Hub connection rankings: where short connections hold best
Of the 31 large US hubs we track, July 2026. GateCast’s measure: the share of short connections between any two flights (whether or not on the same airline) that lost 15+ minutes; the lowest share ranks first. A ranking by a measured share, no judgement on how an airport is run.
Of the 31 large US hubs GateCast tracks · rank 1 = the lowest share of short connections that lost 15+ minutes · July 2026| GateCast measure | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | vs June | Hub | Lost 15+ min | July |
| 1 | ▲ 12−1.2 ptsJune: 13th, 17.0% | MDWChicago Midway | 15.8% | |
| 2 | ▲ 22−2.7 ptsJune: 24th, 18.7% | DENDenver | 16.0% | |
| 3 | ▲ 3+0.7 ptsJune: 6th, 16.0% | SLCSalt Lake City | 16.7% | |
| 4 | ▲ 16−1.1 ptsJune: =20th, 18.0% | SEASeattle-Tacoma | 16.9% | |
| 5 | ▲ 4+0.3 ptsJune: =9th, 16.7% | IAHHouston Bush Intercontinental | 17.0% | |
| 6 | ▲ 3+0.5 ptsJune: =9th, 16.7% | AUSAustin-Bergstrom | 17.2% | |
| =7 | ▲ 21−2.4 ptsJune: 28th, 19.9% | DFWDallas/Fort Worth | 17.5% | |
| =7 | ▼ 5+3.7 ptsJune: 2nd, 13.8% | IADWashington Dulles | 17.5% | |
| 9 | ▼ 6+3.6 ptsJune: 3rd, 14.1% | DTWDetroit Metro | 17.7% | |
| 10 | ▲ 9+0.5 ptsJune: 19th, 17.9% | LASLas Vegas Harry Reid | 18.4% | |
| =11 | ▲ 5+0.9 ptsJune: 16th, 17.6% | BWIBaltimore/Washington | 18.5% | |
| =11 | ▼ 4+2.4 ptsJune: 7th, 16.1% | HNLHonolulu | 18.5% | |
| 13 | ▼ 4+1.9 ptsJune: =9th, 16.7% | MSPMinneapolis-St Paul | 18.6% | |
| 14 | ▲ 3+1.1 ptsJune: 17th, 17.7% | PHXPhoenix Sky Harbor | 18.8% | |
| 15 | ▼ 14+5.3 ptsJune: 1st, 13.6% | ATLAtlanta Hartsfield-Jackson | 18.9% | |
| 16 | ▼ 8+2.8 ptsJune: 8th, 16.2% | CLTCharlotte Douglas | 19.0% | |
| 17 | ▲ 9+0.2 ptsJune: 26th, 18.9% | ORDChicago O'Hare | 19.1% | |
| 18 | ▲ 7+0.6 ptsJune: 25th, 18.8% | LAXLos Angeles | 19.4% | |
| 19 | ▼ 15+4.2 ptsJune: =4th, 15.8% | EWRNewark Liberty | 20.0% | |
| 20 | ▲ 2+2.0 ptsJune: 22nd, 18.2% | BNANashville | 20.2% | |
| 21 | ▼ 6+3.2 ptsJune: 15th, 17.4% | TPATampa | 20.6% | |
| =22 | ▲ 1+2.8 ptsJune: 23rd, 18.3% | JFKNew York JFK | 21.1% | |
| =22 | ▼ 4+3.3 ptsJune: 18th, 17.8% | LGANew York LaGuardia | 21.1% | |
| 24 | ▲ 3+1.7 ptsJune: 27th, 19.5% | DCAWashington Reagan National | 21.2% | |
| 25 | ▼ 13+4.6 ptsJune: 12th, 16.9% | BOSBoston Logan | 21.5% | |
| 26 | ▼ 6+3.9 ptsJune: =20th, 18.0% | MCOOrlando | 21.9% | |
| 27 | ▼ 13+4.9 ptsJune: 14th, 17.1% | PHLPhiladelphia | 22.0% | |
| =28 | ▼ 24+6.3 ptsJune: =4th, 15.8% | FLLFort Lauderdale-Hollywood | 22.1% | |
| =28 | ▲ 2+0.3 ptsJune: 30th, 21.8% | SANSan Diego | 22.1% | |
| 30 | ▼ 1+2.9 ptsJune: 29th, 20.9% | MIAMiami | 23.8% | |
| 31 | –−1.3 ptsJune: 31st, 35.4% | SFOSan Francisco | 34.1% | |
Method: Pairs of flights scheduled 30 to 44 minutes apart at the same hub, whether or not on the same airline, on days both flew; lost 15+ = first flight's arrival delay minus second flight's departure delay of 15 minutes or more. This is a delay measure only - it does not mean a connection was missed.
Source: BTS Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance, all reporting US carriers, departures from each hub; July 2026, compared with June 2026; read 2026-10-20
Hubs with the same figure share a rank, shown with =, and are listed alphabetically; the next rank skips.
vs June: the change in rank against June 2026 on the same measure (▲ climbed the table, ▼ fell), then the change in the figure in percentage points (the difference between the two figures shown) and, beneath, June’s own rank and figure. Rank moves between close values are small changes in the figure. A change that is within the range expected from month-to-month variation (a 95% bootstrap interval worked out for each hub) is shown as level, with a dash, not as a move.
Note: This delay measure counts connections between any two airlines, whether or not on the same airline group; the Power Rankings index counts same-airline-group journeys, so the two are not comparable.
Places only; no airline is ranked.
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