Route profile
DEN→ATL
Flight reliability, delays and best times to fly from Denver to Atlanta, 1,199 miles.
Right now
Aviation weather is not currently a factor.
Aviation weather is not currently a factor.
Route reliability
July 2023 – July 2026
Better than 59% of comparable major US routes (4,598 compared)
Calculated from 18,124 flights. How this is calculated
DEN → ATL arrives on time 78.3% of the time; the return trip, ATL → DEN, arrives on time 77.1% of the time.
DEN → ATL spends 27.2 minutes on the ground on a 1,199-mile trip: 17.6 minutes from pushback to wheels-up at DEN and 9.6 minutes from touchdown to gate at ATL.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
What stands out
On-time performance swings unusually widely by time of day here, wider than 92% of 4,023 comparable routes.
88.5% on time for 5–9 AM departures, against 57.2% for 6–9 PM.
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · Ranked against every other route with the same kind of figure and at least 4,023 in the comparison.
Why DEN → ATL flights are cancelled
July 2023 – July 2026
DEN → ATL cancelled 147 of 18,124 scheduled flights — about 1 in every 123. The reason filed most often was the airline, 55.1% of the cancellations coded on this route — about 1 in every 224 scheduled flights.
Share of cancellations
Of 147 cancelled departures carrying a reason code.
What each reason means
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
81 cancellations, 55.1% of the total.
Conditions the carrier judged severe enough to stop the flight: a blizzard, a hurricane, a line of thunderstorms.
59 cancellations, 40.1% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
7 cancellations, 4.8% of the total.
A terminal evacuation, a security breach, screening equipment failure, or screening queues over 29 minutes.
0 cancellations, 0.0% of the total.
Reason codes are the operating airline’s own filing with US DOT, not an independent finding of fault. Ordinary bad weather is filed under air traffic, so weather’s full share is larger than its bar.
147 coded cancellations were recorded on DEN → ATL; the section appears from 50.
When it goes wrong
July 2023 – July 2026
42 min late
against a median of 5 min early
Percentiles over 18,124 operations; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.
Will your connection be tight enough?
Layovers at ATL after arriving from DEN.
| Connection time | Chance of missing | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 38% | Likely to miss |
| 45 min | 21% | High risk |
| 60 min | 13% | Some risk |
| 90 min | 6.6% | Some risk |
| 120 min | 3.8% | Low risk |
This is one leg of a connection. Gate changes and the next flight's own schedule matter too. And a connection can fail before delay is even the question — this route cancels 0.81% of the time and diverts 0.31% of the time, which a late arrival never shows up in.
Chance of missing is the share of 17,920 arrivals on this route that landed later than the connection time less 30 minutes to reach the next gate.
The worst tenth of arrivals on this route land at least 42 minutes late (90th-percentile gate arrival delay), over 18,124 operations.
Any other layover length: connection checker.
Best time to fly
DEN → ATL flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 88.5% of the time, against 57.2% for 6–9 PM departures, a gap of 31.3 percentage points.
By day and hour
On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time at the departure airport (DEN).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 8.4 points from the route-wide rate, weekday averages 2.4 points.
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On-time rate, % · stronger color, fewer on time
- 60–69
- 70–79
- 80–89
- 90–99
- Fewer than 120 flights, not scored
Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · On time is arrival within 15 minutes of schedule. Cells round to whole percentages; the table shows one decimal.
No slot is named best or worst: too few reach 500 flights. Departures after 6 PM (1,425 flights) are not drawn: no slot in those hours has enough flights to score.
View as tableHide table
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 AM–1 AM | 75.9% on time187 flights | 82.4% on time183 flights | 83.3% on time120 flights | 88.4% on time131 flights | 75.9% on time193 flights | 80.6% on time191 flights | 110 flights, too few to score |
| 1 AM–2 AM | 9 flights, too few to score | 5 flights, too few to score | 4 flights, too few to score | 8 flights, too few to score | 9 flights, too few to score | 10 flights, too few to score | 5 flights, too few to score |
| 2 AM–3 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 3 AM–4 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 4 AM–5 AM | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score | 0 flights, too few to score |
| 5 AM–6 AM | 92.8% on time155 flights | 95.9% on time124 flights | 92.4% on time120 flights | 89.4% on time142 flights | 91.4% on time155 flights | 92.9% on time128 flights | 116 flights, too few to score |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 91.6% on time166 flights | 90.7% on time161 flights | 91.0% on time168 flights | 90.5% on time159 flights | 85.1% on time170 flights | 84.4% on time172 flights | 86.1% on time151 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 89.2% on time213 flights | 89.7% on time197 flights | 91.4% on time199 flights | 85.9% on time220 flights | 85.6% on time216 flights | 87.8% on time209 flights | 89.3% on time219 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 118 flights, too few to score | 106 flights, too few to score | 105 flights, too few to score | 116 flights, too few to score | 105 flights, too few to score | 105 flights, too few to score | 82.5% on time139 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 79.7% on time144 flights | 82.9% on time159 flights | 84.2% on time172 flights | 76.2% on time148 flights | 76.2% on time151 flights | 119 flights, too few to score | 79.2% on time163 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 82.9% on time284 flights | 82.8% on time304 flights | 87.9% on time299 flights | 76.6% on time295 flights | 75.7% on time288 flights | 77.1% on time262 flights | 79.6% on time274 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 70 flights, too few to score | 74 flights, too few to score | 64 flights, too few to score | 72 flights, too few to score | 68 flights, too few to score | 98 flights, too few to score | 74 flights, too few to score |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 83.7% on time135 flights | 79.7% on time148 flights | 85.6% on time154 flights | 80.4% on time139 flights | 79.9% on time139 flights | 80.6% on time144 flights | 81.0% on time142 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 80.7% on time323 flights | 77.9% on time317 flights | 82.7% on time321 flights | 78.8% on time304 flights | 76.6% on time283 flights | 77.4% on time199 flights | 78.5% on time279 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 77.4% on time148 flights | 80.3% on time132 flights | 81.6% on time136 flights | 68.1% on time160 flights | 72.8% on time163 flights | 112 flights, too few to score | 118 flights, too few to score |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 69.9% on time134 flights | 109 flights, too few to score | 105 flights, too few to score | 79.5% on time133 flights | 74.2% on time131 flights | 100 flights, too few to score | 60.7% on time149 flights |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 76.0% on time179 flights | 74.9% on time184 flights | 77.3% on time182 flights | 70.3% on time175 flights | 71.5% on time187 flights | 71.4% on time201 flights | 69.4% on time223 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 61.7% on time189 flights | 71.1% on time225 flights | 67.8% on time230 flights | 68.3% on time181 flights | 64.5% on time184 flights | 60.6% on time219 flights | 64.2% on time182 flights |
By departure window
By departure hour
- 12 AM: 80.3% on time from 1,115 flights
- 1 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 92.1% on time from 940 flights
- 6 AM: 88.5% on time from 1,147 flights
- 7 AM: 88.3% on time from 1,473 flights
- 8 AM: 84.8% on time from 794 flights
- 9 AM: 79.5% on time from 1,056 flights
- 10 AM: 80.5% on time from 2,006 flights
- 11 AM: 78.8% on time from 520 flights
- 12 PM: 81.6% on time from 1,001 flights
- 1 PM: 79.1% on time from 2,026 flights
- 2 PM: 75.5% on time from 969 flights
- 3 PM: 73.6% on time from 861 flights
- 4 PM: 72.8% on time from 1,331 flights
- 5 PM: 65.6% on time from 1,410 flights
- 6 PM: 60.5% on time from 353 flights
- 7 PM: 54.2% on time from 448 flights
- 8 PM: 58.5% on time from 176 flights
- 9 PM to 10 PM: too few flights to score
- 11 PM: 69.0% on time from 417 flights
Why DEN → ATL runs late
July 2023 – July 2026
crew, maintenance, boarding and fueling, all within the carrier’s control
the inbound aircraft was late, so this flight started late
airspace and airport capacity, including weather-driven flow control
weather severe enough to stop this flight specifically
screening or terminal security incidents
Share of the delay minutes US DOT attributed to each cause for DEN → ATL. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
How this route holds up in bad weather
July 2023 – July 2026
Bad weather raises cancellations by a similar amount at both ends of DEN to ATL: 4.0 times the normal rate at DEN and 3.3 times at ATL. Cancelled in bad weather against normal hours: DEN 2.8% against 0.7%, ATL 3.4% against 1.0%. Flights that did leave DEN in bad weather arrived on time 51.5% of the time, against 78.8% in normal hours.
Bad weather and normal hours at the airports
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Departures from | DEN | ATL |
|---|---|---|
| Cancelled in bad weather | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Cancelled in normal hours | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Arrived on time, bad weather | 51.5% | 66.5% |
| Arrived on time, normal hours | 78.8% | 80.2% |
| Departures in bad weather | 92,610 | 105,854 |
United Airlines (1.5% cancelled against 3.5% for the other carriers at DEN), Delta Air Lines (1.1% cancelled against 2.9% for the other carriers at DEN) and Southwest Airlines (2.4% cancelled against 3.1% for the other carriers at DEN) cancelled fewer departures from DEN in bad weather than the other carriers there did in the same months. None of the route’s other carriers was clearly worse.
This route’s airlines in bad weather at DEN
All departures from DEN| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 30,853 | 1.5%below the others | 3.5% |
| Delta Air Lines | 3,460 | 1.1%below the others | 2.9% |
| Southwest Airlines | 28,467 | 2.4%below the others | 3.1% |
| Frontier Airlines | 6,740 | 3.1%about level | 2.8% |
These are airport figures, not route figures: every scheduled departure from DEN and ATL, to any destination, in hours the weather report called bad. The airline rows count each carrier’s departures from DEN on every route.
Weather source and limits. In full: DEN (airlines), ATL, What Weather Costs Each Airport, Who Cancels More When the Weather Turns, Airports That Change Places When Weather Turns.
Airlines on this route
Carriers with at least 200 flights, by the airline that operated each one.
| Carrier | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Median delay | Severe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 8,754 | 83.9% | 0.87% | -9 min | 5.1% |
| Southwest Airlines | 4,013 | 70.3% | 0.57% | 1 min | 8.4% |
| United Airlines | 3,214 | 78.5% | 0.81% | -5 min | 7.3% |
| Frontier Airlines | 2,143 | 69.6% | 1.03% | -1 min | 9.4% |
Delta Air Lines flew 48.3% of the 18,124 flights listed.
Delta Air Lines arrived on time 14.3 percentage points more often than Frontier Airlines on this route.
Flights on this route
Flight numbers with at least 600 operations here and still on the schedule.
DL341 (6:00 AM) arrived on time 90.8% of the time, 20.0 points more often than UA1305 (5:50 PM) at 70.8%.
Weekly and seasonal patterns
By day of week
Wednesday is historically the most reliable day and Sunday the least, a gap of 6.8 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 78.2%
- Feb: 81.3%
- Mar: 80.7%
- Apr: 77.7%
- May: 73.2%
- Jun: 73.1%
- Jul: 67.6%
- Aug: 77.3%
- Sep: 84.9%
- Oct: 83.8%
- Nov: 85.7%
- Dec: 81.6%
July is historically the weakest month and November the strongest, a spread of 18.1 percentage points.
Reliability over time
July 2023 – July 2026
- July 2023: 68.5% from 570 flights
- August 2023: 74.7% from 545 flights
- September 2023: 85.8% from 503 flights
- October 2023: 84.8% from 526 flights
- November 2023: 85.5% from 512 flights
- December 2023: 83.6% from 535 flights
- January 2024: 77.8% from 481 flights
- February 2024: 80.5% from 461 flights
- March 2024: 82.2% from 509 flights
- April 2024: 79.2% from 530 flights
- May 2024: 72.9% from 555 flights
- June 2024: 77.8% from 541 flights
- July 2024: 68.2% from 554 flights
- August 2024: 79.3% from 521 flights
- September 2024: 83.9% from 493 flights
- October 2024: 82.7% from 502 flights
- November 2024: 81.2% from 465 flights
- December 2024: 86.4% from 486 flights
- January 2025: 73.9% from 441 flights
- February 2025: 78.0% from 396 flights
- March 2025: 81.8% from 447 flights
- April 2025: 65.4% from 443 flights
- May 2025: 72.1% from 475 flights
- June 2025: 67.7% from 506 flights
- July 2025: 70.3% from 525 flights
- August 2025: 78.0% from 495 flights
- September 2025: 84.9% from 450 flights
- October 2025: 83.9% from 474 flights
- November 2025: 90.5% from 450 flights
- December 2025: 74.2% from 459 flights
- January 2026: 83.0% from 431 flights
- February 2026: 85.4% from 412 flights
- March 2026: 77.9% from 460 flights
- April 2026: 88.0% from 442 flights
- May 2026: 74.8% from 482 flights
- June 2026: 73.2% from 516 flights
- July 2026: 63.2% from 531 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), on-time arrivals averaged 79.3% against 76.9% in the 12 months before — improving by 2.4 percentage points.
Data and methodology
Calculated by FlyerIntel from 18,124 DEN → ATL flight records from the US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, covering July 2023 – July 2026. Late means 15 or more minutes past scheduled arrival; cancelled and diverted flights are left out of on-time rates.
Full methodology · Data sources · Report a problem
Related research: How Long a Layover Needs to Be · Two Airlines on One Route · Best Time of Day to Fly From Major US Airports
Analysis last recomputed