DFW Flight Delays: Rate, Worst Hours and Live Risk
DFW is ranked 3 of 22 for delays among DelayGuard's guide airports (1 is the highest rate): 26.7% of flights departing DFW arrived 15 or more minutes late across 893,078 flights, January 2023 to December 2025. American Airlines operated 53.8% of those departures, with a 31.4% delay rate of its own. The worst scheduled departure hours are 11 PM (46.3%) and 8 PM (37.0%); 5 AM is the best at 12.5%. 2.31% of scheduled DFW departures were cancelled in 2024 to 2025.
These figures are historical US domestic rates, not a forecast for one departure. Use the per-flight delay estimate before you book.
Delay window: January 2023 to December 2025. Cancellation window: 2024 to 2025. Last updated: 2026-10-18. Delayed means a flight arrived 15 or more minutes after its scheduled arrival, the BTS and DOT on-time standard. Cancelled and diverted flights are excluded from delay rates. Historical BTS figures are separate from DelayGuard's per-flight model probability and from live FAA, weather and ground-delay status.
Layover buffer
Chance an inbound arrival is 45+ min late at DFW: 11.87%.
105,784 of 891,297 arrivals, January 2023 to December 2025. Not a missed-connection rate.
Flight delays today at DFW
FAA now: No FAA program
Tomorrow: Typical
October delay rate: 19.9%
FAA now is the current National Airspace System program.
Historical delay rate (15+ min late) at DFW
Sample size: 893,078 flights, window: January 2023 to December 2025. Delay rate 26.7%. Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Cancellation rate 2.31% of 629,436 scheduled flights, 2024 to 2025.
Why DFW runs the way it does
American Airlines flew 53.8% of DFW departures in the window, and its flights ran 31.4% late against 26.7% for the airport as a whole. With one carrier that large, DFW's delay record largely follows how American Airlines runs its schedule.
DFW delays peak in June (36.3%), July (34.7%) and May (32.8%) and are lowest in October (19.9%). That shape is consistent with the summer thunderstorm season, when convective weather builds through the afternoon and slows arrivals and departures.
Delays build through the day: 14.3% of flights scheduled before 8 AM ran late against 34.0% after 8 PM. That is the pattern BTS describes as late-arriving aircraft, where a previous flight with the same aircraft arriving late makes the next departure late.
Best and worst times to fly from DFW
| Hour | Delayed 15+ min | Flights |
|---|---|---|
| 12 AM | 34.0% | 103 |
| 5 AM | 12.5% | 11,800 |
| 6 AM | 14.7% | 14,608 |
| 7 AM | 14.5% | 52,932 |
| 8 AM | 15.9% | 88,356 |
| 9 AM | 21.7% | 27,538 |
| 10 AM | 18.9% | 79,866 |
| 11 AM | 25.1% | 36,552 |
| 12 PM | 21.1% | 72,721 |
| 1 PM | 28.5% | 37,732 |
| 2 PM | 27.6% | 59,942 |
| 3 PM | 33.2% | 40,084 |
| 4 PM | 30.7% | 60,704 |
| 5 PM | 34.3% | 48,041 |
| 6 PM | 35.6% | 56,346 |
| 7 PM | 36.0% | 67,994 |
| 8 PM | 37.0% | 46,434 |
| 9 PM | 31.5% | 52,420 |
| 10 PM | 33.3% | 37,592 |
| 11 PM | 46.3% | 1,312 |
DFW delays and cancellations by month
| Month | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24.7% | 65,959 | 4.61% |
| Feb | 20.7% | 64,081 | 0.76% |
| Mar | 28.0% | 73,248 | 2.42% |
| Apr | 27.9% | 71,238 | 2.81% |
| May | 32.8% | 75,142 | 4.72% |
| Jun | 36.3% | 78,912 | 2.32% |
| Jul | 34.7% | 82,048 | 2.44% |
| Aug | 28.0% | 79,885 | 1.82% |
| Sep | 21.3% | 75,494 | 1.07% |
| Oct | 19.9% | 79,893 | 0.77% |
| Nov | 20.5% | 72,826 | 2.58% |
| Dec | 23.2% | 74,352 | 1.35% |
Airlines at DFW
| Airline | Share of departures | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 53.8% | 31.4% | 480,678 | 2.36% |
| Envoy Air | 20.7% | 18.6% | 184,711 | 2.09% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 8.6% | 20.1% | 76,613 | 2.85% |
| Delta Air Lines | 3.9% | 18.1% | 34,718 | 1.29% |
| PSA Airlines | 3.5% | 25.8% | 31,291 | 3.74% |
| Spirit Airlines (ceased 2 May 2026) | 2.9% | 26.5% | 26,141 | 1.26% |
| United Airlines | 2.9% | 23.0% | 25,729 | 1.61% |
| Frontier Airlines | 2.8% | 31.5% | 25,134 | 2.55% |
| Alaska Airlines | 0.8% | 30.0% | 6,791 | 1.68% |
| JetBlue Airways | 0.1% | 39.8% | 1,137 | 1.27% |
Regional operators are reported separately from the airline brands they fly for.
Routes from DFW
| Route | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW to LAX | 27.6% | 19,982 | 1.40% | Route page |
| DFW to ATL | 25.2% | 19,122 | 2.03% | Route page |
| DFW to LGA | 25.5% | 18,743 | 2.66% | Predict |
| DFW to ORD | 25.8% | 18,707 | 1.92% | Route page |
| DFW to DEN | 30.1% | 17,666 | 2.16% | Route page |
| DFW to LAS | 32.0% | 17,174 | 2.08% | Route page |
| DFW to IAH | 29.3% | 15,248 | 3.21% | Predict |
| DFW to PHX | 30.3% | 14,872 | 1.68% | Route page |
| DFW to MCO | 34.6% | 14,398 | 2.38% | Route page |
| DFW to AUS | 28.9% | 14,222 | 2.64% | Predict |
| DFW to SEA | 28.4% | 14,163 | 1.73% | Route page |
| DFW to MIA | 30.3% | 13,582 | 1.88% | Route page |
| DFW to SAT | 31.9% | 12,360 | 2.96% | Predict |
| DFW to SFO | 34.2% | 11,845 | 1.76% | Route page |
| DFW to CLT | 28.0% | 11,714 | 1.70% | Route page |
Nearby airports
- Love Field (DAL): 22.6% delayed
- Summer thunderstorm delays: which airports suffer most
- Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026 flight delay guide
- US airline cancellation rates
A tight connection at DFW depends on the inbound arrival, so see how often those flights were late.
Questions
- How often are flights delayed at DFW?
- 26.7% of flights departing DFW arrived 15 or more minutes late across 893,078 flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). Across all US domestic flights in the data, the rate is 21.2%.
- What is the best time to fly from DFW?
- Early departures run best. 5 AM flights ran 12.5% late (11,800 flights), 7 AM flights ran 14.5% late (52,932 flights) and 6 AM flights ran 14.7% late (14,608 flights). The worst hours are 11 PM (46.3%), 8 PM (37.0%) and 7 PM (36.0%).
- Which month is worst for delays at DFW?
- June has the highest delay rate at 36.3%. October is the lowest at 19.9%.
- Which airline has the best on-time record at DFW?
- Among carriers still flying with at least 5,000 flights from DFW, Delta Air Lines has the lowest delay rate at 18.1% (34,718 flights). Frontier Airlines is highest at 31.5%. Regional operators such as SkyWest are reported separately from the airline brands they fly for.
- How often are DFW flights cancelled?
- 2.31% of 629,436 scheduled departures from DFW were cancelled in 2024 to 2025. The US figure over the same period is 1.41%. See the full ranking on the cancellation rates page.
- Does DelayGuard show live delays at DFW?
- Yes. The live module on this page shows DelayGuard's hourly risk score and any active FAA ground stop or ground delay program. It is separate from the historical BTS figures above. For a specific flight, the predictor gives a model probability that combines history, weather and FAA data.
- Why does DFW have delays?
- American Airlines flew 53.8% of DFW departures in the window, and its flights ran 31.4% late against 26.7% for the airport as a whole. With one carrier that large, DFW's delay record largely follows how American Airlines runs its schedule. DFW delays peak in June (36.3%), July (34.7%) and May (32.8%) and are lowest in October (19.9%). That shape is consistent with the summer thunderstorm season, when convective weather builds through the afternoon and slows arrivals and departures.
- Is DFW better than nearby airports?
- Compare DFW with DAL (22.6%) on the Dallas–Fort Worth: DFW vs DAL compared page. Those are the delay rates for flights departing each airport over the same window.