DFW to LAX flight delays

DFW LAX Dallas Fort Worth to Los Angeles · 1,235 miles

20,099 flights were scheduled from DFW to LAX over July 2023 through June 2026. Of the 19,775 that made the trip, 72.8% reached the gate less than 15 minutes behind schedule. These are arrival figures: “on time” means the flight reached the gate less than 15 minutes behind schedule. Arrivals are what decide whether you make the connection, so route and airline pages are scored on them rather than on pushback.

Data through June 2026 · Bureau of Transportation Statistics

The route in brief

Flights in the window
20,099
Arrived on time
72.8%
Cancelled
1.5%
Scheduled distance
1,235 miles

Cancellations are counted against everything scheduled. Diverted flights are counted with them rather than as very late arrivals, which is why the on-time share and the cancellation rate do not add up to everything that happened.

Airline by airline

Airlines with at least 100 flights on DFW–LAX, busiest first. Same route, same weather, same air traffic — which makes this the fairest comparison on the site.

Airline Arrived on time Typical delay Cancelled Flights
American Airlines 70.2% 68 min 1.7% 14,361
Spirit Airlines 77.2% 65 min 0.9% 2,694
Delta Air Lines 86.3% 91 min 1% 2,148
Frontier Airlines 70.5% 65 min 1.5% 896

Month by month

July was the month to avoid on DFW–LAX: 60.6% of flights arrived on time, against 79.9% in February. Each bar pools three years of that calendar month.

Share of flights that arrived on time, by calendar month. Best month in green, worst in amber. The hairline sits at the overall rate, 72.8%.
Arrival on-time share, DFW to LAX, by calendar month
Month Share flights that arrived on time Flights
January 75% 1,597
February 79.9% 1,444
March 76.9% 1,706
April 71.9% 1,673
May 64.5% 1,758
June 63.5% 1,676
July 60.6% 1,763
August 67.6% 1,772
September 78.3% 1,593
October 79.8% 1,751
November 78.6% 1,650
December 79.6% 1,716

Both ends of the route

A route’s record is built out of two airports’ habits. The hour-by-hour grid for each is on its own page.

DFW to LAX in one number

DFW → LAX

When a flight on this route was late, it was late by about 68 min.

July 2023–June 2026 · 20,099 flights

72.8% of flights arrived on time

Questions about DFW to LAX

Which airline is most reliable from DFW to LAX?
Delta Air Lines — its flights on this pairing arrived on time 86.3% of the time, with 2,148 scheduled. American Airlines came in at 70.2% over 14,361 scheduled. Airlines with fewer than 100 flights on the route are not rated.
What is the worst month to fly DFW to LAX?
July, at 60.6% of arrivals on time, with 1,763 flights scheduled. February was the best of the year at 79.9%.
How late are DFW–LAX flights when they are late?
68 min on average, counting only the flights that arrived 15 minutes or more behind schedule. The on-time flights are left out of that average on purpose — mixing them in would flatter it.
How often is the DFW to LAX flight cancelled?
1.5% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled, July 2023 through June 2026. Diverted flights are counted with the cancellations rather than as late arrivals.
Are these departure or arrival numbers?
Arrival. A flight counts as on time here if it reached the gate at LAX less than 15 minutes behind schedule. Airport pages score departures instead, because that is the number you can act on when you pick a booking time.