ON TIMEBOARD

JFK → MSP on time

New York JFK (New York, NY) to Minneapolis-St. Paul (Minneapolis, MN). Every scheduled flight, September 2025 to August 2026.

On time
74%
arrived < 15 min late
Cancelled
4.3%
1,096 flights
Typical arrival
−9 min
median vs schedule
When late
+93 min
average delay
Flights / day
3
1 airline

74% of flights from New York to Minneapolis arrived on time over the past 12 months. That is worse than the typical U.S. route. The 7 a.m. departures ran on time 83% of the time; the 6 p.m. ones 60%. 14% of flights arrived more than an hour late or not at all.

How late?

The on-time rate treats a flight 20 minutes late the same as one 5 hours late. Here's the split for JFK → MSP: when a flight was late, it was under 45 minutes late 44% of the time. About 1 in 11 flights landed an hour or more late, and 1 in 33 three hours or more; 4.3% were cancelled outright.

Share of all 1,096 scheduled flights, past 12 months, by arrival time against schedule.

By airline

AirlineFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrival1h+ lateAvg when lateOperated by
Delta Air Lines1,09674%4.3%−9 min9.5%+93 minDelta Air Lines 63%, Endeavor Air 37%

Airline = the name on the ticket. Regional flights (e.g. "Delta Connection") count under the ticketing airline, and the operator is listed.

Best time of day to fly

On-time rate by scheduled departure hour (local time at JFK). Delays build through the day as late planes knock on, so early flights usually do best.

40%70%100%6 a.m. departures: too few flights (46 flights)6a7 a.m. departures: 83% on time (319 flights)837a8 a.m. departures: too few flights8a9 a.m. departures: too few flights9a10 a.m. departures: too few flights10a11 a.m. departures: 81% on time (304 flights)8111anoon departures: too few flights (60 flights)12p1 p.m. departures: too few flights1p2 p.m. departures: too few flights2p3 p.m. departures: too few flights (1 flights)3p4 p.m. departures: too few flights4p5 p.m. departures: too few flights (85 flights)5p6 p.m. departures: 60% on time (279 flights)606p
JFK → MSP, share of flights arriving on time, by departure hour. Hours with under 100 flights are greyed out.
82%+ on time76–82%68–76%under 68%too few flights

Last flight of the day

On JFK → MSP, each airline's last flight of the day was cancelled 6.6% of the time, against 3.1% for its earlier flights (2.1× as often). It arrived 3+ hours late 4.7% of the time (earlier flights: 2.2%). It matters more than the numbers suggest. Miss an earlier flight and there's another one that evening; miss the last one and you're usually waiting until morning.

AirlineLast departureLast: cancelledLast: 3h+ lateEarlier: cancelledNext morning
Delta Air Lines6:20 p.m.6.6%4.7%3.1%first flight 7:15 a.m.

Last flight = the airline's last scheduled departure on this route that day, on days it flies the route at least twice; past 12 months. Times are typical scheduled times over the latest three months.

If you need to be in MSP tonight, book an earlier flight so there's a backup if it's cancelled.

By month

Each calendar month pooled over 2023–2026. Best: November (89%). Worst: July (69%).

40%70%100%Jan: 75% on time (279 flights)75JanFeb: 76% on time (255 flights)76FebMar: 76% on time (279 flights)76MarApr: 77% on time (270 flights)77AprMay: 82% on time (279 flights)82MayJun: 70% on time (271 flights)70JunJul: 69% on time (279 flights)69JulAug: 70% on time (281 flights)70AugSep: 87% on time (270 flights)87SepOct: 82% on time (279 flights)82OctNov: 89% on time (270 flights)89NovDec: 79% on time (281 flights)79Dec

By day of week

DayFlightsOn timeCancelled
Monday15972%6.3%
Tuesday15674%3.2%
Wednesday15679%0.6%
Thursday15570%4.5%
Friday15680%1.9%
Saturday15777%4.5%
Sunday15768%8.9%

Why flights were late

Share of delay minutes on flights 15+ minutes late, as reported to BTS by the airlines.

Late inbound plane 38%Airline (crew, maintenance, ops) 37%Air traffic & airport (NAS) 24%Severe weather 1%

Cancellations: airline 24 · weather 13 · air traffic/airport 10

Month by month

Not enough months with data to draw a trend.

Flight numbers on this route

Regular flights with at least 120 scheduled trips in the past year. Sorted by departure time.

FlightDepartsFlightsOn timeCancelledTypical arrivalOperated by
DL 23907:15 a.m.24385%1.7%−12 minDelta Air Lines
DL 241411:35 a.m.26784%1.5%−15 minDelta Air Lines

Worst days in the past year

DateFlightsOn timeCancelled
Jan 26, 202630%2
Feb 24, 202630%2
Feb 23, 202630%3
Dec 27, 202530%1
Mar 11, 202630%1

Nearby airport alternatives

Other ways to make the same trip, using airports within 60 miles of New York or Minneapolis. LGA → MSP has been 3 points more reliable.

RouteFlightsOn timeCancelled
JFK → MSP (this route)1,09674%4.3%
LGA → MSP LaGuardia to Minneapolis-St. Paul1,97178%2.9%
EWR → MSP Newark to Minneapolis-St. Paul2,26876%4.6%

Questions

How often are flights from JFK to MSP on time?

74% of 1,096 scheduled flights from New York, NY to Minneapolis, MN arrived within 15 minutes of schedule between September 2025 and August 2026. 4.3% were cancelled.

What is the best time of day to fly JFK to MSP?

Flights scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. were the most reliable (83% on time). The 6 p.m. departures were the least (60%).

What month has the most delays from JFK to MSP?

July (69% on time). The best month is November (89%), over 2023–2026.

Is the last flight of the day from JFK to MSP more likely to be cancelled?

Yes. Each airline's last JFK–MSP flight of the day was cancelled 6.6% of the time over the past year, against 3.1% for its earlier flights. If the last flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the following morning.

Related

Domestic flights by the airlines that report to the U.S. DOT, plus their regional partners. "On time" means arriving less than 15 minutes after schedule; cancelled and diverted flights count as not on time. Past performance is a guide, not a forecast. Method.