71% of flights leaving Dallas (DFW) arrived on time over the past 12 months, 5 points worse than the national average of 76%. That ranks 72 of 76 large U.S. airports. About 858 flights leave DFW on a typical day; 2.6% were cancelled. 70% pushed back from the gate on time, so most of the lateness is already there when the flight leaves the gate.
At a glance
- Best hour to fly: 5 a.m. (87% on time). Worst: 8 p.m. (60%).
- Best month: October (79%). Worst: June (61%).
- Most reliable airline here: Delta Air Lines (79%), vs American Airlines at 70%.
- Biggest delay cause: late-arriving aircraft (47% of delay minutes).
- Year on year: about the same (71% → 71%).
How late?
The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for flights leaving DFW: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 50% of the time. About 1 in 10 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 52 three hours or more; 2.6% were cancelled outright.
- On time or early71%
- 15–30 min late8.6%
- 30–60 min late7.8%
- 1–2 hours late5.9%
- 2–3 hours late2.1%
- 3+ hours late1.9%
- Diverted0.3%
- Cancelled2.6%
Share of all 313,076 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.
Best time of day to fly out of DFW
Time of day matters more at DFW than almost anything else you control. Flights scheduled to leave at 5 a.m. arrived on time 87% of the time; at 8 p.m. it was 60%, a 27-point gap. Taken together, early departures (5–9 a.m.) ran 83% on time against 63% for the evening bank (5–10 p.m.). Early planes usually start the day at the airport, so they haven't had a chance to pick up delays elsewhere. By evening a late inbound aircraft, a crew running out of duty hours or an afternoon thunderstorm can push one late flight into the next. Cancellations cluster too: 9 p.m. departures were cancelled 4.0% of the time, against 2.6% overall.
Hour × month
Combine the two and the spread is wider still. The most reliable combination at DFW was a 5 a.m. departure in November (90% on time); the least, 11 p.m. in July (43%). If you can only move one thing, move the hour. Departure hour usually shifts the odds more than the month does.
Each cell: on-time rate for that departure hour in that calendar month, 2023–2026. Find your travel month, then look along the row for the greenest hour.
Best and worst months
June is the hardest month at DFW, with 61% of flights on time across 2023–2026; October is the best at 79%. Summer (June–August) runs 14 points worse than autumn: heavy schedules, peak loads and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter costs 4 points against autumn. Cancellations peak in January (6.4% of flights).
Airlines at DFW
American Airlines runs 87% of departures from DFW, so DFW is effectively its hub. When American Airlines has a bad day, so does the airport. Among airlines with at least 1,000 departures here, Delta Air Lines was the most reliable (79% on time) and American Airlines the least (70%), a 9-point difference. On a route where both fly, that difference is worth more than a small fare gap.
| Airline | Departures | On time | Left on time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 273,805 | 70% | 69% | 2.7% | −4 min |
| Delta Air Lines | 11,632 | 79% | 79% | 2.6% | −8 min |
| Frontier Airlines | 10,947 | 72% | 73% | 2.1% | −7 min |
| United Airlines | 10,512 | 75% | 79% | 1.6% | −6 min |
| Spirit Airlines | 3,241 | 71% | 70% | 4.0% | −5 min |
| Alaska Airlines | 2,459 | 75% | 76% | 1.1% | −4 min |
| JetBlue | 480 | 67% | 67% | 3.1% | 0 min |
Why flights are late at DFW
Airlines report a cause for every flight that arrives 15 or more minutes late. At DFW, 47% of delay minutes came from late-arriving aircraft: the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Next is the airlines themselves at 31%. That's why the first flight of the morning is the safest bet: it has no earlier flight to inherit a delay from. Of the 8,181 cancellations, 81% were blamed on weather.
The average taxi from gate to takeoff is 19 minutes, about typical for a large U.S. airport.
DFW vs nearby airports
DFW isn't the only option in Dallas. Over the past year DAL ran 71% on time with 1.4% of flights cancelled, against 71% and 2.6% at DFW. On-time rates are close, but DAL cancels noticeably fewer flights, which counts most when a missed day matters.
| Airport | Distance | Departures | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Dallas/Fort Worth | — | 313,076 | 71% | 2.6% |
| DAL Dallas Love Field | 12 mi | 70,436 | 71% | 1.4% |
Month by month
Over the latest 12 months 71% of DFW departures were on time, against 71% in the 12 months before: essentially unchanged. The best recent month was February 2026 (78%); the worst, June 2026 (60%).
Worst cancellation days
The worst single day in the past year was Saturday, Jan 24, 2026, when 95% of 714 scheduled departures were cancelled. Days like that are usually a major storm, a system outage or a holiday peak hitting bad weather. No average predicts them, so on a stormy forecast, check your airline's travel waivers.
| Date | Departures | Cancelled | On time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | 714 | 95% | 0% |
| Jan 25, 2026 | 788 | 80% | 1% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 803 | 67% | 5% |
| Nov 20, 2025 | 912 | 39% | 16% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | 732 | 38% | 23% |
| Jun 19, 2026 | 954 | 36% | 6% |
| May 19, 2026 | 810 | 35% | 23% |
| Sep 19, 2025 | 861 | 32% | 39% |
| May 10, 2026 | 892 | 30% | 27% |
| Mar 7, 2026 | 753 | 22% | 14% |
Last flights of the day
The last flight of the day is a different bet. Across routes from DFW, each airline's final departure was cancelled 3.4% of the time, against 2.4% for its earlier flights (1.4× as often). Late in the day crews run short on duty hours, aircraft arrive late from elsewhere, and with no later flight to fold passengers into, cancelling is easier for the airline. 2.3% of last flights landed 3+ hours late. The riskiest last flight out was American Airlines to Kahului (2.9% cancelled).
| Last flight to | Airline | Leaves | Cancelled | 3h+ late | On time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OGG Kahului | American Airlines | 11:20 a.m. | 2.9% | 10.3% | 60% |
| ORD Chicago | Frontier Airlines | 1:19 p.m. | 6.3% | 5.5% | 53% |
| LAW Lawton | American Airlines | 10:40 p.m. | 6.3% | 4.4% | 66% |
| FSD Sioux Falls | American Airlines | 7:49 p.m. | 4.1% | 6.0% | 48% |
| MGM Montgomery | American Airlines | 9:47 p.m. | 8.0% | 2.2% | 69% |
| EWR Newark | American Airlines | 6:25 p.m. | 7.1% | 3.0% | 55% |
| PIA Peoria | American Airlines | 9:26 p.m. | 7.5% | 2.5% | 63% |
| ORD Chicago | United Airlines | 7:30 p.m. | 3.3% | 6.6% | 63% |
| SDF Louisville | American Airlines | 8:10 p.m. | 3.9% | 5.8% | 52% |
| SWO Stillwater | American Airlines | 9:25 p.m. | 6.0% | 3.6% | 70% |
| BPT Beaumont | American Airlines | 9:20 p.m. | 4.5% | 5.1% | 73% |
| ILM Wilmington | American Airlines | 7:33 p.m. | 2.9% | 6.4% | 52% |
Each airline's last scheduled departure of the day on a route, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Riskiest first.
DFW at the holidays
On the busy Thanksgiving travel days, flights from DFW arrived on time 77% of the time, against 79% normally (−1.5 points; 14th of the 30 busiest airports). On the busy Christmas–New Year travel days, flights from DFW arrived on time 72% of the time, against 72% normally (−0.5 points; 18th of the 30 busiest airports).
Thanksgiving: best days to fly → · Christmas: best days to fly →
Tips for flying out of DFW
- Book the earliest departure you can live with. At DFW the 5 a.m. flights do best.
- Traveling in June? Leave extra slack for anything that can't move: cruises, weddings, the last connection of the day.
- Choosing between airlines? Delta Air Lines has the better record here.
- Need to arrive tonight? Don't book the last flight out of DFW; the one before it leaves you a backup.
- Connecting here? See how long a layover you need at DFW.
- Delayed already? Most delays at DFW come from late-arriving aircraft. If your inbound plane is late, your flight will be too, whatever the board says.
Delayed at DFW right now? See how much later DFW delays usually get, and what to do →
Routes from DFW
Where you're going matters too. From DFW, the most reliable busy route was to College Station (CLL, 84% on time) and the least reliable to San Francisco (SFO, 59%). Flights into congested airports inherit their delays: an air traffic program at the destination holds planes on the ground here.
Least reliable first. Routes with at least 365 flights a year.
| To | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDT Harrisburg | 365 | 54% | 3.0% | +9 min |
| ILM Wilmington | 707 | 59% | 3.0% | +4 min |
| BUF Buffalo | 573 | 59% | 2.8% | +5 min |
| SFO San Francisco | 4,264 | 59% | 2.2% | +3 min |
| GEG Spokane | 559 | 60% | 1.6% | +5 min |
| JAC Jackson | 749 | 61% | 1.9% | +2 min |
| SAN San Diego | 3,738 | 62% | 2.3% | +3 min |
| BOI Boise | 817 | 62% | 2.7% | +4 min |
| MSN Madison | 1,091 | 62% | 1.8% | +2 min |
| LGA New York | 6,650 | 62% | 5.1% | 0 min |
| ASE Aspen | 1,187 | 62% | 4.5% | −4 min |
| ORF Norfolk | 968 | 62% | 2.6% | +1 min |
| EGE Eagle | 876 | 62% | 2.3% | 0 min |
| MCO Orlando | 4,892 | 62% | 2.6% | +1 min |
| JAX Jacksonville | 1,840 | 63% | 2.5% | +1 min |
| FAT Fresno | 1,351 | 64% | 2.5% | +2 min |
| SAV Savannah | 1,023 | 64% | 2.7% | 0 min |
| DSM Des Moines | 1,438 | 64% | 3.4% | −1 min |
| CLE Cleveland | 1,612 | 64% | 2.2% | 0 min |
| FSD Sioux Falls | 1,087 | 64% | 3.0% | 0 min |
| BDL Hartford | 681 | 64% | 3.1% | +2 min |
| ANC Anchorage | 394 | 64% | 0.3% | +4 min |
| BOS Boston | 3,695 | 65% | 3.1% | 0 min |
| PNS Pensacola | 1,706 | 65% | 3.2% | −1 min |
| SRQ Sarasota | 372 | 65% | 2.1% | 0 min |
| BNA Nashville | 3,544 | 65% | 2.7% | +1 min |
| GRR Grand Rapids | 982 | 65% | 2.9% | 0 min |
| MYR Myrtle Beach | 505 | 65% | 1.8% | −3 min |
| PBI West Palm Beach | 1,069 | 65% | 2.8% | +1 min |
| TPA Tampa | 2,917 | 65% | 2.9% | −1 min |
| RSW Fort Myers | 1,332 | 66% | 2.5% | +1 min |
| OMA Omaha | 1,558 | 66% | 2.6% | 0 min |
| VPS Valparaiso | 1,331 | 66% | 2.7% | −1 min |
| SAT San Antonio | 4,375 | 66% | 2.8% | −1 min |
| PDX Portland | 2,328 | 66% | 2.1% | +1 min |
| AUS Austin | 4,730 | 66% | 3.1% | 0 min |
| ELP El Paso | 2,594 | 66% | 2.6% | −1 min |
| MKE Milwaukee | 1,079 | 66% | 3.3% | 0 min |
| ORD Chicago | 7,115 | 66% | 2.8% | −1 min |
| SMF Sacramento | 1,603 | 67% | 2.3% | −1 min |
| MEM Memphis | 2,344 | 67% | 2.5% | 0 min |
| GSO Greensboro | 916 | 67% | 2.4% | −1 min |
| LAS Las Vegas | 5,138 | 67% | 2.4% | −2 min |
| OGG Kahului | 501 | 67% | 1.4% | −3 min |
| TUS Tucson | 2,190 | 67% | 2.9% | −2 min |
| ABQ Albuquerque | 2,266 | 67% | 2.5% | 0 min |
| MSY New Orleans | 2,815 | 67% | 2.6% | −1 min |
| BUR Burbank | 728 | 67% | 2.5% | 0 min |
| AGS Augusta | 696 | 67% | 4.3% | −6 min |
| MIA Miami | 4,804 | 67% | 2.4% | −2 min |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 3,143 | 67% | 3.0% | −1 min |
| STL St. Louis | 2,392 | 68% | 2.9% | −1 min |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,325 | 68% | 2.5% | −2 min |
| SJU San Juan | 971 | 68% | 3.0% | −1 min |
| MFE Mission | 2,445 | 68% | 2.6% | −3 min |
| IND Indianapolis | 2,044 | 69% | 2.4% | −3 min |
| PHL Philadelphia | 3,477 | 69% | 3.3% | −4 min |
| DEN Denver | 6,059 | 69% | 1.9% | −4 min |
| HNL Honolulu | 702 | 69% | 0.9% | −2 min |
| MCI Kansas City | 2,526 | 69% | 2.5% | −1 min |
| RIC Richmond | 1,071 | 69% | 2.1% | −2 min |
| CVG Cincinnati | 1,696 | 69% | 2.6% | −2 min |
| IAH Houston | 6,085 | 69% | 2.4% | −2 min |
| SLC Salt Lake City | 3,872 | 69% | 2.2% | −2 min |
| AVL Asheville | 718 | 69% | 1.9% | −4 min |
| RDU Raleigh | 2,266 | 69% | 2.3% | −2 min |
| TYS Knoxville | 1,762 | 70% | 2.9% | −4 min |
| SDF Louisville | 1,992 | 70% | 2.9% | −3 min |
| SEA Seattle | 5,227 | 70% | 1.8% | 0 min |
| CHS Charleston | 1,234 | 70% | 2.2% | −2 min |
| PSP Palm Springs | 997 | 70% | 2.9% | −4 min |
| EWR Newark | 3,633 | 70% | 3.4% | −4 min |
| CMH Columbus | 1,727 | 70% | 2.0% | −3 min |
| ONT Ontario | 2,274 | 70% | 2.2% | −3 min |
| LAW Lawton | 1,072 | 70% | 5.1% | −5 min |
| BZN Bozeman | 709 | 70% | 1.8% | −1 min |
| CHA Chattanooga | 1,581 | 70% | 3.0% | −6 min |
| COS Colorado Springs | 1,934 | 71% | 2.3% | −3 min |
| OKC Oklahoma City | 3,158 | 71% | 2.5% | −4 min |
| RNO Reno | 1,274 | 71% | 2.7% | −2 min |
| TUL Tulsa | 2,747 | 71% | 2.8% | −5 min |
| PHX Phoenix | 5,258 | 71% | 2.4% | −3 min |
| DCA Washington | 3,303 | 71% | 2.8% | −4 min |
| MGM Montgomery | 1,057 | 71% | 5.5% | −7 min |
| GSP Greer | 1,173 | 71% | 2.3% | −3 min |
| JFK New York | 1,948 | 72% | 3.2% | −6 min |
| SJC San Jose | 1,090 | 72% | 1.7% | −3 min |
| ECP Panama City | 1,276 | 72% | 2.7% | −6 min |
| SBN South Bend | 984 | 72% | 1.9% | −7 min |
| FLG Flagstaff | 435 | 72% | 3.5% | −4 min |
| LFT Lafayette | 1,661 | 72% | 3.1% | −5 min |
| MSO Missoula | 429 | 72% | 0.7% | −5 min |
| MSP Minneapolis | 3,311 | 72% | 2.1% | −3 min |
| PIT Pittsburgh | 1,512 | 72% | 1.3% | −4 min |
| CLT Charlotte | 3,904 | 72% | 2.3% | −5 min |
| LAX Los Angeles | 6,184 | 72% | 2.1% | −4 min |
| DAY Dayton | 1,356 | 72% | 2.2% | −8 min |
| TLH Tallahassee | 1,078 | 73% | 3.3% | −8 min |
| LEX Lexington | 1,195 | 73% | 2.4% | −5 min |
| CID Cedar Rapids | 1,190 | 73% | 2.4% | −5 min |
| BHM Birmingham | 2,197 | 73% | 2.7% | −6 min |
| GRI Grand Island | 703 | 73% | 2.4% | −7 min |
| JAN Jackson | 1,905 | 73% | 2.7% | −6 min |
| ATL Atlanta | 6,672 | 73% | 2.5% | −6 min |
| SHV Shreveport | 2,127 | 74% | 3.7% | −8 min |
| HOU Houston | 1,972 | 74% | 3.6% | −8 min |
| GCK Garden City | 726 | 74% | 2.5% | −7 min |
| PVU Provo | 723 | 74% | 1.7% | −5 min |
| SWO Stillwater | 729 | 74% | 4.3% | −9 min |
| ICT Wichita | 2,419 | 74% | 2.9% | −5 min |
| HSV Huntsville | 2,080 | 74% | 2.8% | −7 min |
| DTW Detroit | 3,482 | 75% | 1.9% | −6 min |
| SAF Santa Fe | 1,765 | 75% | 2.3% | −8 min |
| PIA Peoria | 1,056 | 75% | 3.7% | −8 min |
| SGU St. George | 698 | 75% | 0.4% | −9 min |
| DRO Durango | 1,351 | 75% | 2.1% | −10 min |
| YUM Yuma | 365 | 75% | 2.2% | −11 min |
| TYR Tyler | 1,077 | 76% | 4.2% | −8 min |
| XNA Fayetteville | 3,541 | 76% | 2.3% | −6 min |
| IAD Washington | 1,982 | 76% | 1.8% | −5 min |
| GRK Killeen | 1,939 | 76% | 4.1% | −8 min |
| LIT Little Rock | 2,657 | 77% | 2.1% | −7 min |
| IDA Idaho Falls | 555 | 77% | 1.3% | −7 min |
| BPT Beaumont | 722 | 77% | 3.2% | −9 min |
| SNA Santa Ana | 2,956 | 77% | 2.4% | −6 min |
| BTR Baton Rouge | 2,077 | 77% | 3.1% | −9 min |
| SJT San Angelo | 1,078 | 77% | 3.8% | −11 min |
| GTR Columbus | 367 | 77% | 3.0% | −12 min |
| MOB Mobile | 1,154 | 77% | 4.1% | −9 min |
| MTJ Montrose | 576 | 78% | 2.3% | −9 min |
| FWA Fort Wayne | 1,031 | 78% | 2.5% | −7 min |
| GPT Gulfport | 1,070 | 79% | 3.4% | −9 min |
| EVV Evansville | 967 | 79% | 2.7% | −8 min |
| CAE Columbia | 983 | 79% | 2.4% | −9 min |
| LBB Lubbock | 2,617 | 79% | 2.5% | −9 min |
| ACT Waco | 1,072 | 79% | 3.7% | −9 min |
| CRP Corpus Christi | 2,545 | 79% | 2.6% | −9 min |
| ATW Appleton | 455 | 79% | 1.3% | −8 min |
| BIS Bismarck | 728 | 79% | 1.1% | −6 min |
| MAF Midland | 2,897 | 80% | 2.7% | −10 min |
| AMA Amarillo | 2,365 | 80% | 2.0% | −8 min |
| TXK Texarkana | 723 | 80% | 3.0% | −7 min |
| RAP Rapid City | 1,005 | 80% | 1.6% | −8 min |
| ROW Roswell | 827 | 80% | 2.3% | −10 min |
| SGF Springfield | 3,088 | 80% | 2.1% | −8 min |
| GGG Longview | 718 | 81% | 2.9% | −8 min |
| COU Columbia | 1,248 | 81% | 2.6% | −8 min |
| TRI Bristol | 705 | 81% | 2.7% | −9 min |
| ABI Abilene | 1,750 | 81% | 2.1% | −7 min |
| MHK Manhattan | 1,088 | 81% | 2.1% | −10 min |
| BIL Billings | 687 | 82% | 0.7% | −7 min |
| GJT Grand Junction | 1,044 | 82% | 1.4% | −9 min |
| FSM Fort Smith | 1,194 | 82% | 2.6% | −9 min |
| BMI Bloomington | 727 | 82% | 1.5% | −8 min |
| LCH Lake Charles | 1,043 | 82% | 2.5% | −9 min |
| AEX Alexandria | 1,045 | 82% | 3.2% | −11 min |
| LRD Laredo | 1,545 | 82% | 3.0% | −11 min |
| MLI Moline | 1,015 | 82% | 2.6% | −10 min |
| SPS Wichita Falls | 729 | 83% | 3.2% | −11 min |
| GNV Gainesville | 702 | 83% | 1.3% | −10 min |
| MLU Monroe | 1,166 | 83% | 2.6% | −10 min |
| HRL Harlingen | 1,480 | 83% | 2.8% | −10 min |
| CMI Champaign | 715 | 83% | 1.8% | −9 min |
| BRO Brownsville | 1,421 | 83% | 2.3% | −11 min |
| FAR Fargo | 1,086 | 84% | 1.8% | −9 min |
| CLL College Station | 1,187 | 84% | 2.8% | −11 min |
Flights into DFW
Arriving rather than leaving? These are the routes into Dallas/Fort Worth, least reliable first. The weakest is from Sarasota (62% on time).
| From | Flights | On time | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| SRQ Sarasota | 372 | 62% | 2.1% |
| ASE Aspen | 1,185 | 63% | 7.0% |
| FLG Flagstaff | 435 | 64% | 3.0% |
| LGA New York | 6,646 | 66% | 5.1% |
| EGE Eagle | 876 | 66% | 2.5% |
| JAC Jackson | 749 | 66% | 2.3% |
| ORD Chicago | 7,111 | 68% | 2.7% |
| GRR Grand Rapids | 983 | 69% | 2.9% |
| MYR Myrtle Beach | 505 | 69% | 2.2% |
| AVL Asheville | 719 | 69% | 1.9% |
| FLL Fort Lauderdale | 3,149 | 70% | 2.8% |
| MGM Montgomery | 1,057 | 70% | 5.9% |
| VPS Valparaiso | 1,331 | 71% | 2.8% |
| PBI West Palm Beach | 1,068 | 71% | 2.9% |
| BWI Baltimore | 1,326 | 71% | 2.6% |
| PNS Pensacola | 1,706 | 71% | 3.3% |
| SFO San Francisco | 4,262 | 71% | 2.3% |
| SBN South Bend | 984 | 71% | 2.5% |
| ORF Norfolk | 968 | 71% | 2.7% |
| DSM Des Moines | 1,440 | 71% | 3.6% |
| AGS Augusta | 697 | 72% | 3.7% |
| ATL Atlanta | 6,672 | 72% | 2.5% |
| LFT Lafayette | 1,661 | 72% | 3.6% |
| GRI Grand Island | 703 | 72% | 2.8% |
| MSY New Orleans | 2,816 | 72% | 2.8% |
Showing the 25 least reliable of 166 routes into DFW.
Questions about DFW delays
What is the best time to fly out of DFW?
Flights scheduled at 5 a.m.: over the past year 87% of DFW departures at that hour arrived on time, against 60% at 8 p.m., the worst hour.
What month has the most flight delays at DFW?
June (61% on time). October is the best month (79%).
Which airline is most on time at DFW?
Delta Air Lines: 79% of its DFW departures arrived on time over the past year. American Airlines had the weakest record at 70%.
Why are flights delayed at DFW?
The biggest cause was late-arriving aircraft (47% of delay minutes): the plane showed up late from its previous flight, so the delay started somewhere else. Then the airlines themselves (31%).
Is DFW or DAL more reliable?
Over the past year: DFW 71% on time, DAL 71%.
How often are flights cancelled at DFW?
2.6% of scheduled departures over the past 12 months, peaking in January at 6.4%.
Hours are scheduled local departure times. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes late at the destination; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Method.