Holiday record
Fourth of July week 2025 flight delays
Tuesday 1 July 2025 to Monday 7 July 2025 · 137,453 flights
Historical statistics for Fourth of July week 2025, not live status and not a forecast for a future Fourth of July week.
By the numbers, Fourth of July week 2025 was an ordinary stretch of flying. The on-time rate edged up to 72.7% from 70.1% in the surrounding weeks, late flights averaged 80 minutes against 81, and cancellations were 1.65% against 2.62%, all inside the range a normal fortnight produces.
Key figures
On time
72.7%
Normal weeks: 70.1%
Avg delay
80 min
Delayed flights only. Normal weeks: 81 min
Cancelled
1.65%
Normal weeks: 2.62%
1 hour+ late
11.1%
Normal weeks: 12.5%
Between Tuesday 1 July 2025 to Monday 7 July 2025 airlines scheduled 137,453 flights. Measured per day against the 28 baseline days, the holiday was 4% quieter than usual (19,636 flights a day against 20,554).
Against normal weeks
Fourth of July week 2025 next to the weeks around it
| Period | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All flights, Fourth of July week 2025 | 137,453 | 72.7% | 70.1% | +2.6 | 1.65% | 2.62% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Day by day
Which day of Fourth of July week ran best
As so often, the trip home was the hardest part. Monday 7 July at 67.6% on time, the closing day of the window, 4.4 points below the 72.0% of ordinary Mondays. The best day was Friday 4 July at 83.5%, while Monday 7 July was the busiest, with 21,499 flights scheduled. 2 of the 7 days ran below the figure for the same weekday in the baseline weeks.
Each day of the window, set against its weekday in normal weeks: Tue 1 −3.3, Wed 2 +2.0, Thu 3 +2.0, Fri 4 +13.8, Sat 5 +7.4, Sun 6 +2.6, Mon 7 −4.4 points. No more than one day in a row ran below the weekday baseline, so the weak days were isolated rather than a sustained slowdown.
| Day | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 1 July | 19,092 | 68.6% | 71.9% | −3.3 | 6.15% | 2.29% |
| Wednesday 2 July | 19,619 | 70.4% | 68.4% | +2.0 | 1.48% | 2.88% |
| Thursday 3 July | 20,926 | 70.0% | 68.0% | +2.0 | 1.40% | 2.80% |
| Friday 4 July | 16,621 | 83.5% | 69.7% | +13.8 | 0.40% | 2.49% |
| Saturday 5 July | 18,342 | 80.7% | 73.3% | +7.4 | 0.19% | 2.91% |
| Sunday 6 July | 21,354 | 70.4% | 67.8% | +2.6 | 0.93% | 2.10% |
| Monday 7 July | 21,499 | 67.6% | 72.0% | −4.4 | 1.00% | 2.91% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Here “normal weeks” means the same day of the week in the baseline weeks, so a Sunday is set against the baseline Sundays.
Departure window
The best time of day to fly it
Late departures were the weak spot. 5pm–8pm flights ran 55.7% on time, 34.2 points below the 89.9% of 5am–8am flights. The 8pm–5am window moved most against its normal weeks, 3.9 points better than 57.1%.
| Departure | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–8am | 23,330 | 89.9% | 89.0% | +0.9 | 1.41% | 2.16% |
| 8am–11am | 25,492 | 84.5% | 83.1% | +1.4 | 0.64% | 1.31% |
| 11am–2pm | 24,351 | 76.7% | 73.8% | +2.9 | 0.69% | 1.24% |
| 2pm–5pm | 23,887 | 63.3% | 61.0% | +2.3 | 1.63% | 2.36% |
| 5pm–8pm | 22,680 | 55.7% | 53.1% | +2.6 | 2.97% | 4.37% |
| 8pm–5am | 17,713 | 61.0% | 57.1% | +3.9 | 3.11% | 4.75% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Airport by airport
Airports over Fourth of July week 2025
59 airports scheduled at least 500 departures. Miami (MIA) at 55.3%, Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) at 60.9% and Orlando (MCO) at 61.4% ran the lowest on-time rates, Honolulu (HNL) at 89.1%, Kahului (OGG) at 89.0% and Anchorage (ANC) at 83.4% the highest. Miami (MIA) fell furthest against its own normal weeks, from 64.9% to 55.3%. In all, 15 of 59 ran below their own figures for the surrounding weeks.
14% of the holiday's departures left from just three airports, Chicago (ORD, 6,494 departures, 69.9% on time), Denver (DEN, 6,482 departures, 64.4% on time) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW, 6,286 departures, 60.9% on time).
The large airports that did better than usual were Atlanta (ATL, +14.4 points), Washington (IAD, +10.2 points) and Minneapolis (MSP, +9.5 points).
Not all delays were equal. Delayed departures from New York (LGA) averaged 127 minutes, against 100 in its normal weeks, the longest of any large airport; at Honolulu (HNL) the average was 50 minutes.
The extra holiday flying was concentrated in a handful of places. Daily departures rose most at New York (JFK, +0%), Kahului (OGG, −0%) and San Juan (SJU, −1%), and fell most at Detroit (DTW, −10%). One of those three ran below its normal on-time rate.
| Airport | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago (ORD) | 6,494 | 69.9% | 63.9% | +6.0 | 1.46% | 2.76% |
| Denver (DEN) | 6,482 | 64.4% | 63.6% | +0.8 | 1.13% | 1.37% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | 6,286 | 60.9% | 62.2% | −1.3 | 0.60% | 4.07% |
| Atlanta (ATL) | 6,041 | 77.8% | 63.4% | +14.4 | 0.94% | 2.94% |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 3,734 | 81.1% | 77.3% | +3.8 | 0.72% | 1.05% |
| Seattle (SEA) | 3,618 | 74.1% | 70.0% | +4.1 | 0.28% | 1.38% |
| Charlotte (CLT) | 3,590 | 71.0% | 63.8% | +7.2 | 1.70% | 3.39% |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | 3,471 | 67.5% | 75.4% | −7.9 | 1.35% | 0.99% |
| Phoenix (PHX) | 3,441 | 75.9% | 74.9% | +1.0 | 0.44% | 0.94% |
| Orlando (MCO) | 2,987 | 61.4% | 67.3% | −5.9 | 1.37% | 1.65% |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 2,835 | 78.9% | 75.3% | +3.6 | 0.74% | 1.06% |
| Boston (BOS) | 2,782 | 70.4% | 69.7% | +0.7 | 3.16% | 3.46% |
| Washington (DCA) | 2,665 | 71.6% | 62.3% | +9.3 | 7.24% | 9.92% |
| New York (LGA) | 2,578 | 66.4% | 63.2% | +3.2 | 8.96% | 8.51% |
| Detroit (DTW) | 2,314 | 79.4% | 70.8% | +8.6 | 0.99% | 2.06% |
| Newark (EWR) | 2,314 | 67.8% | 66.7% | +1.1 | 5.40% | 6.10% |
| Houston (IAH) | 2,257 | 69.2% | 66.5% | +2.7 | 0.58% | 2.14% |
| Minneapolis (MSP) | 2,237 | 82.4% | 72.9% | +9.5 | 0.27% | 1.20% |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | 2,220 | 81.7% | 79.3% | +2.4 | 0.32% | 0.76% |
| New York (JFK) | 2,082 | 69.3% | 63.4% | +5.9 | 5.19% | 5.78% |
| Nashville (BNA) | 2,067 | 66.7% | 67.4% | −0.7 | 1.74% | 2.06% |
| Miami (MIA) | 2,003 | 55.3% | 64.9% | −9.6 | 1.30% | 2.68% |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | 1,955 | 69.3% | 62.8% | +6.5 | 3.89% | 5.92% |
| Baltimore (BWI) | 1,925 | 69.7% | 64.1% | +5.6 | 1.14% | 2.60% |
| San Diego (SAN) | 1,902 | 76.1% | 73.8% | +2.3 | 0.58% | 1.37% |
| Austin (AUS) | 1,702 | 65.7% | 68.3% | −2.6 | 0.59% | 1.83% |
| Chicago (MDW) | 1,627 | 74.4% | 66.2% | +8.2 | 0.55% | 0.96% |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | 1,529 | 66.1% | 70.9% | −4.8 | 1.44% | 2.21% |
| Tampa (TPA) | 1,470 | 66.4% | 68.4% | −2.0 | 1.43% | 1.94% |
| Dallas (DAL) | 1,384 | 67.1% | 67.0% | +0.1 | 0.22% | 1.38% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Route by route
The busiest routes over Fourth of July week 2025
No route reached 500 flights over the 7 days, so none is ranked. The busiest were LGA to ORD (222 flights, 62.6% on time against 59.2% normally), ORD to LGA (222 flights, 67.1% on time against 59.6% normally) and LAX to JFK (207 flights, 72.6% on time against 64.8% normally); 10 of the ten busiest beat their normal weeks, and all ten appear below with a small-sample mark.
| Route | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA to ORDsmall sample | 222 | 62.6% | 59.2% | +3.4 | 4.50% | 7.47% |
| ORD to LGAsmall sample | 222 | 67.1% | 59.6% | +7.5 | 3.60% | 6.70% |
| LAX to JFKsmall sample | 207 | 72.6% | 64.8% | +7.8 | 1.93% | 2.05% |
| JFK to LAXsmall sample | 207 | 78.5% | 72.5% | +6.0 | 0.97% | 1.93% |
| HNL to OGGsmall sample | 200 | 92.5% | 87.7% | +4.8 | 0.00% | 0.49% |
| OGG to HNLsmall sample | 200 | 94.5% | 88.5% | +6.0 | 0.00% | 0.61% |
| SFO to LAXsmall sample | 195 | 79.0% | 75.8% | +3.2 | 0.00% | 0.36% |
| LAX to SFOsmall sample | 195 | 80.0% | 76.2% | +3.8 | 0.00% | 0.24% |
| ANC to SEAsmall sample | 165 | 83.4% | 82.2% | +1.2 | 1.21% | 2.26% |
| SEA to ANCsmall sample | 165 | 80.4% | 67.5% | +12.9 | 1.21% | 2.11% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Carrier by carrier
Airlines over Fourth of July week 2025
Carrier choice was worth 21.5 points of punctuality over the holiday, from Hawaiian Airlines at 85.2% down to Frontier Airlines at 63.7%. Spirit Airlines lost the most ground against its own normal weeks, 3.8 points. Delta Air Lines gained the most on its normal weeks, 9.7 points.
An hour late is where most connections are lost. 11.1% of arrivals over Fourth of July week 2025 were an hour or more late, against 12.5% normally, down 1.4 points. Miami (MIA) had the highest share among large airports at 21.7%.
Cancellations were local rather than general. Overall 1.65% of flights were called off against 2.62% normally, but New York (LGA) reached 8.96% and Washington (DCA) 7.24%.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 27,479 | 70.6% | 71.5% | −0.9 | 0.65% | 0.91% |
| Delta Air Lines | 19,781 | 81.4% | 71.7% | +9.7 | 0.75% | 2.25% |
| American Airlines | 19,027 | 66.0% | 64.0% | +2.0 | 1.72% | 4.18% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 16,289 | 78.2% | 74.9% | +3.3 | 0.64% | 1.45% |
| United Airlines | 15,400 | 71.4% | 70.0% | +1.4 | 1.31% | 1.43% |
| Republic Airways | 6,531 | 72.3% | 68.5% | +3.8 | 9.11% | 8.79% |
| Envoy Air | 5,851 | 72.2% | 73.0% | −0.8 | 1.23% | 2.62% |
| Alaska Airlines | 5,182 | 76.1% | 69.7% | +6.4 | 0.87% | 1.79% |
| PSA Airlines | 4,670 | 72.0% | 65.1% | +6.9 | 5.52% | 9.19% |
| JetBlue Airways | 4,658 | 64.2% | 65.6% | −1.4 | 4.62% | 3.58% |
| Spirit Airlines | 3,824 | 71.3% | 75.1% | −3.8 | 1.73% | 2.09% |
| Frontier Airlines | 3,731 | 63.7% | 62.1% | +1.6 | 1.18% | 3.50% |
| Allegiant Air | 3,451 | 68.5% | 68.3% | +0.2 | 0.46% | 0.58% |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 1,579 | 85.2% | 79.5% | +5.7 | 0.13% | 0.36% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
Year on year
Fourth of July week across the years
Set against other years, 2025 ranks last for punctuality (73.9% in 2023, 79.5% in 2024 and 72.7% in 2025). A measurable effect turned up in 2 of the 3.
| Year | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 128,829 | 73.9% | 70.3% | +3.6 | 1.62% | 3.22% |
| 2024 | 136,807 | 79.5% | 70.1% | +9.4 | 0.84% | 2.91% |
| 2025 (this page) | 137,453 | 72.7% | 70.1% | +2.6 | 1.65% | 2.62% |
“Normal weeks” are the two weeks either side of the holiday, leaving out other holiday periods. Change is in percentage points.
What to do with this
Planning around Fourth of July week
Practical points from 2025: avoid the final day of the window, the worst of 2025; book before the evening, since 5pm–8pm departures ran 34.2 points worse than 5am–8am ones; and allow extra connection time at Miami (MIA) and Las Vegas (LAS). The pattern across years, on the Fourth of July week overview, is the safer guide.
On time means arriving less than 15 minutes after the scheduled gate time. Average delay counts delayed flights only; cancellations are a share of every scheduled flight. A holiday is compared with the two weeks either side of it, leaving out days that belong to other holidays. The measurable-effect test asks for 3 points of on-time rate, 5 minutes of average delay or 2 points of cancellations; airports, routes and carriers need 500 flights in the window to be ranked. The US DOT publishes on-time data about two months after the month it covers.
Related
Where to go next
- Fourth of July week: every year and the next one
- Fourth of July week 2023
- Fourth of July week 2024
- Press kit: chart, data file and summary for Fourth of July week 2025
- Every US travel holiday
- The holidays that fly better than a normal week
- The busiest US travel days, and what they cost in punctuality
- Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) all year
- Denver International (DEN) all year
- Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) all year
Holiday comparisons use US DOT on-time data from December 2022 to June 2026. Methodology.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, on-time performance data, July 2025 to June 2026. Last updated 15 September 2026; recomputed monthly. How this data is collected.