Route profile
LGA→DFW
Flight reliability, delays and best times to fly from New York to Dallas–Fort Worth, 1,389 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 8% of comparable major US routes (4,598 compared)
Calculated from 20,144 flights. How this is calculated
LGA → DFW arrives on time 74.7% of the time; the return trip, DFW → LGA, arrives on time 73.0% of the time.
LGA → DFW spends 38.4 minutes on the ground on a 1,389-mile trip: 24.3 minutes from pushback to wheels-up at LGA and 14.1 minutes from touchdown to gate at DFW.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Data covering July 2023 – July 2026
What stands out
This route's worst arrivals run unusually far past its typical one, a bigger gap than 93% of 4,598 comparable routes.
A typical arrival is 9 min early, but the worst tenth run 74 minutes worse than that.
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 4,598 in the comparison.
Why LGA → DFW flights are cancelled
July 2023 – July 2026
LGA → DFW cancelled 651 of 20,144 scheduled flights — about 1 in every 31. The reason filed most often was extreme weather, 77.0% of the cancellations coded on this route — about 1 in every 40 scheduled flights.
Share of cancellations
Of 651 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.
501 cancellations, 77.0% of the total.
Crew, maintenance, aircraft cleaning, baggage or fueling: what BTS counts as within the carrier’s own control.
113 cancellations, 17.4% of the total.
Airport capacity, air traffic control flow programs, heavy traffic and ordinary bad weather. A system decision, not the airline’s.
37 cancellations, 5.7% 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.
651 coded cancellations were recorded on LGA → DFW; the section appears from 50.
When it goes wrong
July 2023 – July 2026
65 min late
against a median of 9 min early
LGA → DFW has an average that understates its risk: a typical arrival is 9 min early, but the worst tenth are 74 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 20,144 operations; cancelled and diverted flights are counted separately.
Will your connection be tight enough?
Layovers at DFW after arriving from LGA.
| Connection time | Chance of missing | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 37% | Likely to miss |
| 45 min | 25% | High risk |
| 60 min | 18% | High risk |
| 90 min | 11% | Some risk |
| 120 min | 6.9% | 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 3.23% of the time and diverts 0.71% of the time, which a late arrival never shows up in.
Chance of missing is the share of 19,350 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 65 minutes late (90th-percentile gate arrival delay), over 20,144 operations.
Any other layover length: connection checker.
Best time to fly
LGA → DFW flights departing 5–9 AM arrived on time 85.6% of the time, against 64.4% for 6–9 PM departures, a gap of 21.2 percentage points.
By day and hour
On-time arrival rate for each weekday and scheduled departure hour, in local time at the departure airport (LGA).
Hour of departure matters more than day of the week: hourly averages sit a typical 8.9 points from the route-wide rate, weekday averages 1.9 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 before 6 AM and after 11 PM (257 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 | 85.8% on time265 flights | 87.9% on time264 flights | 88.8% on time260 flights | 88.4% on time262 flights | 87.1% on time258 flights | 117 flights, too few to score | 85.5% on time169 flights |
| 7 AM–8 AM | 88.0% on time207 flights | 86.9% on time205 flights | 85.4% on time206 flights | 88.6% on time206 flights | 90.0% on time205 flights | 87.0% on time167 flights | 90.8% on time160 flights |
| 8 AM–9 AM | 81.3% on time270 flights | 79.4% on time273 flights | 84.6% on time271 flights | 83.6% on time273 flights | 80.7% on time273 flights | 79.4% on time250 flights | 87.0% on time259 flights |
| 9 AM–10 AM | 79.4% on time145 flights | 79.9% on time154 flights | 75.2% on time142 flights | 82.3% on time152 flights | 72.5% on time145 flights | 112 flights, too few to score | 82.6% on time138 flights |
| 10 AM–11 AM | 80.5% on time153 flights | 76.9% on time164 flights | 81.9% on time154 flights | 75.0% on time148 flights | 80.8% on time150 flights | 66 flights, too few to score | 81.3% on time138 flights |
| 11 AM–12 PM | 80.8% on time150 flights | 81.6% on time149 flights | 83.4% on time152 flights | 81.3% on time151 flights | 79.6% on time153 flights | 86 flights, too few to score | 76.9% on time136 flights |
| 12 PM–1 PM | 78.4% on time284 flights | 83.6% on time272 flights | 82.2% on time280 flights | 80.6% on time271 flights | 72.1% on time276 flights | 78.5% on time200 flights | 75.7% on time259 flights |
| 1 PM–2 PM | 75.9% on time233 flights | 81.6% on time241 flights | 81.5% on time237 flights | 78.0% on time235 flights | 80.5% on time240 flights | 82.0% on time152 flights | 72.8% on time250 flights |
| 2 PM–3 PM | 75 flights, too few to score | 64 flights, too few to score | 75 flights, too few to score | 76 flights, too few to score | 85 flights, too few to score | 61 flights, too few to score | 77 flights, too few to score |
| 3 PM–4 PM | 68.6% on time285 flights | 67.4% on time282 flights | 61.2% on time279 flights | 68.7% on time276 flights | 67.6% on time270 flights | 92 flights, too few to score | 68.7% on time276 flights |
| 4 PM–5 PM | 55.5% on time132 flights | 71.4% on time135 flights | 60.8% on time135 flights | 60.0% on time134 flights | 57.8% on time135 flights | 77 flights, too few to score | 54.0% on time136 flights |
| 5 PM–6 PM | 64.5% on time229 flights | 68.3% on time217 flights | 66.4% on time223 flights | 64.9% on time214 flights | 63.6% on time220 flights | 74.5% on time145 flights | 61.9% on time231 flights |
| 6 PM–7 PM | 63.3% on time196 flights | 76.6% on time202 flights | 61.9% on time191 flights | 56.8% on time194 flights | 60.1% on time196 flights | 50 flights, too few to score | 58.4% on time201 flights |
| 7 PM–8 PM | 62.1% on time199 flights | 69.4% on time193 flights | 66.3% on time205 flights | 61.3% on time193 flights | 69.7% on time188 flights | 22 flights, too few to score | 58.0% on time191 flights |
| 8 PM–9 PM | 90 flights, too few to score | 94 flights, too few to score | 86 flights, too few to score | 86 flights, too few to score | 94 flights, too few to score | 45 flights, too few to score | 93 flights, too few to score |
| 9 PM–10 PM | 21 flights, too few to score | 21 flights, too few to score | 21 flights, too few to score | 22 flights, too few to score | 22 flights, too few to score | 5 flights, too few to score | 21 flights, too few to score |
| 10 PM–11 PM | 62.8% on time137 flights | 67.7% on time131 flights | 75.0% on time137 flights | 61.3% on time131 flights | 59.4% on time139 flights | 109 flights, too few to score | 60.8% on time137 flights |
By departure window
By departure hour
- 12 AM to 4 AM: too few flights to score
- 5 AM: 86.2% on time from 236 flights
- 6 AM: 87.5% on time from 1,595 flights
- 7 AM: 88.0% on time from 1,356 flights
- 8 AM: 82.3% on time from 1,869 flights
- 9 AM: 78.2% on time from 988 flights
- 10 AM: 78.8% on time from 973 flights
- 11 AM: 80.9% on time from 977 flights
- 12 PM: 78.8% on time from 1,842 flights
- 1 PM: 78.7% on time from 1,588 flights
- 2 PM: 65.8% on time from 513 flights
- 3 PM: 67.3% on time from 1,760 flights
- 4 PM: 61.1% on time from 884 flights
- 5 PM: 65.8% on time from 1,479 flights
- 6 PM: 63.3% on time from 1,230 flights
- 7 PM: 64.8% on time from 1,191 flights
- 8 PM: 65.9% on time from 588 flights
- 9 PM: 59.7% on time from 133 flights
- 10 PM: 65.2% on time from 921 flights
- 11 PM: too few flights to score
Why LGA → DFW 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 LGA → DFW. Only delays of 15 minutes or more are attributed.
Late-arriving aircraft is the largest cause on LGA → DFW, at 42.7%: flights here mostly leave late because the plane came in late, and the day shows it: 5–9 AM departures arrived on time 85.6% of the time and 6–9 PM departures 64.4%.
How this route holds up in bad weather
July 2023 – July 2026
The harder-hit end is DFW, where the flight lands. Its figure counts departures from DFW, so it says more about how that airport copes than about this route. Bad weather cancels 7.0 times the normal rate at DFW against 4.1 times at LGA. Cancelled in bad weather against normal hours: LGA 9.0% against 2.2%, DFW 10.4% against 1.5%. 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 | LGA | DFW |
|---|---|---|
| Cancelled in bad weather | 9.0% | 10.4% |
| Cancelled in normal hours | 2.2% | 1.5% |
| Arrived on time, bad weather | 63.6% | 56.4% |
| Arrived on time, normal hours | 80.9% | 74.4% |
| Departures in bad weather | 56,339 | 72,822 |
Of the carriers on this route, Delta Air Lines (6.5% cancelled against 9.9% for the other carriers at LGA) cancelled the fewest departures from LGA in bad weather and Frontier Airlines (10.6% cancelled against 8.7% for the other carriers at LGA) the most.
This route’s airlines in bad weather at LGA
All departures from LGA| Airline | Bad-weather departures | Cancelled | Other carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 10,841 | 6.5%below the others | 9.9% |
| American Airlines | 6,685 | 7.6%below the others | 9.3% |
| Spirit Airlines | 2,577 | 8.9%about level | 8.4% |
| Frontier Airlines | 864 | 10.6%above the others | 8.7% |
These are airport figures, not route figures: every scheduled departure from LGA and DFW, to any destination, in hours the weather report called bad. The airline rows count each carrier’s departures from LGA on every route.
Weather source and limits. In full: LGA (airlines), DFW, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 12,059 | 74.6% | 3.42% | -8 min | 10.7% |
| Delta Air Lines | 6,112 | 75.7% | 2.50% | -10 min | 10.8% |
| Frontier Airlines | 1,014 | 66.0% | 5.52% | -2 min | 15.1% |
| Spirit Airlines | 959 | 78.0% | 3.02% | -11 min | 9.1% |
American Airlines flew 59.9% of the 20,144 flights listed. Frontier Airlines cancelled 5.52% of its flights here against 2.50% for Delta Air Lines.
Spirit Airlines arrived on time 12.0 percentage points more often than Frontier Airlines on this route.
Other ways to fly New York to Dallas–Fort Worth
Airport pairs in the same two city markets, as the DOT defines them.
| Route | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Median delay | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA→DFW this route New York to Dallas–Fort Worth | 20,144 | 74.7% | 3.23% | -9 min | 44 |
| EWR→DFW Newark to Dallas–Fort Worth | 10,984 | 77.8% | 2.72% | -9 min | 51 |
EWR → DFW is the most reliable pairing for this journey at 77.8% on time, against 74.7% for LGA → DFW.
Flying to DFW from the New York area? Compare LGA, EWR, JFK for DFW, 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.
AA1597 (6:00 AM) arrived on time 87.9% of the time, 24.7 points more often than F93423 (10:00 PM) at 63.2%.
Weekly and seasonal patterns
By day of week
Saturday is historically the most reliable day and Sunday the least, a gap of 6.1 percentage points.
By month
- Jan: 73.4%
- Feb: 79.1%
- Mar: 78.0%
- Apr: 74.1%
- May: 67.0%
- Jun: 68.6%
- Jul: 68.6%
- Aug: 78.5%
- Sep: 79.4%
- Oct: 79.4%
- Nov: 78.4%
- Dec: 73.8%
May is historically the weakest month and September the strongest, a spread of 12.4 percentage points.
Reliability over time
July 2023 – July 2026
- July 2023: 70.5% from 475 flights
- August 2023: 83.3% from 507 flights
- September 2023: 75.2% from 479 flights
- October 2023: 85.4% from 521 flights
- November 2023: 85.7% from 504 flights
- December 2023: 87.1% from 451 flights
- January 2024: 70.2% from 452 flights
- February 2024: 83.1% from 453 flights
- March 2024: 81.9% from 514 flights
- April 2024: 75.3% from 547 flights
- May 2024: 64.6% from 565 flights
- June 2024: 77.8% from 540 flights
- July 2024: 67.1% from 566 flights
- August 2024: 76.3% from 562 flights
- September 2024: 85.6% from 556 flights
- October 2024: 90.2% from 588 flights
- November 2024: 86.6% from 592 flights
- December 2024: 74.3% from 562 flights
- January 2025: 71.9% from 554 flights
- February 2025: 77.1% from 510 flights
- March 2025: 79.2% from 567 flights
- April 2025: 69.4% from 552 flights
- May 2025: 67.9% from 594 flights
- June 2025: 61.5% from 604 flights
- July 2025: 67.5% from 629 flights
- August 2025: 76.5% from 601 flights
- September 2025: 76.7% from 590 flights
- October 2025: 63.6% from 614 flights
- November 2025: 63.4% from 582 flights
- December 2025: 61.6% from 541 flights
- January 2026: 78.1% from 535 flights
- February 2026: 77.2% from 486 flights
- March 2026: 72.9% from 569 flights
- April 2026: 77.5% from 552 flights
- May 2026: 68.5% from 549 flights
- June 2026: 67.3% from 534 flights
- July 2026: 69.5% from 547 flights
Over the most recent 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07), on-time arrivals averaged 71.0% against 75.5% in the 12 months before — declining by 4.5 percentage points.
Data and methodology
Calculated by FlyerIntel from 20,144 LGA → DFW 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