Holiday record
Fourth of July week 2026 flight delays
Wednesday 1 July 2026 to Tuesday 7 July 2026 · 138,168 flights
Historical statistics for Fourth of July week 2026, not live status and not a forecast for a future Fourth of July week.
Delays over Fourth of July week 2026 lasted longer rather than coming more often: 84 minutes on average for a late flight, against 77 normally. Beyond that, the on-time rate was 72.8% against 71.9% and cancellations came to 2.68% against 1.99%.
Key figures
On time
72.8%
Normal weeks: 71.9%
Avg delay
84 min
Delayed flights only. Normal weeks: 77 min
Cancelled
2.68%
Normal weeks: 1.99%
1 hour+ late
11.3%
Normal weeks: 11.0%
The window ran from Wednesday 1 July 2026 to Tuesday 7 July 2026, 7 days carrying 138,168 scheduled flights. That is about 19,738 a day against 20,425 a day across the 28 baseline days, 3% fewer flights a day.
Against normal weeks
Fourth of July week 2026 next to the weeks around it
| Period | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All flights, Fourth of July week 2026 | 138,168 | 72.8% | 71.9% | +0.9 | 2.68% | 1.99% |
“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
Monday 6 July at 65.9% on time was the day the holiday went wrong, 6.3 points below the 72.2% of ordinary Mondays. The best day was Wednesday 1 July at 79.1%, while Monday 6 July was the busiest, with 21,225 flights scheduled. 3 of the 7 days ran below the figure for the same weekday in the baseline weeks.
Compared day for day with ordinary weeks: Wed 1 +2.0, Thu 2 +8.0, Fri 3 +3.0, Sat 4 +6.3, Sun 5 −2.8, Mon 6 −6.3, Tue 7 −3.1 points. The longest bad stretch ran 3 days, from Sunday 5 July to Tuesday 7 July.
| Day | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 1 July | 19,741 | 79.1% | 77.1% | +2.0 | 0.21% | 0.73% |
| Thursday 2 July | 20,855 | 76.1% | 68.1% | +8.0 | 0.46% | 1.54% |
| Friday 3 July | 20,393 | 71.5% | 68.5% | +3.0 | 3.56% | 2.12% |
| Saturday 4 July | 15,402 | 77.9% | 71.6% | +6.3 | 3.88% | 2.91% |
| Sunday 5 July | 20,898 | 67.4% | 70.2% | −2.8 | 3.99% | 2.00% |
| Monday 6 July | 21,225 | 65.9% | 72.2% | −6.3 | 4.64% | 1.51% |
| Tuesday 7 July | 19,654 | 72.9% | 76.0% | −3.1 | 2.12% | 3.22% |
“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
The later the flight, the worse the odds: 5am–8am departures 90.5% on time, 5pm–8pm departures 56.8%. The 8pm–5am window moved most against its normal weeks, 1.9 points worse than 60.4%.
| Departure | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5am–8am | 23,578 | 90.5% | 89.0% | +1.5 | 2.51% | 1.43% |
| 8am–11am | 25,964 | 84.1% | 82.5% | +1.6 | 1.32% | 1.25% |
| 11am–2pm | 24,334 | 75.9% | 74.1% | +1.8 | 1.11% | 1.64% |
| 2pm–5pm | 23,712 | 64.6% | 63.8% | +0.8 | 1.95% | 2.18% |
| 5pm–8pm | 22,810 | 56.8% | 58.3% | −1.5 | 4.40% | 2.82% |
| 8pm–5am | 17,770 | 58.5% | 60.4% | −1.9 | 5.76% | 2.81% |
“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 2026
Among large airports the on-time rate ran from Miami (MIA) at 57.7%, Fort Lauderdale (FLL) at 60.3% and Washington (DCA) at 61.6% at the low end to Honolulu (HNL) at 89.7%, Kahului (OGG) at 87.9% and Anchorage (ANC) at 87.9% at the top. Miami (MIA) fell furthest against its own normal weeks, from 70.2% to 57.7%. Measured against each airport's own normal weeks, 25 of 56 did worse.
Three hubs set the tone for the whole network: Chicago (ORD, 7,355 departures, 67.7% on time), Denver (DEN, 6,473 departures, 72.0% on time) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW, 6,142 departures, 71.1% on time). Between them they handled 14% of departures.
Going the other way, Las Vegas (LAS, +8.5 points), Dallas (DAL, +7.8 points) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW, +7.5 points) all ran better than their normal weeks.
When flights did run late, how late depended on where. Delayed departures from Raleigh (RDU) averaged 144 minutes, against 87 in its normal weeks, the longest of any large airport; at San Jose (SJC) the average was 43 minutes.
The holiday reshaped where people flew. Daily departures rose most at Kahului (OGG, +0%), Honolulu (HNL, +0%) and New York (JFK, +0%), and fell most at Washington (DCA, −10%). The growth cost punctuality at one of the three.
| Airport | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago (ORD) | 7,355 | 67.7% | 71.3% | −3.6 | 7.29% | 1.39% |
| Denver (DEN) | 6,473 | 72.0% | 68.7% | +3.3 | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | 6,142 | 71.1% | 63.6% | +7.5 | 0.52% | 2.45% |
| Atlanta (ATL) | 6,014 | 68.7% | 70.3% | −1.6 | 1.73% | 2.36% |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 3,839 | 74.8% | 75.1% | −0.3 | 1.12% | 0.83% |
| Seattle (SEA) | 3,569 | 76.3% | 73.3% | +3.0 | 0.39% | 0.64% |
| Phoenix (PHX) | 3,489 | 75.7% | 70.0% | +5.7 | 1.03% | 0.62% |
| Charlotte (CLT) | 3,363 | 65.0% | 64.9% | +0.1 | 2.26% | 2.35% |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | 3,125 | 76.5% | 68.0% | +8.5 | 0.86% | 1.00% |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 3,033 | 69.7% | 67.2% | +2.5 | 0.76% | 0.97% |
| Boston (BOS) | 2,902 | 71.4% | 71.8% | −0.4 | 6.20% | 3.90% |
| Orlando (MCO) | 2,890 | 70.2% | 66.5% | +3.7 | 1.97% | 2.17% |
| Washington (DCA) | 2,510 | 61.6% | 65.2% | −3.6 | 8.41% | 6.36% |
| New York (LGA) | 2,458 | 69.5% | 71.0% | −1.5 | 8.83% | 6.63% |
| Minneapolis (MSP) | 2,379 | 74.4% | 78.4% | −4.0 | 1.68% | 1.08% |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | 2,275 | 83.8% | 80.1% | +3.7 | 0.75% | 0.72% |
| Detroit (DTW) | 2,237 | 71.3% | 76.6% | −5.3 | 2.59% | 1.91% |
| Newark (EWR) | 2,236 | 69.4% | 75.0% | −5.6 | 5.59% | 5.04% |
| Houston (IAH) | 2,216 | 70.1% | 71.1% | −1.0 | 0.86% | 0.93% |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | 2,202 | 66.1% | 67.8% | −1.7 | 4.31% | 4.23% |
| Nashville (BNA) | 2,200 | 64.1% | 62.4% | +1.7 | 1.73% | 1.42% |
| New York (JFK) | 2,061 | 63.1% | 70.1% | −7.0 | 10.48% | 7.27% |
| San Diego (SAN) | 2,051 | 71.4% | 68.5% | +2.9 | 0.73% | 1.36% |
| Miami (MIA) | 2,049 | 57.7% | 70.2% | −12.5 | 1.81% | 1.53% |
| Baltimore (BWI) | 1,837 | 68.0% | 69.5% | −1.5 | 6.04% | 2.99% |
| Austin (AUS) | 1,780 | 72.2% | 68.1% | +4.1 | 0.84% | 1.34% |
| Chicago (MDW) | 1,607 | 65.1% | 66.1% | −1.0 | 2.92% | 1.32% |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | 1,432 | 60.3% | 68.1% | −7.8 | 2.79% | 3.36% |
| Portland (PDX) | 1,391 | 79.3% | 78.5% | +0.8 | 0.93% | 0.61% |
| Dallas (DAL) | 1,362 | 66.2% | 58.4% | +7.8 | 1.40% | 1.59% |
“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 2026
The busiest routes were SFO to LAX (244 flights, 65.0% on time against 60.5% normally), LAX to SFO (244 flights, 43.2% on time against 46.1% normally) and LGA to ORD (220 flights, 62.2% on time against 66.7% normally). No route reached 500 flights in 7 days, so the table shows the ten busiest with a small-sample mark and they are not ranked. 3 of those ten ran above their normal on-time rate.
| Route | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO to LAXsmall sample | 244 | 65.0% | 60.5% | +4.5 | 0.00% | 0.20% |
| LAX to SFOsmall sample | 244 | 43.2% | 46.1% | −2.9 | 0.41% | 0.30% |
| LGA to ORDsmall sample | 220 | 62.2% | 66.7% | −4.5 | 8.64% | 5.68% |
| ORD to LGAsmall sample | 220 | 62.9% | 66.5% | −3.6 | 8.18% | 5.46% |
| LAX to JFKsmall sample | 204 | 67.8% | 74.1% | −6.3 | 9.80% | 5.42% |
| JFK to LAXsmall sample | 204 | 66.3% | 67.9% | −1.6 | 9.80% | 4.91% |
| HNL to OGGsmall sample | 179 | 95.0% | 86.4% | +8.6 | 0.00% | 0.28% |
| OGG to HNLsmall sample | 179 | 91.6% | 88.5% | +3.1 | 0.56% | 0.56% |
| ORD to BOSsmall sample | 171 | 60.0% | 68.1% | −8.1 | 6.43% | 1.70% |
| BOS to ORDsmall sample | 171 | 68.8% | 75.0% | −6.2 | 7.02% | 1.27% |
“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 2026
JetBlue Airways had the weakest holiday at 62.7% on time, 20.4 points behind Envoy Air at 83.1%. Republic Airways lost the most ground against its own normal weeks, 6.7 points. Allegiant Air gained the most on its normal weeks, 7.1 points.
For connections, the hour-late figure matters more than the on-time rate. 11.3% of arrivals over Fourth of July week 2026 were an hour or more late, against 11.0% normally, essentially unchanged. Miami (MIA) had the highest share among large airports at 20.8%.
Cancellations were local rather than general. Overall 2.68% of flights were called off against 1.99% normally, but New York (JFK) reached 10.48% and New York (LGA) 8.83%.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Normal weeks | Change | Cancelled | Normal weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 27,523 | 69.7% | 65.9% | +3.8 | 1.34% | 0.96% |
| Delta Air Lines | 20,162 | 75.4% | 76.2% | −0.8 | 1.64% | 2.13% |
| American Airlines | 19,438 | 68.3% | 67.2% | +1.1 | 1.64% | 2.14% |
| SkyWest Airlines | 16,966 | 76.6% | 77.3% | −0.7 | 2.99% | 0.77% |
| United Airlines | 16,310 | 73.9% | 74.5% | −0.6 | 1.99% | 0.93% |
| Republic Airways | 7,032 | 71.7% | 78.4% | −6.7 | 9.61% | 5.89% |
| Alaska Airlines | 7,005 | 81.7% | 77.5% | +4.2 | 0.46% | 0.76% |
| Envoy Air | 6,528 | 83.1% | 79.3% | +3.8 | 2.44% | 1.47% |
| JetBlue Airways | 5,025 | 62.7% | 66.5% | −3.8 | 9.95% | 6.47% |
| PSA Airlines | 4,582 | 63.8% | 65.0% | −1.2 | 7.31% | 6.56% |
| Frontier Airlines | 4,518 | 71.4% | 65.4% | +6.0 | 2.92% | 2.95% |
| Allegiant Air | 3,079 | 73.5% | 66.4% | +7.1 | 0.42% | 0.72% |
“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
2026 sits in the middle of the 4 years in the data: 73.9% in 2023, 79.5% in 2024, 72.7% in 2025 and 72.8% in 2026. 3 of them cleared the measurable-effect test.
| 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, close to normal | 137,453 | 72.7% | 70.1% | +2.6 | 1.65% | 2.62% |
| 2026 (this page) | 138,168 | 72.8% | 71.9% | +0.9 | 2.68% | 1.99% |
“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
What 2026 suggests for a future Fourth of July week: Wednesday 1 July was the best day to fly; book before the evening, since 5pm–8pm departures ran 33.7 points worse than 5am–8am ones; and allow extra connection time at Miami (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL). A single year can be decided by one storm, so weigh it against the other years before planning around it.
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
- Fourth of July week 2025
- Press kit: chart, data file and summary for Fourth of July week 2026
- 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 August 2026. Methodology.
Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, on-time performance data, September 2025 to August 2026. Last updated ; recomputed monthly. How this data is collected.