Route profile
DFW→ATL
Flight reliability, delays and best times to fly from Dallas–Fort Worth to Atlanta, 731 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 18% of comparable major US routes (4,598 compared)
Calculated from 20,329 flights. How this is calculated
DFW → ATL arrives on time 75.0% of the time; the return trip, ATL → DFW, arrives on time 72.8% of the time, a 2.1-point gap between the two directions of the same city pair.
DFW → ATL spends 28.8 minutes on the ground on a 731-mile trip: 17.8 minutes from pushback to wheels-up at DFW and 11.0 minutes from touchdown to gate at ATL.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
Why DFW → ATL flights are cancelled
July 2023 – July 2026
DFW → ATL cancelled 413 of 20,329 scheduled flights — about 1 in every 49. The reason filed most often was extreme weather, 67.1% of the cancellations coded on this route — about 1 in every 73 scheduled flights.
Share of cancellations
Of 413 cancelled departures carrying a reason code.
What each reason means
Conditions the carrier judged severe enough to stop the flight: a blizzard, a hurricane, a line of thunderstorms.
277 cancellations, 67.1% of the total.
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
129 cancellations, 31.2% 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, 1.7% 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.
413 coded cancellations were recorded on DFW → ATL; the section appears from 50.
When it goes wrong
July 2023 – July 2026
59 min late
against a median of 5 min early
DFW → ATL has an average that understates its risk: a typical arrival is 5 min early, but the worst tenth are 64 minutes worse than that. If the trip has something unmissable at the end of it, the median is the wrong number to plan against.
Percentiles over 20,329 operations; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.
Will your connection be tight enough?
Layovers at ATL after arriving from DFW.
| Connection time | Chance of missing | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 39% | Likely to miss |
| 45 min | 24% | High risk |
| 60 min | 17% | High risk |
| 90 min | 9.7% | Some risk |
| 120 min | 6.0% | Some 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 2.03% of the time and diverts 0.23% of the time, which a late arrival never shows up in.
Chance of missing is the share of 19,869 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 59 minutes late (90th-percentile gate arrival delay), over 20,329 operations.
Any other layover length: connection checker.
Best time to fly
DFW → ATL flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 84.5% of the time, against 56.9% for 9 PM–5 AM departures, a gap of 27.6 percentage points.
By day and hour
On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time at the departure airport (DFW).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 9.3 points from the route-wide rate, weekday averages 1.6 points.
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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 after 9 PM (204 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 AM–6 AM | 83.7% on time193 flights | 89.9% on time179 flights | 89.0% on time174 flights | 93.8% on time176 flights | 87.2% on time189 flights | 88.6% on time175 flights | 90.5% on time184 flights |
| 6 AM–7 AM | 116 flights, too few to score | 79 flights, too few to score | 92 flights, too few to score | 80.0% on time137 flights | 113 flights, too few to score | 110 flights, too few to score | 77.4% on time127 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 84.4% on time315 flights | 85.9% on time294 flights | 86.8% on time291 flights | 89.4% on time316 flights | 85.8% on time321 flights | 85.8% on time301 flights | 85.1% on time303 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 80.0% on time202 flights | 85.6% on time198 flights | 84.6% on time196 flights | 83.7% on time206 flights | 84.1% on time204 flights | 82.1% on time178 flights | 79.2% on time216 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 85.2% on time200 flights | 85.2% on time185 flights | 73.7% on time210 flights | 86.7% on time183 flights | 82.5% on time204 flights | 81.5% on time151 flights | 82.5% on time189 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 82.0% on time198 flights | 84.6% on time191 flights | 77.2% on time181 flights | 82.2% on time201 flights | 83.1% on time200 flights | 86.4% on time170 flights | 79.7% on time183 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 78.3% on time135 flights | 81.9% on time146 flights | 84.0% on time131 flights | 77.0% on time140 flights | 82.4% on time140 flights | 104 flights, too few to score | 81.5% on time139 flights |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 80.7% on time213 flights | 76.1% on time206 flights | 79.9% on time210 flights | 79.6% on time210 flights | 79.9% on time215 flights | 78.4% on time218 flights | 75.5% on time211 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 74.3% on time144 flights | 82.0% on time140 flights | 77.4% on time139 flights | 76.0% on time146 flights | 72.6% on time140 flights | 82.5% on time132 flights | 70.1% on time148 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 62.9% on time197 flights | 74.4% on time184 flights | 71.0% on time189 flights | 65.2% on time189 flights | 70.0% on time194 flights | 73.5% on time173 flights | 69.0% on time213 flights |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 82 flights, too few to score | 82 flights, too few to score | 100 flights, too few to score | 86 flights, too few to score | 92 flights, too few to score | 100 flights, too few to score | 99 flights, too few to score |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 63.0% on time251 flights | 63.5% on time234 flights | 65.1% on time238 flights | 61.0% on time277 flights | 65.3% on time251 flights | 65.3% on time227 flights | 59.8% on time256 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 57.3% on time135 flights | 106 flights, too few to score | 95 flights, too few to score | 69.2% on time131 flights | 69.4% on time125 flights | 102 flights, too few to score | 51.2% on time132 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 65.0% on time187 flights | 69.0% on time190 flights | 67.2% on time191 flights | 63.3% on time193 flights | 57.4% on time207 flights | 67.3% on time210 flights | 60.5% on time197 flights |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 68.2% on time198 flights | 71.4% on time149 flights | 73.9% on time153 flights | 59.0% on time180 flights | 61.4% on time198 flights | 57.6% on time161 flights | 55.4% on time182 flights |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 60.8% on time216 flights | 71.3% on time167 flights | 65.6% on time188 flights | 61.6% on time209 flights | 59.5% on time198 flights | 60.6% on time148 flights | 63.8% on time225 flights |
By departure window
By departure hour
- 12 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 88.9% on time from 1,270 flights
- 6 AM: 76.0% on time from 774 flights
- 7 AM: 86.2% on time from 2,141 flights
- 8 AM: 82.7% on time from 1,400 flights
- 9 AM: 82.4% on time from 1,322 flights
- 10 AM: 82.1% on time from 1,324 flights
- 11 AM: 81.1% on time from 935 flights
- 12 PM: 78.6% on time from 1,483 flights
- 1 PM: 76.3% on time from 989 flights
- 2 PM: 69.3% on time from 1,339 flights
- 3 PM: 73.5% on time from 641 flights
- 4 PM: 63.2% on time from 1,734 flights
- 5 PM: 64.1% on time from 826 flights
- 6 PM: 64.2% on time from 1,375 flights
- 7 PM: 63.6% on time from 1,221 flights
- 8 PM: 63.2% on time from 1,351 flights
- 9 PM: 56.0% on time from 192 flights
- 10 PM to 11 PM: too few flights to score
Why DFW → ATL 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 DFW → ATL. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Late-arriving aircraft is the largest cause on DFW → ATL, at 47.0%: flights here mostly leave late because the plane came in late, and the day shows it: 5–9 AM departures arrived on time 84.5% of the time and 9 PM–5 AM departures 56.9%.
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 7.0 times the normal rate at DFW against 3.3 times at ATL. Cancelled in bad weather against normal hours: DFW 10.4% against 1.5%, ATL 3.4% against 1.0%. Flights that did leave DFW in bad weather arrived on time 56.4% of the time, against 74.4% in normal hours.
Bad weather and normal hours at the airports
Scheduled departures, July 2023 – July 2026| Departures from | DFW | ATL |
|---|---|---|
| Cancelled in bad weather | 10.4% | 3.4% |
| Cancelled in normal hours | 1.5% | 1.0% |
| Arrived on time, bad weather | 56.4% | 66.5% |
| Arrived on time, normal hours | 74.4% | 80.2% |
| Departures in bad weather | 72,822 | 105,854 |
Of the carriers on this route, Delta Air Lines (4.2% cancelled against 10.4% for the other carriers at DFW) cancelled the fewest departures from DFW in bad weather and Envoy Air (11.9% cancelled against 9.9% for the other carriers at DFW) the most.
This route’s airlines in bad weather at DFW
All departures from DFW| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 2,949 | 4.2%below the others | 10.4% |
| Frontier Airlines | 2,192 | 5.9%below the others | 10.5% |
| Spirit Airlines | 1,826 | 5.4%below the others | 9.9% |
| American Airlines | 38,491 | 10.0%about level | 10.9% |
| Envoy Air | 15,244 | 11.9%above the others | 9.9% |
These are airport figures, not route figures: every scheduled departure from DFW and ATL, to any destination, in hours the weather report called bad. The airline rows count each carrier’s departures from DFW on every route.
Weather source and limits. In full: DFW (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 | 8,631 | 82.0% | 1.59% | -9 min | 7.5% |
| American Airlines | 8,143 | 70.5% | 2.53% | -3 min | 11.7% |
| Frontier Airlines | 2,001 | 65.3% | 1.95% | 1 min | 13.2% |
| Spirit Airlines | 1,331 | 69.8% | 1.95% | -1 min | 10.8% |
| Envoy Air | 207 | 81.1% | 1.93% | -4 min | 3.5% |
Delta Air Lines flew 42.5% of the 20,313 flights listed.
Delta Air Lines arrived on time 16.7 percentage points more often than Frontier Airlines on this route.
Other ways to fly Dallas–Fort Worth to Atlanta
Airport pairs in the same two city markets, as the DOT defines them.
| Route | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Median delay | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFW→ATL this route Dallas–Fort Worth to Atlanta | 20,329 | 75.0% | 2.03% | -5 min | 52 |
| DAL→ATL Dallas to Atlanta | 10,772 | 79.0% | 1.38% | -6 min | 64 |
DAL → ATL is the most reliable pairing for this journey at 79.0% on time, against 75.0% for DFW → ATL.
Flying to ATL from the Dallas–Fort Worth area? Compare DFW, DAL for ATL, with the same test for what counts as a real difference.
Flights on this route
Flight numbers with at least 600 operations here and still on the schedule.
DL401 (5:30 AM) arrived on time 91.6% of the time, 33.9 points more often than AA2749 (8:53 PM) at 57.7%.
Weekly and seasonal patterns
By day of week
Tuesday is historically the most reliable day and Sunday the least, a gap of 5.5 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 76.6%
- Feb: 82.1%
- Mar: 72.7%
- Apr: 71.4%
- May: 66.2%
- Jun: 67.4%
- Jul: 66.1%
- Aug: 74.8%
- Sep: 83.0%
- Oct: 83.5%
- Nov: 82.0%
- Dec: 77.9%
July is historically the weakest month and October the strongest, a spread of 17.4 percentage points.
Reliability over time
July 2023 – July 2026
- July 2023: 67.1% from 577 flights
- August 2023: 75.3% from 580 flights
- September 2023: 83.3% from 522 flights
- October 2023: 84.5% from 540 flights
- November 2023: 86.4% from 538 flights
- December 2023: 81.0% from 522 flights
- January 2024: 68.6% from 472 flights
- February 2024: 82.9% from 467 flights
- March 2024: 69.3% from 555 flights
- April 2024: 70.4% from 529 flights
- May 2024: 58.0% from 551 flights
- June 2024: 71.0% from 561 flights
- July 2024: 63.1% from 583 flights
- August 2024: 77.3% from 593 flights
- September 2024: 82.2% from 547 flights
- October 2024: 85.6% from 577 flights
- November 2024: 83.9% from 546 flights
- December 2024: 75.5% from 535 flights
- January 2025: 81.7% from 537 flights
- February 2025: 79.8% from 473 flights
- March 2025: 75.6% from 557 flights
- April 2025: 68.6% from 541 flights
- May 2025: 69.0% from 568 flights
- June 2025: 62.0% from 577 flights
- July 2025: 70.2% from 591 flights
- August 2025: 71.7% from 553 flights
- September 2025: 83.5% from 545 flights
- October 2025: 80.4% from 576 flights
- November 2025: 75.5% from 553 flights
- December 2025: 77.2% from 574 flights
- January 2026: 79.1% from 558 flights
- February 2026: 83.7% from 501 flights
- March 2026: 73.2% from 588 flights
- April 2026: 75.0% from 562 flights
- May 2026: 71.4% from 561 flights
- June 2026: 69.4% from 541 flights
- July 2026: 63.8% from 578 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), on-time arrivals averaged 75.2% against 75.8% in the 12 months before — broadly unchanged.
Data and methodology
Calculated by FlyerIntel from 20,329 DFW → 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