DTW to LGA delays: 70% on time (Detroit to New York)

70% of flights from Detroit to New York arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 7 a.m. departures ran on time 85% of the time; the 5 p.m. ones 56%. Most reliable airline: Delta Air Lines (73%). 15% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for DTW → LGA: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 49% of the time. About 1 in 11 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 51 three hours or more; 5.4% were cancelled outright.

On time or early70%
15–30 min late7.6%
30–60 min late6.8%
1–2 hours late5.8%
2–3 hours late1.8%
3+ hours late2.0%
Diverted0.2%
Cancelled5.4%

Share of all 3,866 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

Airline	Flights	On time	Cancelled	Typical arrival	1h+ late	Avg when late	Operated by
Delta Air Lines	1,985	73%	4.0%	−6 min	8.5%	+74 min	Delta Air Lines 100%, Endeavor Air 0%
American Airlines	1,052	72%	5.8%	−7 min	8.5%	+80 min	Republic Airways
Spirit Airlines	829	62%	8.3%	−5 min	13.4%	+76 min	Spirit Airlines

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at DTW). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

DTW → LGA, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.

82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

By airline and hour

Departs	Delta Air Lines	American Airlines	Spirit Airlines
6 a.m.	—	79%	—
7 a.m.	85%	—	—
10 a.m.	83%	81%	—
11 a.m.	—	75%	—
noon	73%	—	—
2 p.m.	72%	—	—
5 p.m.	52%	56%	62%
9 p.m.	67%	—	—

Last flight of the day

On DTW → LGA, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 8.5% of the time, against 4.4% for its earlier flights (1.9× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 2.1% of the time (earlier flights: 1.9%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

Airline	Last departure	Last: cancelled	Last: 3h+ late	Earlier: cancelled	Next morning
American Airlines	5:22 p.m.	8.6%	3.9%	4.4%	first flight 6:00 a.m.
Delta Air Lines	9:50 p.m.	6.9%	0.8%	3.4%	first flight 7:00 a.m.
Spirit Airlines	—	10.8%	1.2%	7.3%	—

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in LGA tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: October (84%). Worst: July (68%).

By day of week

Day	Flights	On time	Cancelled
Monday	587	65%	8.2%
Tuesday	580	71%	4.7%
Wednesday	562	77%	2.7%
Thursday	576	70%	3.6%
Friday	577	73%	4.3%
Saturday	433	76%	4.6%
Sunday	551	62%	9.8%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Air traffic & airport (NAS) 47%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 29%Late inbound plane 19%Severe weather 4%

Cancellations: weather 117 · airline 52 · air traffic/airport 41

Month by month

Share of flights on time, by month (hover a point for cancellations)

DTW → LGA, monthly on-time and cancellation rate.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

Flight	Departs	Flights	On time	Cancelled	Typical arrival	Operated by
AA 4477	6:00 a.m.	344	81%	4.7%	−7 min	Republic Airways
DL 1487	7:00 a.m.	360	85%	3.3%	−11 min	Delta Air Lines
DL 2589	10:00 a.m.	365	83%	3.0%	−10 min	Delta Air Lines
DL 1669	12:15 p.m.	229	73%	2.2%	−2 min	Delta Air Lines
DL 2602	2:02 p.m.	364	72%	3.6%	−3 min	Delta Air Lines
DL 2604	5:59 p.m.	300	56%	4.7%	+6 min	Delta Air Lines
DL 2603	9:50 p.m.	363	67%	6.9%	−3 min	Delta Air Lines

Worst days in the past year

Date	Flights	On time	Cancelled
Nov 9, 2025	13	0%	5
Feb 23, 2026	12	0%	12
Jan 25, 2026	12	0%	11
Dec 19, 2025	12	0%	4
Aug 27, 2026	9	0%	4

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of Detroit or New York. DTW → JFK has been 5 points more reliable.

Route	Flights	On time	Cancelled
DTW → LGA (this route)	3,866	70%	5.4%
DTW → JFK Detroit Metro to New York JFK	1,887	76%	4.1%
DTW → EWR Detroit Metro to Newark	3,700	73%	5.5%
DTW → HPN Detroit Metro to Westchester	689	72%	2.3%

Questions

How often are flights from DTW to LGA on time?

70% of 3,866 scheduled flights from Detroit, MI to New York, NY arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 5.4% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly DTW to LGA?

Flights scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. were the most reliable (85% on time). The 5 p.m. departures were the least (56%).

Which airline is most on time from DTW to LGA?

Delta Air Lines: 73% of its 1,985 flights on the route arrived on time. American Airlines: 72%. Spirit Airlines: 62%.

What month has the most delays from DTW to LGA?

July (68% on time). The best month is October (84%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from DTW to LGA more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last DTW–LGA flight of the day was cancelled 8.5% of the time over the past year, against 4.4% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.

DTW → LGA on time