Minneapolis (MSP) to Los Angeles (LAX): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly MSP to LAX matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 93% on-time in November 2024 to just 64% in December 2025. Across the full period the route averages 83% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 75%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 83%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 10 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.9%
- Flights/day
- 5.8
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 2m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,535 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from MSP to LAX
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (96% on-time); avoid 9 p.m. departures (73%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 79% | 13 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 89% | 8 min |
| Wednesday | 86% | 8 min |
| Thursday | 83% | 9 min |
| Friday | 84% | 10 min |
| Saturday | 85% | 9 min |
| Sunday | 78% | 12 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft29%
- Airline operations49%
- National airspace system20%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from MSP to LAX delayed?
- 17% of MSP–LAX 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 10 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from MSP to LAX?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (96% on-time), while departures around 9 p.m. have the worst (73%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from MSP to LAX?
- The scheduled MSP–LAX flight time averages 4h 2m over 1,535 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
- How often are MSP to LAX flights cancelled?
- 0.9% 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 MSP to LAX?
- December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 64% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 93%. If your dates are flexible, that 29-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
More routes from MSP
Other ways to fly to Los Angeles (LAX)
Related guides
Based on 4,659 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.