New York to Denver Flight Delays
Sample size: 4,476 JFK–DEN flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). 26.56% of New York to Denver flights arrived at least 15 minutes late. That is 2.4 points worse than the 24.2% median for those routes, so schedule padding matters here. Departure time moves the odds more than anything else on this route: 08:00 departures run 14.64% late against 37.8% for 20:00. Tuesday is the calmest day at 19.11%, Sunday the worst at 31.67%. Cancellations (2024 to 2025) peak in July at 6.17% of scheduled flights and bottom out in April at 0%. Last updated: 2026-10-01.
These figures are historical US domestic rates, not a forecast for one departure. Use the delay risk check for your flight before you book.
JFK airport delay guide · DEN airport delay guide · Predict a JFK to DEN flight
Best time to fly JFK to DEN
The best time to fly JFK to DEN is the 8 AM departure and fly on a Tuesday, not a Sunday (19.11% against 31.67%): 14.64% of 8 AM flights arrived 15+ minutes late, against 37.8% at 8 PM.
Lowest observed delay rates depart 08:00, 15:00, 19:00. The highest sit at 09:00, 16:00, 20:00. Only departure hours with at least 100 recorded flights are listed, so sparse hours are blank rather than estimated.
| Departure hour | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | 14.64% | 1,182 |
| 09:00 | 32.1% | 352 |
| 15:00 | 25.05% | 555 |
| 16:00 | 32.64% | 193 |
| 19:00 | 30.69% | 720 |
| 20:00 | 37.8% | 910 |
JFK to DEN flight time and distance
Scheduled gate-to-gate time from JFK to DEN is a median 4 h 40 min. Flights actually took a median 4 h 26 min gate to gate, including 3 h 47 min in the air. 5.1% ran 30 or more minutes over schedule and 71.2% arrived sooner than scheduled (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
JFK to DEN is 1,626 miles (BTS data).
| Airline | Scheduled (median) | Actual (median) | In the air (median) | 30+ min over schedule | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 4 h 43 min | 4 h 27 min | 3 h 48 min | 5.1% | 2,800 |
| JetBlue Airways | 4 h 37 min | 4 h 25 min | 3 h 46 min | 5.2% | 1,635 |
How late, and why
When a JFK to DEN flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 76 minutes late (median 49). 11.0% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
Of the delay minutes on late JFK to DEN flights, 44.5% were caused by the airline (crew, maintenance, ground handling), 30.2% by the air-traffic system (volume, non-extreme weather, airport operations), 23.6% by a late incoming aircraft, 1.6% by extreme weather and 0.1% by security (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
| Cause | Share of delay minutes |
|---|---|
| airline | 44.5% |
| air-traffic system | 30.2% |
| late incoming aircraft | 23.6% |
| extreme weather | 1.6% |
| security | 0.1% |
BTS assigns causes to delay minutes on flights that arrived 15+ minutes late. "Air-traffic system" includes non-extreme weather that slows traffic.
JFK to DEN delays by day of week
| Day | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 25.71% | 665 |
| Tue | 19.11% | 607 |
| Wed | 24.23% | 619 |
| Thu | 28.48% | 660 |
| Fri | 26.32% | 665 |
| Sat | 29.98% | 597 |
| Sun | 31.67% | 663 |
Month-by-month cancellation pattern
Share of scheduled JFK–DEN flights cancelled in each month, from BTS 2024–2025 on-time reporting. These are cancellations, not delays. Delay figures on this page cover January 2023 to December 2025.
| Month | Cancelled | Flights scheduled |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.92% | 217 |
| Feb | 1.59% | 189 |
| Mar | 0.43% | 233 |
| Apr | 0% | 198 |
| May | 0% | 235 |
| Jun | 1.08% | 278 |
| Jul | 6.17% | 308 |
| Aug | 3.11% | 289 |
| Sep | 0% | 261 |
| Oct | 0.68% | 296 |
| Nov | 0% | 262 |
| Dec | 2.66% | 301 |
Airlines on JFK to DEN: delays and cancellations
Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways fly this route today. Only carriers with at least 200 scheduled flights on the pairing are listed. Delay rates cover January 2023 to December 2025; cancellation rates cover 2024 to 2025.
| Airline | Share of flights | Delayed 15+ min | Cancelled | Flights scheduled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 62% | 22.61% | 1.65% | 1,874 |
| JetBlue Airways | 38% | 33.15% | 1.39% | 1,152 |
Related pages
- JFK delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- DEN delays: rate, worst hours and live risk
- US airline cancellation rates
- Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026 flight delay guide
- Predict a JFK to DEN flight
Check your odds: Will my flight be delayed? · Will my flight be cancelled?
JFK vs DEN: airport conditions
Both ends of a route shape its delay profile. These are DelayGuard's operational scores for New York and Denver.
| Measure | JFK (New York) | DEN (Denver) |
|---|---|---|
| Congestion | high | high |
| Weather risk | moderate | moderate |
| NAS vulnerability | high | moderate |
| Average taxi-out | 28 min | 17 min |
| Runways | 4 | 6 |
JFK to DEN questions
- How long is the flight from New York to Denver?
- Scheduled gate-to-gate time from JFK to DEN is a median 4 h 40 min, and flights actually took a median 4 h 26 min including 3 h 47 min in the air. 5.1% ran 30+ minutes over schedule (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
- How often do JFK to DEN flights get delayed?
- Across 4,476 recorded JFK–DEN departures, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS), 26.56% arrived at least 15 minutes late. Departure time matters most: 8:00 departures run 14.64% late against 37.8% for 20:00. Actual delay frequency varies by airline, time of day, and season.
- What is the best time of year to fly JFK to DEN?
- Both New York and Denver share the same primary risk window: December–February (winter weather) and June–August (summer storms). Plan around those periods for the lowest delay probability on this route.
- Which airline is most reliable on JFK to DEN?
- On JFK→DEN, Delta Air Lines has the lowest measured delay rate at 22.61% of 2,800 flights, and JetBlue Airways the highest at 33.15% (BTS, January 2023 to December 2025). JetBlue Airways cancels the fewest at 1.39% (2024 to 2025). These are route-specific figures, not airline-wide averages.
- How late are JFK to DEN flights when they are delayed?
- When a JFK to DEN flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 76 minutes late (median 49). 11.0% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
- How accurate is DelayGuard's delay prediction for this route?
- DelayGuard's delay risk score comes from an ML model trained on BTS data (3.95 million US domestic flights, 2023 to mid-2025), with live weather data (within 5 days of departure) and FAA NAS advisories (within 6 hours) — a likelihood of delay, not a guarantee.
Delay figures reflect arrivals 15 or more minutes late in BTS on-time reporting. Cancellation figures are separate and count flights that never operated. Hours, days and months with fewer than 100 recorded flights are omitted rather than estimated.