DL
Mar 2024 31 2 0 0 9E,DL
Jan 2024 31 5 3 0 9E
Dec 2023 32 4 0 1 OO,9E
Nov 2023 56 4 0 0 9E
Oct 2023 62 6 0 0 9E
Sep 2023 60 12 1 0 9E,DL

PWM–DTW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (93.2%) · weakest: December (82.2%)

80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.2%

Strongest calendar month

April

93.2% on-time · ~41 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~76 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

82.2% on-time · ~48 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.8%

11 of 1,341 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

4 of 1,341 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

PWM - Portland

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Portland, ME.

PWM 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 PWM and DTW side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare PWM vs DTW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among PWM's stronger departures

PWM → DTW posts a 86.6% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 2 of 12 BTS-tracked routes leaving Portland. The same hub also shows 9 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #746 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About PWM to DTW

Portland to Detroit (PWM to DTW) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 86.6% on-time rate across 3,850 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 100.6 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 668 miles and is served by 17 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 11 of 1,341 flights were cancelled (0.8%) and 4 diverted (0.3%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2025 posted the strongest performance at 93% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 64% - a 30-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PWM–DTW peaks in April at 93.2% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~76 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 82.2%, a 11.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PWM to DTW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PWM to DTW ranks #2957 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 PWM to DTW? ▼
Flights from Portland to Detroit have a 86.6% on-time rate based on 3,850 flights. The average delay is 100.6 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2025 with 93% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PWM to DTW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.8% of flights on this route were cancelled (11 of 1,341 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PWM to DTW? ▼
The flight distance from Portland (PWM) to Detroit (DTW) is approximately 668 miles. This route is served by 17 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PWM to DTW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2025 (93% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (64% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

PWM Airport

Portland
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 PWM–DTW data

PWM–DTW runs 7.6 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare PWM and DTW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PWM airport
  • If your dates flex, April (93.2% on-time) beats December (82.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 86.6% 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.