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Route · SFO → DTW · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Francisco to Detroit

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SFO to DTW (San Francisco to Detroit) ranks #1505 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

87.6%
On-time
+8.6 pts
vs US avg
71 min
Delay when late
8,164
Flights
#1505 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.8%

Best Month

Apr 2025 93%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 74%

Distance

2,079 mi

Carriers

4

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 141 37 5 0 DL,UA
Nov 2025 146 20 1 0 UA,DL
Oct 2025 154 26 0 0 DL,UA
Sep 2025 145 23 0 0 UA,DL
Aug 2025 159 28 1 0 UA,DL
Jul 2025 190 48 3 1 DL,UA
Jun 2025 182 40 3 1 DL,UA
May 2025 166 35 1 0 DL,UA
Apr 2025 153 11 0 0 DL,UA
Mar 2025 138 19 2 1 DL,UA
Feb 2025 112 13 1 1 DL,UA
Jan 2025 128 16 0 0 DL,UA
Dec 2024 146 23 0 0 DL,UA
Nov 2024 153 29 0 0 UA,DL
Oct 2024 163 23 0 0 UA,DL
Sep 2024 158 28 0 0 UA,DL
Aug 2024 150 30 1 2 DL,UA
Jul 2024 136 34 7 0 DL
Jun 2024 117 19 0 0 DL
May 2024 110 23 0 0 DL
Apr 2024 107 26 0 0 DL
Mar 2024 106 20 0 0 DL
Feb 2024 85 13 0 0 DL
Jan 2024 97 14 2 1 DL,F9

SFO–DTW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (92.6%) · weakest: June (82.3%)

80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 85.6%

Strongest calendar month

February

92.6% on-time · ~97 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~128 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

82.3% on-time · ~107 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.8%

27 of 3,342 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

7 of 3,342 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

SFO - San Francisco

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for San Francisco, CA.

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

Compare SFO vs DTW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SFO's stronger departures

SFO → DTW posts a 87.6% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 20 of 73 BTS-tracked routes leaving San Francisco. The same hub also shows 50 mid-band and 3 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #500 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SFO to DTW

San Francisco to Detroit (SFO to DTW) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 87.6% on-time rate across 8,164 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 70.7 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 2,079 miles and is served by 4 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 27 of 3,342 flights were cancelled (0.8%) and 7 diverted (0.2%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Apr 2025 posted the strongest performance at 93% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 74% - a 19-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SFO–DTW peaks in February at 92.6% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~128 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 82.3%, a 10.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SFO to DTW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SFO to DTW ranks #1505 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 SFO to DTW? ▼
Flights from San Francisco to Detroit have a 87.6% on-time rate based on 8,164 flights. The average delay is 70.7 minutes. The best recent month was Apr 2025 with 93% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SFO to DTW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.8% of flights on this route were cancelled (27 of 3,342 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SFO to DTW? ▼
The flight distance from San Francisco (SFO) to Detroit (DTW) is approximately 2,079 miles. This route is served by 4 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SFO to DTW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Apr 2025 (93% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (74% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SFO Airport

San Francisco
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 SFO–DTW data

SFO–DTW runs 8.6 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SFO and DTW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SFO airport
  • If your dates flex, February (92.6% on-time) beats June (82.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 87.6% 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.