FlightRecord

Detroit (DTW) to Cleveland (CLE): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on DTW–CLE. October 2025 flights landed on schedule 94% of the time, but January 2026 dropped to 54% — a gap of 41 points. Across the full period the route averages 77% on-time against a national 78%.

On-time
77%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
20 min
completed flights
Cancelled
0.7%
Flights/day
2.6
last 12 months
Duration
56m
scheduled
Distance
95 mi

Best airline from DTW to CLE

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

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Endeavor Airmost reliable85%10 min2.1%283
SkyWest Airlines76%22 min0.4%1,778

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for DTW to CLE flights50%75%100%June 2024: 73% on-time (132 flights)73Jun 2024July 2024: 86% on-time (136 flights)86August 2024: 79% on-time (139 flights)79September 2024: 91% on-time (140 flights)91Sep 2024October 2024: 91% on-time (145 flights)91November 2024: 81% on-time (132 flights)81December 2024: 75% on-time (127 flights)75Dec 2024January 2025: 66% on-time (65 flights)66February 2025: 63% on-time (54 flights)63March 2025: 77% on-time (39 flights)77Mar 2025April 2025: 88% on-time (32 flights)88May 2025: 89% on-time (46 flights)89June 2025: 71% on-time (52 flights)71Jun 2025July 2025: 64% on-time (65 flights)64August 2025: 72% on-time (87 flights)72September 2025: 91% on-time (74 flights)91Sep 2025October 2025: 94% on-time (87 flights)94November 2025: 77% on-time (82 flights)77December 2025: 55% on-time (89 flights)55Dec 2025January 2026: 54% on-time (108 flights)54February 2026: 58% on-time (83 flights)58March 2026: 68% on-time (41 flights)68Mar 2026April 2026: 88% on-time (97 flights)88May 2026: 79% on-time (82 flights)79

Best time to fly from DTW to CLE

Aim for departures around 7 p.m. (90% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (59%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, DTW to CLE8 a.m.: 83% on-time (432 flights)810 a.m.: 72% on-time (47 flights)1012 p.m.: 76% on-time (523 flights)122 p.m.: 76% on-time (254 flights)143 p.m.: 79% on-time (68 flights)154 p.m.: 81% on-time (194 flights)165 p.m.: 59% on-time (97 flights)176 p.m.: 74% on-time (84 flights)187 p.m.: 90% on-time (31 flights)198 p.m.: 74% on-time (78 flights)209 p.m.: 73% on-time (145 flights)2110 p.m.: 82% on-time (166 flights)22scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday75%26 min
Tuesday78%20 min
Wednesday80%18 min
Thursday80%17 min
Friday72%22 min
Saturdaybest83%12 min
Sunday73%28 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft4%
  • Airline operations75%
  • National airspace system11%
  • Weather11%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from DTW to CLE delayed?
23% of DTW–CLE 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 20 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from DTW to CLE?
Endeavor Air has the best on-time record on this route at 85%, based on 283 flights. 2 airlines flew DTW–CLE frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from DTW to CLE?
Departures around 7 p.m. have the best record (90% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (59%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from DTW to CLE?
The scheduled DTW–CLE flight time averages 56m over 95 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 23% of the time.
How often are DTW to CLE flights cancelled?
0.7% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from DTW to CLE?
January 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 54% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2025 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 41-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 2,134 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.