FlightRecord

Cleveland (CLE) to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

Cleveland (CLE) to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) effectively runs on two schedules. In March 2025, 85% of arrivals were on time; in February 2025 that fell to 64% — a 21-point seasonal swing. Across the full period the route averages 75% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (82% vs 58%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
75%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
22 min
completed flights
Cancelled
2.2%
Flights/day
4.6
last 12 months
Duration
3h 4m
scheduled
Distance
1,021 mi

Best airline from CLE to DFW

2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
American Airlinesmost reliable75%22 min2.3%2,980
Frontier Airlines72%21 min0.9%331

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for CLE to DFW flights50%75%100%June 2024: 74% on-time (160 flights)74Jun 2024July 2024: 65% on-time (168 flights)65August 2024: 81% on-time (139 flights)81September 2024: 82% on-time (142 flights)82Sep 2024October 2024: 82% on-time (144 flights)82November 2024: 79% on-time (134 flights)79December 2024: 73% on-time (134 flights)73Dec 2024January 2025: 69% on-time (133 flights)69February 2025: 64% on-time (125 flights)64March 2025: 85% on-time (134 flights)85Mar 2025April 2025: 70% on-time (129 flights)70May 2025: 74% on-time (140 flights)74June 2025: 69% on-time (165 flights)69Jun 2025July 2025: 67% on-time (170 flights)67August 2025: 72% on-time (147 flights)72September 2025: 81% on-time (144 flights)81Sep 2025October 2025: 82% on-time (135 flights)82November 2025: 81% on-time (130 flights)81December 2025: 79% on-time (146 flights)79Dec 2025January 2026: 69% on-time (106 flights)69February 2026: 71% on-time (102 flights)71March 2026: 73% on-time (143 flights)73Mar 2026April 2026: 76% on-time (135 flights)76May 2026: 77% on-time (147 flights)77

Best time to fly from CLE to DFW

Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (85% on-time); avoid 7 p.m. departures (53%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, CLE to DFW5 a.m.: 85% on-time (555 flights)56 a.m.: 75% on-time (80 flights)67 a.m.: 85% on-time (483 flights)78 a.m.: 81% on-time (234 flights)89 a.m.: 72% on-time (89 flights)910 a.m.: 78% on-time (23 flights)1011 a.m.: 75% on-time (207 flights)1112 p.m.: 79% on-time (140 flights)121 p.m.: 79% on-time (438 flights)132 p.m.: 70% on-time (143 flights)143 p.m.: 71% on-time (111 flights)154 p.m.: 72% on-time (76 flights)165 p.m.: 59% on-time (504 flights)176 p.m.: 68% on-time (73 flights)187 p.m.: 53% on-time (182 flights)19scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday75%25 min
Tuesdaybest79%21 min
Wednesday75%24 min
Thursday75%17 min
Friday75%19 min
Saturday70%24 min
Sunday74%21 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft41%
  • Airline operations39%
  • National airspace system17%
  • Weather4%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from CLE to DFW delayed?
25% of CLE–DFW flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 22 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from CLE to DFW?
American Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 75%, based on 2,980 flights. 2 airlines flew CLE–DFW frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from CLE to DFW?
Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (85% on-time), while departures around 7 p.m. have the worst (53%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from CLE to DFW?
The scheduled CLE–DFW flight time averages 3h 4m over 1,021 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 25% of the time.
How often are CLE to DFW flights cancelled?
2.2% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from CLE to DFW?
February 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 64% of arrivals on time. The best was March 2025 at 85%. If your dates are flexible, that 21-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 3,352 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.