Route profile
DEN→LAX
Flight reliability, delays and best times to fly from Denver to Los Angeles, 862 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 62% of comparable major US routes (4,598 compared)
Calculated from 23,745 flights. How this is calculated
DEN → LAX arrives on time 78.9% of the time; the return trip, LAX → DEN, arrives on time 82.7% of the time, a 3.7-point gap between the two directions of the same city pair.
DEN → LAX spends 28.4 minutes on the ground on an 862-mile trip: 18.3 minutes from pushback to wheels-up at DEN and 10.2 minutes from touchdown to gate at LAX.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
What stands out
This route has stayed remarkably steady year over year, a smaller swing than 95% of 5,368 comparable routes.
79.1% on time over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), against 79.4% in the 12 months before (2024-08 to 2025-07), virtually unchanged.
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 5,368 in the comparison.
Why DEN → LAX flights are cancelled
July 2023 – July 2026
DEN → LAX cancelled 165 of 23,745 scheduled flights — about 1 in every 144. The reason filed most often was the airline, 57.0% of the cancellations coded on this route — about 1 in every 253 scheduled flights.
Share of cancellations
Of 165 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.
94 cancellations, 57.0% of the total.
Conditions the carrier judged severe enough to stop the flight: a blizzard, a hurricane, a line of thunderstorms.
59 cancellations, 35.8% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
12 cancellations, 7.3% 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.
165 coded cancellations were recorded on DEN → LAX; the section appears from 50.
When it goes wrong
July 2023 – July 2026
42 min late
against a median of 6 min early
Percentiles over 23,745 operations; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.
Will your connection be tight enough?
Layovers at LAX after arriving from DEN.
| Connection time | Chance of missing | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 37% | Likely to miss |
| 45 min | 20% | High risk |
| 60 min | 13% | Some risk |
| 90 min | 6.8% | Some risk |
| 120 min | 4.0% | 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 0.69% of the time and diverts 0.04% of the time, which a late arrival never shows up in.
Chance of missing is the share of 23,571 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 23,745 operations.
Any other layover length: connection checker.
Best time to fly
DEN → LAX flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 90.3% of the time, against 63.6% for 9 PM–5 AM departures, a gap of 26.7 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 9.8 points from the route-wide rate, weekday averages 1.8 points.
| Hour | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 AM–7 AM | |||||||
| 7 AM–8 AM | |||||||
| 8 AM–9 AM | |||||||
| 9 AM–10 AM | |||||||
| 10 AM–11 AM | |||||||
| 11 AM–12 PM | |||||||
| 12 PM–1 PM | |||||||
| 1 PM–2 PM | |||||||
| 2 PM–3 PM | |||||||
| 3 PM–4 PM | |||||||
| 4 PM–5 PM | |||||||
| 5 PM–6 PM | |||||||
| 6 PM–7 PM | |||||||
| 7 PM–8 PM | |||||||
| 8 PM–9 PM | |||||||
| 9 PM–10 PM | |||||||
| 10 PM–11 PM |
On-time rate, % · stronger color, fewer on time
- 50–59
- 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 before 6 AM and after 11 PM (339 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 AM–7 AM | 92.2% on time399 flights | 90.7% on time300 flights | 89.5% on time297 flights | 92.8% on time390 flights | 89.6% on time400 flights | 89.8% on time327 flights | 90.5% on time330 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 86.3% on time228 flights | 91.5% on time202 flights | 94.5% on time203 flights | 88.8% on time226 flights | 91.1% on time226 flights | 85.9% on time278 flights | 87.4% on time216 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 85.1% on time141 flights | 94.2% on time140 flights | 92.6% on time137 flights | 88.6% on time142 flights | 87.2% on time142 flights | 92 flights, too few to score | 87.2% on time142 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 86.0% on time165 flights | 85.9% on time158 flights | 88.6% on time160 flights | 83.5% on time160 flights | 81.2% on time156 flights | 81.8% on time149 flights | 85.6% on time183 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 94.8% on time134 flights | 91.3% on time149 flights | 88.0% on time150 flights | 86.9% on time137 flights | 89.9% on time138 flights | 87.0% on time125 flights | 83 flights, too few to score |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 81.7% on time236 flights | 87.4% on time253 flights | 91.3% on time253 flights | 86.6% on time243 flights | 82.1% on time238 flights | 85.1% on time251 flights | 81.7% on time225 flights |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 84.4% on time224 flights | 86.2% on time222 flights | 85.8% on time225 flights | 87.1% on time226 flights | 80.9% on time225 flights | 84.3% on time198 flights | 85.5% on time239 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 84.4% on time329 flights | 83.4% on time332 flights | 86.9% on time335 flights | 83.5% on time334 flights | 82.2% on time333 flights | 84.2% on time279 flights | 78.6% on time323 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 65 flights, too few to score | 52 flights, too few to score | 51 flights, too few to score | 60 flights, too few to score | 61 flights, too few to score | 77 flights, too few to score | 40 flights, too few to score |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 77.3% on time143 flights | 79.1% on time158 flights | 76.3% on time152 flights | 75.7% on time149 flights | 76.6% on time137 flights | 77.5% on time138 flights | 72.3% on time143 flights |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 74.1% on time148 flights | 80.7% on time121 flights | 116 flights, too few to score | 72.9% on time133 flights | 67.1% on time146 flights | 118 flights, too few to score | 77.3% on time150 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 77.3% on time187 flights | 78.7% on time186 flights | 75.7% on time185 flights | 74.6% on time185 flights | 73.0% on time188 flights | 77.8% on time194 flights | 67.8% on time205 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 64.1% on time220 flights | 71.2% on time185 flights | 66.7% on time184 flights | 61.8% on time206 flights | 64.8% on time214 flights | 67.1% on time149 flights | 67.5% on time168 flights |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 66.9% on time354 flights | 72.0% on time368 flights | 70.2% on time377 flights | 64.2% on time345 flights | 66.5% on time355 flights | 68.4% on time386 flights | 68.9% on time360 flights |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 65.7% on time218 flights | 67.0% on time192 flights | 69.0% on time198 flights | 62.3% on time204 flights | 65.4% on time209 flights | 80.4% on time148 flights | 60.8% on time209 flights |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 56.5% on time161 flights | 71.7% on time139 flights | 67.1% on time164 flights | 60.4% on time164 flights | 60.7% on time166 flights | 109 flights, too few to score | 57.4% on time137 flights |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 63.2% on time145 flights | 89 flights, too few to score | 87 flights, too few to score | 64.1% on time144 flights | 57.7% on time153 flights | 101 flights, too few to score | 61.2% on time182 flights |
By departure window
By departure hour
- 12 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 96.4% on time from 335 flights
- 6 AM: 90.8% on time from 2,443 flights
- 7 AM: 89.2% on time from 1,579 flights
- 8 AM: 88.8% on time from 936 flights
- 9 AM: 84.7% on time from 1,131 flights
- 10 AM: 89.4% on time from 916 flights
- 11 AM: 85.2% on time from 1,699 flights
- 12 PM: 84.9% on time from 1,559 flights
- 1 PM: 83.3% on time from 2,265 flights
- 2 PM: 70.2% on time from 406 flights
- 3 PM: 76.5% on time from 1,020 flights
- 4 PM: 75.0% on time from 932 flights
- 5 PM: 74.9% on time from 1,330 flights
- 6 PM: 66.0% on time from 1,326 flights
- 7 PM: 68.2% on time from 2,545 flights
- 8 PM: 66.7% on time from 1,378 flights
- 9 PM: 62.7% on time from 1,040 flights
- 10 PM: 64.6% on time from 901 flights
- 11 PM: too few flights to score
Why DEN → LAX runs late
July 2023 – July 2026
the inbound aircraft was late, so this flight started late
crew, maintenance, boarding and fueling, all within the carrier’s control
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 → LAX. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Late-arriving aircraft is the largest cause on DEN → LAX, at 44.5%: flights here mostly leave late because the plane came in late, and the day shows it: 5–9 AM departures arrived on time 90.3% of the time and 9 PM–5 AM departures 63.6%.
How this route holds up in bad weather
July 2023 – July 2026
The harder-hit end is the one the flight leaves from, where a cancellation keeps it from departing at all. Bad weather cancels 4.0 times the normal rate at DEN against 1.3 times at LAX. Cancelled in bad weather against normal hours: DEN 2.8% against 0.7%, LAX 1.0% against 0.8%. 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 | LAX |
|---|---|---|
| Cancelled in bad weather | 2.8% | 1.0% |
| Cancelled in normal hours | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Arrived on time, bad weather | 51.5% | 78.9% |
| Arrived on time, normal hours | 78.8% | 81.4% |
| Departures in bad weather | 92,610 | 60,639 |
Of the carriers on this route, United Airlines (1.5% cancelled against 3.5% for the other carriers at DEN) cancelled the fewest departures from DEN in bad weather and SkyWest Airlines (5.8% cancelled against 1.8% for the other carriers at DEN) the most.
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% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 19,275 | 5.8%above the others | 1.8% |
These are airport figures, not route figures: every scheduled departure from DEN and LAX, 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), LAX, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 9,740 | 81.9% | 0.71% | -6 min | 6.2% |
| Southwest Airlines | 6,345 | 72.1% | 0.65% | -1 min | 7.5% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 3,307 | 82.5% | 0.42% | -9 min | 6.9% |
| Delta Air Lines | 2,769 | 81.5% | 0.90% | -9 min | 7.8% |
| Frontier Airlines | 1,582 | 76.3% | 1.01% | -7 min | 7.8% |
United Airlines flew 41.0% of the 23,743 flights listed.
SkyWest Airlines arrived on time 10.4 percentage points more often than Southwest Airlines on this route.
Other ways to fly Denver to Los Angeles
Airport pairs in the same two city markets, as the DOT defines them.
| Route | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Median delay | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN→LAX this route Denver to Los Angeles | 23,745 | 78.9% | 0.69% | -6 min | 70 |
| DEN→SNA Denver to Santa Ana | 11,373 | 79.9% | 0.56% | -5 min | 77 |
DEN → SNA is the most reliable pairing for this journey at 79.9% on time, against 78.9% for DEN → LAX.
Flights on this route
Flight numbers with at least 600 operations here and still on the schedule.
| Flight | Scheduled | Operations | On time |
|---|---|---|---|
| UA1013 United Airlines | 11:15 AM | 1,127 | 85.0% |
| UA405 United Airlines | 9:45 AM | 1,053 | 87.9% |
| DL2002 Delta Air Lines | 6:15 AM | 989 | 88.2% |
| UA1093 United Airlines | 6:00 AM | 874 | 91.2% |
| UA2240 United Airlines | 6:05 PM | 825 | 76.2% |
| UA1638 United Airlines | 8:00 AM | 674 | 89.8% |
| F92341 Frontier Airlines | 6:00 AM | 646 | 86.5% |
UA1093 (6:00 AM) arrived on time 91.2% of the time, 15.0 points more often than UA2240 (6:05 PM) at 76.2%.
Weekly and seasonal patterns
By day of week
Tuesday is historically the most reliable day and Sunday the least, a gap of 4.7 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 81.4%
- Feb: 77.2%
- Mar: 83.8%
- Apr: 80.6%
- May: 76.1%
- Jun: 68.5%
- Jul: 69.9%
- Aug: 76.4%
- Sep: 85.4%
- Oct: 84.4%
- Nov: 83.1%
- Dec: 83.8%
June is historically the weakest month and September the strongest, a spread of 16.9 percentage points.
Reliability over time
July 2023 – July 2026
- July 2023: 63.0% from 618 flights
- August 2023: 74.7% from 637 flights
- September 2023: 84.5% from 606 flights
- October 2023: 83.3% from 638 flights
- November 2023: 88.1% from 623 flights
- December 2023: 88.7% from 627 flights
- January 2024: 80.1% from 591 flights
- February 2024: 73.1% from 548 flights
- March 2024: 83.9% from 619 flights
- April 2024: 80.2% from 654 flights
- May 2024: 74.4% from 668 flights
- June 2024: 69.5% from 633 flights
- July 2024: 74.5% from 669 flights
- August 2024: 78.2% from 679 flights
- September 2024: 88.3% from 668 flights
- October 2024: 85.6% from 688 flights
- November 2024: 76.8% from 658 flights
- December 2024: 87.5% from 679 flights
- January 2025: 80.0% from 637 flights
- February 2025: 76.8% from 577 flights
- March 2025: 85.8% from 647 flights
- April 2025: 79.6% from 642 flights
- May 2025: 74.3% from 691 flights
- June 2025: 69.5% from 661 flights
- July 2025: 70.2% from 679 flights
- August 2025: 76.2% from 658 flights
- September 2025: 83.2% from 650 flights
- October 2025: 84.3% from 684 flights
- November 2025: 84.7% from 648 flights
- December 2025: 75.2% from 651 flights
- January 2026: 84.1% from 600 flights
- February 2026: 81.6% from 550 flights
- March 2026: 81.6% from 630 flights
- April 2026: 82.0% from 630 flights
- May 2026: 79.6% from 687 flights
- June 2026: 66.5% from 654 flights
- July 2026: 71.5% from 666 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), on-time arrivals averaged 79.1% against 79.4% in the 12 months before — broadly unchanged.
Data and methodology
Calculated by FlyerIntel from 23,745 DEN → LAX 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