ORF to DEN flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Norfolk International Airport to Denver International Airport · 1,553 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at ORF or DEN right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Norfolk (ORF) to Denver (DEN) arrived on time 75% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 0.8% were cancelled, and 7% arrived an hour or more late.
- United Airlines was the most punctual airline here (81% on time); Southwest Airlines was the least (64%).
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (87% on time); around 5pm did worst (42%).
- Wednesday was the most reliable day to fly (88% on time) and Sunday the least (69%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (53%).
Which airline is most on time from ORF to DEN?
Ranked by on-time arrival rate. Regional airlines fly under their partner's brand (e.g. SkyWest for Delta Connection or United Express).
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | 1 hr+ late | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 81% | 0.5% | 14 min | 6.8% | 416 |
| Southwest Airlines | 64% | 1.4% | 18 min | 8.4% | 220 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am81%16 flights
- 8am87%364 flights
- 1pm89%19 flights
- 2pm71%50 flights
- 3pm51%73 flights
- 4pm53%89 flights
- 5pm42%21 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday74%1.1% cancelled
- Tuesday80%0.0% cancelled
- Wednesday88%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday76%0.0% cancelled
- Friday70%1.0% cancelled
- Saturday73%1.0% cancelled
- Sunday69%2.0% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)53%
- Late-arriving aircraft22%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion21%
- Extreme weather4%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather100%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
ORF to DEN: common questions
- How often are ORF to DEN flights on time?
- 75% of flights arrived less than 15 minutes late in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, compared with 78% for all US flights.
- How often are flights from Norfolk to Denver cancelled?
- 0.8% of scheduled flights were cancelled (5 of 636).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 16 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 59 min behind schedule on average, and 7.3% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at ORF?
- Flights on this route spent 13 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DEN to ORF — 70% on time
More flights from Norfolk
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: ORF → DEN, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.