Detroit (DTW) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Flight time
≈ 4h 45m
Bearing
265° W
Detroit (DTW) to Los Angeles (LAX) is 1,975 miles (3,178 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies DTW–LAX
Filed traffic dataIn July 2026, Delta Air Lines operated the most departures, one of 3 carriers flying nonstop DTW–LAX; the Airbus A321neo was the most common aircraft at 49% of departures; flights ran 92% full.
Departures
373
July 2026
Seats
76,357
both directions
Passengers
70,387
both directions
Load factor
92.2%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies DTW–LAX?
Delta Air Lines operated the most nonstop DTW–LAX departures in July 2026 (371), one of 3 carriers on the route.
- DL
371 departures · 76,023 seats
Share of departures99.5%92.3%
Load
- B6
1 departures · 159 seats
Share of departures0.3%99.4%
Load
- WN
1 departures · 175 seats
Share of departures0.3%25.1%
Load
What plane flies DTW–LAX?
In July 2026, the Airbus A321neo flew 49% of DTW–LAX departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Airbus A321neo
184 departures · 92.9% load
49.3% - Boeing 757-300
112 departures · 92.7% load
30.0% - Boeing 737-900ER
66 departures · 91.8% load
17.7% - Boeing 767-300
3 departures · 78.0% load
0.8% - Airbus A321
2 departures · 89.4% load
0.5% - Airbus A350-900
2 departures · 79.1% load
0.5% - Airbus A330-300
1 departures · 97.9% load
0.3% - Boeing 767-400ER
1 departures · 95.4% load
0.3% - Airbus A330-900
1 departures · 71.9% load
0.3% - Boeing 737 MAX 8
1 departures · 25.1% load
0.3%
How has DTW–LAX traffic changed?
Nonstop DTW–LAX departures fell from 490 in August 2025 to 373 in July 2026.
Monthly nonstop DTW–LAX traffic, trailing 12 months through July 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
August 2025
490 departures · 80,853 passengers
87.8%
Load
September 2025
462 departures · 66,992 passengers
75.7%
Load
October 2025
474 departures · 74,380 passengers
83.0%
Load
November 2025
367 departures · 56,998 passengers
81.4%
Load
December 2025
421 departures · 66,671 passengers
83.9%
Load
January 2026
402 departures · 61,119 passengers
79.0%
Load
February 2026
359 departures · 56,712 passengers
81.1%
Load
March 2026
416 departures · 69,843 passengers
85.5%
Load
April 2026
414 departures · 66,279 passengers
83.8%
Load
May 2026
369 departures · 60,844 passengers
87.4%
Load
June 2026
346 departures · 63,696 passengers
91.5%
Load
July 2026
373 departures · 70,387 passengers
92.2%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
LAX → DTW
91.6% full
189 departures · 35,528 passengers
DTW → LAX
92.8% full
184 departures · 34,859 passengers
Nonstop DTW–LAX traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through July 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
Frequently asked
How far is Detroit (DTW) from Los Angeles (LAX)?
DTW to LAX is 1,975 miles (3,178 km / 1,716 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from DTW to LAX?
A nonstop covers the 1,975-mile great-circle distance in roughly 4h 45m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies DTW–LAX?
In July 2026, the Airbus A321neo flew the largest share of departures (49.3%), followed by the Boeing 757-300 (30.0%).
What mileage do I earn flying DTW–LAX?
Distance-based programs credit off the 1,975-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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