RDU to DEN flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Denver International Airport · 1,436 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at RDU or DEN right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Denver (DEN) arrived on time 81% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 0.9% were cancelled, and 6% arrived an hour or more late.
- United Airlines was the most punctual airline here (87% on time); Southwest Airlines was the least (75%).
- Departures scheduled around 12pm did best (96% on time); around 6pm did worst (56%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (87% on time) and Monday the least (75%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (44%).
Which airline is most on time from RDU 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 | 87% | 0.5% | 13 min | 5.4% | 745 |
| Frontier Airlines | 82% | 1.4% | 14 min | 7.0% | 291 |
| Southwest Airlines | 75% | 1.0% | 15 min | 7.1% | 709 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am92%182 flights
- 7am93%143 flights
- 8am92%386 flights
- 10am96%26 flights
- 12pm96%77 flights
- 4pm76%442 flights
- 5pm72%198 flights
- 6pm56%148 flights
- 7pm62%85 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday75%0.8% cancelled
- Tuesday87%0.4% cancelled
- Wednesday84%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday81%0.8% cancelled
- Friday78%0.0% cancelled
- Saturday84%0.4% cancelled
- Sunday81%3.5% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft44%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion25%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)25%
- Extreme weather5%
- Security1%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather73%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)27%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
RDU to DEN: common questions
- How often are RDU to DEN flights on time?
- 81% 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 Raleigh/Durham to Denver cancelled?
- 0.9% of scheduled flights were cancelled (15 of 1,745).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 14 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 68 min behind schedule on average, and 6.4% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at RDU?
- Flights on this route spent 14 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DEN to RDU — 76% on time
More flights from Raleigh/Durham
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: RDU → DEN, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.