Route · SAN → DTW · 2020–2025 BTS data
San Diego to Detroit
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SAN to DTW (San Diego to Detroit) ranks #2081 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 86.9%
- On-time
- +7.9 pts
- vs US avg
- 70 min
- Delay when late
- 5,986
- Flights
- #2081 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
0.8%
Best Month
May 2024 94%
Worst Month
Jan 2024 72%
Distance
1,956 mi
Carriers
3
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 112 | 14 | 3 | 0 | DL |
| Nov 2025 | 107 | 17 | 0 | 0 | DL |
| Oct 2025 | 118 | 8 | 0 | 0 | DL,NK |
| Sep 2025 | 119 | 16 | 2 | 0 | DL,NK |
| Aug 2025 | 131 | 27 | 2 | 0 | NK,DL |
| Jul 2025 | 133 | 26 | 1 | 0 | DL,NK |
| Jun 2025 | 124 | 21 | 0 | 0 | DL,NK |
| May 2025 | 109 | 18 | 0 | 0 | DL |
| Apr 2025 | 102 | 8 | 1 | 0 | DL |
| Mar 2025 | 89 | 16 | 0 | 0 | DL |
| Feb 2025 | 70 | 12 | 0 | 1 | DL |
| Jan 2025 | 77 | 13 | 0 | 0 | DL |
| Dec 2024 | 112 | 26 | 2 | 0 | DL |
| Nov 2024 | 103 | 7 | 0 | 0 | DL |
| Oct 2024 | 111 | 21 | 1 | 0 | DL |
| Sep 2024 | 103 | 12 | 0 | 0 | DL |
| Aug 2024 | 113 | 18 | 0 | 1 | DL |
| Jul 2024 | 113 | 27 | 7 | 0 | DL |
| Jun 2024 | 111 | 31 | 0 | 1 | DL |
| May 2024 | 110 | 7 | 0 | 1 | DL |
| Apr 2024 | 99 | 7 | 0 | 0 | DL |
| Mar 2024 | 85 | 8 | 0 | 0 | DL |
| Feb 2024 | 58 | 6 | 0 | 0 | DL |
| Jan 2024 | 64 | 18 | 0 | 0 | DL |
SAN–DTW seasonal on-time pattern
Best: November (89.9%) · weakest: July (83.3%)
Strongest calendar month
November
89.9% on-time · ~88 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
June
~102 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
July
83.3% on-time · ~98 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
0.8%
19 of 2,473 flights
Diversion Rate
0.2%
4 of 2,473 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
SAN - San Diego
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for San Diego, CA.
SAN on-time profileDTW - Detroit
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Detroit, MI.
DTW on-time profileCompare the two airports
See SAN and DTW side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare SAN vs DTWOrigin-hub reliability standing
Among SAN's stronger departures
SAN → DTW posts a 86.9% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 13 of 51 BTS-tracked routes leaving San Diego. The same hub also shows 34 mid-band and 4 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #660 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to SAN–DTW.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About SAN to DTW
San Diego to Detroit (SAN to DTW) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 86.9% on-time rate across 5,986 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 70.3 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 1,956 miles and is served by 3 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 19 of 2,473 flights were cancelled (0.8%) and 4 diverted (0.2%).
The monthly split is wide on this route: May 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Jan 2024 came in at just 72% - a 22-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, SAN–DTW peaks in November at 89.9% on-time while June carries the heaviest traffic (~102 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 83.3%, a 6.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does SAN to DTW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from SAN to DTW? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for SAN to DTW? ▼
How far is the flight from SAN to DTW? ▼
When is the best time to fly from SAN to DTW? ▼
Airports on this route
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 SAN–DTW data
SAN–DTW runs 7.9 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.
- Compare SAN and DTW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SAN airport
- If your dates flex, November (89.9% on-time) beats July (83.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 86.9% 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.
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.