Dane County Regional Truax Field (MSN): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
Dane County Regional Truax Field (MSN) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 91% on-time in October 2024 but sank to 74% in December 2025. Across the year it averages 83% against a national 78%, over roughly 37 departures a day to 24 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 83%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 17 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 75%
- Cancelled
- 1.9%
- Destinations
- 24
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 9
Plan your departure from MSN
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 5 a.m.
- 93% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Tuesday
- 81% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 1.9%
- above the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from MSN
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 79% | 19 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 81% | 18 min |
| Wednesday | 79% | 18 min |
| Thursday | 80% | 18 min |
| Friday | 78% | 21 min |
| Saturday | 80% | 17 min |
| Sunday | 78% | 20 min |
Busiest routes from MSN
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSN → ORD (Chicago) | 3,955 | 73% | 23 min |
| MSN → DCA (Washington) | 1,172 | 74% | 22 min |
| MSN → MSP (Minneapolis) | 1,115 | 82% | 16 min |
| MSN → DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) | 1,093 | 73% | 30 min |
| MSN → DEN (Denver) | 1,049 | 79% | 18 min |
| MSN → ATL (Atlanta) | 1,023 | 89% | 12 min |
| MSN → CLT (Charlotte) | 1,010 | 82% | 17 min |
| MSN → DTW (Detroit) | 936 | 85% | 15 min |
| MSN → LGA (New York) | 859 | 85% | 11 min |
| MSN → PHX (Phoenix) | 532 | 81% | 17 min |
| MSN → EWR (Newark) | 375 | 88% | 10 min |
| MSN → PHL (Philadelphia) | 324 | 82% | 16 min |
Where flights into MSN come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORD (Chicago) → MSN | 3,956 | 73% | 22 min |
| DCA (Washington) → MSN | 1,172 | 73% | 23 min |
| MSP (Minneapolis) → MSN | 1,115 | 80% | 14 min |
| DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → MSN | 1,093 | 63% | 31 min |
| DEN (Denver) → MSN | 1,051 | 79% | 13 min |
| ATL (Atlanta) → MSN | 1,023 | 83% | 12 min |
| CLT (Charlotte) → MSN | 1,010 | 75% | 18 min |
| DTW (Detroit) → MSN | 935 | 77% | 18 min |
What causes delays at MSN
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing MSN.
- Late-arriving aircraft34%
- Airline operations39%
- National airspace system19%
- Weather7%
Alternative airports near Madison
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| RFD — Chicago Rockford International Airport | 66 mi | 74% | 28 min |
| MKE — General Mitchell International Airport | 74 mi | 81% | 16 min |
| ATW — Appleton International Airport | 87 mi | 81% | 20 min |
| ORD — Chicago O'Hare International Airport | 108 mi | 75% | 20 min |
| LSE — La Crosse Regional Airport | 109 mi | 84% | 14 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at MSN
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 89% | 12 min | 3,596 |
| United Airlines | 86% | 13 min | 3,101 |
| Republic Airways | 86% | 13 min | 3,761 |
| Endeavor Air | 84% | 13 min | 559 |
| Envoy Air | 84% | 13 min | 1,726 |
| PSA Airlines | 80% | 20 min | 3,045 |
| American Airlines | 79% | 24 min | 4,219 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 79% | 22 min | 5,166 |
| Frontier Airlines | 71% | 28 min | 370 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at MSN?
- 17% of departures from Dane County Regional Truax Field left 15+ minutes late between 2024-06 and 2026-05, with an average departure delay of 17 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
- What is the best time of day to depart from MSN?
- Flights scheduled around 5 a.m. depart on time 93% of the time at MSN, versus 65% around 7 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at MSN?
- In this dataset, December 2025 was the weakest month at MSN, with 74% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at MSN?
- 1.9% of scheduled departures from MSN were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 25,543 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.