PlainFlights

Route · STL → DTW · 2020–2025 BTS data

St. Louis to Detroit

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), STL to DTW (St. Louis to Detroit) ranks #1125 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

87.1%
On-time
+8.1 pts
vs US avg
88 min
Delay when late
10,268
Flights
#1125 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.7%

Best Month

Oct 2024 95%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 76%

Distance

440 mi

Carriers

32

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 156 33 5 0 DL,WN,OO
Nov 2025 153 20 2 0 OO,DL,WN
Oct 2025 171 22 1 0 OO,WN,DL
Sep 2025 148 9 0 0 WN,OO,DL,NK
Aug 2025 175 25 0 0 WN,NK,DL
Jul 2025 188 45 2 0 OO,WN,YX,DL,NK
Jun 2025 176 34 2 0 NK,OO,WN,DL
May 2025 149 11 0 0 OO,WN,DL
Apr 2025 135 17 1 0 DL,OO,WN
Mar 2025 125 15 0 0 DL,OO,WN
Feb 2025 114 14 0 0 DL,WN
Jan 2025 127 20 3 0 OO,WN,DL
Dec 2024 155 19 0 0 DL,OO,WN
Nov 2024 154 14 0 0 WN,DL
Oct 2024 171 9 0 1 WN,DL,OO
Sep 2024 158 10 0 0 WN,OO,DL
Aug 2024 166 24 0 0 DL,WN
Jul 2024 176 43 3 0 DL,WN
Jun 2024 171 28 0 0 DL,WN
May 2024 159 17 0 0 9E,DL,WN
Apr 2024 159 20 0 0 9E,DL,WN
Mar 2024 160 20 0 0 9E,DL,OO,WN
Feb 2024 108 15 0 0 DL,OO,WN
Jan 2024 128 26 6 0 9E,DL,WN,OO

STL–DTW seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (91.4%) · weakest: July (79.4%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 85.2%

Strongest calendar month

September

91.4% on-time · ~139 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~158 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

79.4% on-time · ~150 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.7%

25 of 3,682 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

1 of 3,682 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

STL - St. Louis

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for St. Louis, MO.

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

Compare STL vs DTW

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among STL's stronger departures

STL → DTW posts a 87.1% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 5 of 51 BTS-tracked routes leaving St. Louis. The same hub also shows 45 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #621 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About STL to DTW

St. Louis to Detroit (STL to DTW) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 87.1% on-time rate across 10,268 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 87.5 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 440 miles and is served by 32 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 25 of 3,682 flights were cancelled (0.7%) and 1 diverted (0.0%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 76% - a 19-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, STL–DTW peaks in September at 91.4% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~158 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 79.4%, a 12.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does STL to DTW rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, STL to DTW ranks #1125 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 STL to DTW? ▼
Flights from St. Louis to Detroit have a 87.1% on-time rate based on 10,268 flights. The average delay is 87.5 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for STL to DTW? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (25 of 3,682 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from STL to DTW? ▼
The flight distance from St. Louis (STL) to Detroit (DTW) is approximately 440 miles. This route is served by 32 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from STL to DTW? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (95% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (76% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

STL Airport

St. Louis
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 STL–DTW data

STL–DTW runs 8.1 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare STL and DTW airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. STL airport
  • If your dates flex, September (91.4% on-time) beats July (79.4%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 87.1% 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.