Los Angeles to Denver Flight Delays
Sample size: 22,509 LAX–DEN flights, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS). 17.64% of Los Angeles to Denver flights arrived at least 15 minutes late. That is 6.6 points better than the 24.2% median for those routes, making this one of the steadier pairings in the network. Departure time moves the odds more than anything else on this route: 05:00 departures run 3.78% late against 38.71% for 21:00. Tuesday is the calmest day at 14.87%, Friday the worst at 20.11%. Cancellations (2024 to 2025) peak in January at 3.45% of scheduled flights and bottom out in September at 0.15%. 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.
LAX airport delay guide · DEN airport delay guide · Predict a LAX to DEN flight
Best time to fly LAX to DEN
The best time to fly LAX to DEN is the 5 AM departure and fly on a Tuesday, not a Friday (14.87% against 20.11%): 3.78% of 5 AM flights arrived 15+ minutes late, against 38.71% at 9 PM.
Lowest observed delay rates depart 05:00, 07:00, 11:00. The highest sit at 15:00, 21:00–22:00. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 05:00 | 3.78% | 1,851 |
| 06:00 | 10.71% | 924 |
| 07:00 | 8.46% | 1,253 |
| 08:00 | 11.88% | 3,023 |
| 09:00 | 12.16% | 1,069 |
| 10:00 | 16.8% | 762 |
| 11:00 | 10.37% | 1,022 |
| 12:00 | 15.76% | 1,377 |
| 13:00 | 19.9% | 1,040 |
| 14:00 | 25.21% | 2,138 |
| 15:00 | 29.64% | 1,373 |
| 16:00 | 26.98% | 1,772 |
| 17:00 | 21.91% | 470 |
| 18:00 | 18.6% | 1,215 |
| 19:00 | 20.32% | 1,496 |
| 20:00 | 25.54% | 1,292 |
| 21:00 | 38.71% | 279 |
| 22:00 | 34.64% | 153 |
LAX to DEN flight time and distance
Scheduled gate-to-gate time from LAX to DEN is a median 2 h 25 min. Flights actually took a median 2 h 16 min gate to gate, including 1 h 51 min in the air. 1.7% ran 30 or more minutes over schedule and 76.2% arrived sooner than scheduled (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
LAX to DEN is 862 miles (BTS data).
| Airline | Scheduled (median) | Actual (median) | In the air (median) | 30+ min over schedule | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 2 h 26 min | 2 h 17 min | 1 h 50 min | 1.7% | 9,321 |
| Southwest Airlines | 2 h 20 min | 2 h 10 min | 1 h 50 min | 0.7% | 6,164 |
| Delta Air Lines | 2 h 24 min | 2 h 17 min | 1 h 51 min | 2.7% | 2,978 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 2 h 24 min | 2 h 21 min | 1 h 54 min | 3.1% | 2,825 |
| Frontier Airlines | 2 h 31 min | 2 h 24 min | 1 h 50 min | 1.7% | 1,099 |
How late, and why
When a LAX to DEN flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 66 minutes late (median 42). 6.3% of all completed flights arrived an hour or more late (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
Of the delay minutes on late LAX to DEN flights, 38.5% were caused by a late incoming aircraft, 31.1% by the airline (crew, maintenance, ground handling), 27.8% by the air-traffic system (volume, non-extreme weather, airport operations), 2.5% by extreme weather and 0.1% by security (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
| Cause | Share of delay minutes |
|---|---|
| late incoming aircraft | 38.5% |
| airline | 31.1% |
| air-traffic system | 27.8% |
| extreme weather | 2.5% |
| 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.
LAX to DEN delays by day of week
| Day | Delayed 15+ min | Flights observed |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 18.34% | 3,347 |
| Tue | 14.87% | 3,154 |
| Wed | 17.12% | 3,190 |
| Thu | 19.06% | 3,295 |
| Fri | 20.11% | 3,332 |
| Sat | 15.54% | 2,922 |
| Sun | 18.02% | 3,269 |
Month-by-month cancellation pattern
Share of scheduled LAX–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 | 3.45% | 1,218 |
| Feb | 0.36% | 1,111 |
| Mar | 1.11% | 1,262 |
| Apr | 0.16% | 1,281 |
| May | 0.52% | 1,341 |
| Jun | 0.31% | 1,293 |
| Jul | 1.78% | 1,350 |
| Aug | 0.52% | 1,337 |
| Sep | 0.15% | 1,317 |
| Oct | 0.15% | 1,371 |
| Nov | 1.45% | 1,306 |
| Dec | 0.3% | 1,328 |
Airlines on LAX to DEN: delays and cancellations
United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Frontier Airlines 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 41% | 13.68% | 0.94% | 6,351 |
| Southwest Airlines | 26% | 20.6% | 0.69% | 4,039 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 13% | 15.72% | 0.62% | 2,088 |
| Delta Air Lines | 12% | 23.3% | 0.94% | 1,924 |
| Frontier Airlines | 7% | 22.38% | 1.08% | 1,113 |
Related pages
- LAX 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 LAX to DEN flight
Check your odds: Will my flight be delayed? · Will my flight be cancelled?
LAX vs DEN: airport conditions
Both ends of a route shape its delay profile. These are DelayGuard's operational scores for Los Angeles and Denver.
| Measure | LAX (Los Angeles) | DEN (Denver) |
|---|---|---|
| Congestion | high | high |
| Weather risk | low | moderate |
| NAS vulnerability | moderate | moderate |
| Average taxi-out | 16 min | 17 min |
| Runways | 4 | 6 |
LAX to DEN questions
- How long is the flight from Los Angeles to Denver?
- Scheduled gate-to-gate time from LAX to DEN is a median 2 h 25 min, and flights actually took a median 2 h 16 min including 1 h 51 min in the air. 1.7% ran 30+ minutes over schedule (BTS data, January 2023 to December 2025).
- How often do LAX to DEN flights get delayed?
- Across 22,509 recorded LAX–DEN departures, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS), 17.64% arrived at least 15 minutes late. Departure time matters most: 5:00 departures run 3.78% late against 38.71% for 21:00. Actual delay frequency varies by airline, time of day, and season.
- What is the best time of year to fly LAX to DEN?
- Los Angeles (CA) sees its highest delays during November–February (coastal fog) with generally low risk year-round. Denver (CO) peaks during December–February (winter weather) and June–August (summer storms). The dominant seasonal risk on this route sits at the destination (Denver) — use the DelayGuard predictor to check conditions for your specific travel date.
- Which airline is most reliable on LAX to DEN?
- On LAX→DEN, United Airlines has the lowest measured delay rate at 13.68% of 9,321 flights, and Delta Air Lines the highest at 23.3% (BTS, January 2023 to December 2025). SkyWest Airlines cancels the fewest at 0.62% (2024 to 2025). These are route-specific figures, not airline-wide averages.
- How late are LAX to DEN flights when they are delayed?
- When a LAX to DEN flight was late (15+ minutes), it arrived an average of 66 minutes late (median 42). 6.3% 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.