FlightRecord

Memphis (MEM) to Denver (DEN): On-Time Performance

Data through July 2026

When you fly MEM to DEN matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 95% on-time in October 2024 to just 60% in June 2025. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (86% vs 62%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
78%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
17 min
completed flights
Cancelled
0.7%
Flights/day
3.7
last 12 months
Duration
2h 39m
scheduled
Distance
872 mi

Best airline from MEM to DEN

3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-07 and 2026-07.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
United Airlinesmost reliable79%17 min1.1%1,518
Southwest Airlines78%14 min0.3%893
Frontier Airlines72%25 min0.4%284

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for MEM to DEN flights50%75%100%August 2024: 79% on-time (107 flights)79Aug 2024September 2024: 84% on-time (102 flights)84October 2024: 95% on-time (106 flights)95November 2024: 80% on-time (99 flights)80Nov 2024December 2024: 89% on-time (104 flights)89January 2025: 74% on-time (103 flights)74February 2025: 84% on-time (92 flights)84Feb 2025March 2025: 80% on-time (105 flights)80April 2025: 66% on-time (101 flights)66May 2025: 72% on-time (102 flights)72May 2025June 2025: 60% on-time (99 flights)60July 2025: 69% on-time (102 flights)69August 2025: 73% on-time (103 flights)73Aug 2025September 2025: 78% on-time (102 flights)78October 2025: 79% on-time (105 flights)79November 2025: 94% on-time (102 flights)94Nov 2025December 2025: 76% on-time (106 flights)76January 2026: 88% on-time (105 flights)88February 2026: 88% on-time (97 flights)88Feb 2026March 2026: 76% on-time (129 flights)76April 2026: 84% on-time (125 flights)84May 2026: 81% on-time (129 flights)81May 2026June 2026: 63% on-time (128 flights)63July 2026: 72% on-time (133 flights)72

Best time to fly from MEM to DEN

Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (50%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, MEM to DEN5 a.m.: 92% on-time (40 flights)56 a.m.: 91% on-time (98 flights)67 a.m.: 85% on-time (89 flights)78 a.m.: 85% on-time (769 flights)89 a.m.: 88% on-time (72 flights)910 a.m.: 83% on-time (120 flights)1011 a.m.: 85% on-time (79 flights)1112 p.m.: 77% on-time (73 flights)121 p.m.: 82% on-time (101 flights)133 p.m.: 73% on-time (685 flights)154 p.m.: 76% on-time (209 flights)165 p.m.: 50% on-time (72 flights)176 p.m.: 50% on-time (118 flights)187 p.m.: 71% on-time (88 flights)198 p.m.: 81% on-time (73 flights)20scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday80%17 min
Tuesdaybest80%15 min
Wednesday79%15 min
Thursday75%20 min
Friday78%16 min
Saturday79%18 min
Sunday76%15 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft32%
  • Airline operations29%
  • National airspace system34%
  • Weather5%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from MEM to DEN delayed?
22% of MEM–DEN flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 17 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from MEM to DEN?
United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 79%, based on 1,518 flights. 3 airlines flew MEM–DEN frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from MEM to DEN?
Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (50%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from MEM to DEN?
The scheduled MEM–DEN flight time averages 2h 39m over 872 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
How often are MEM to DEN flights cancelled?
0.7% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
What is the worst month to fly from MEM to DEN?
June 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 60% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 95%. If your dates are flexible, that 35-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 2,696 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.