How long does it really take to fly from Toronto to Detroit? Here's a sample itinerary for a commercial flight plan. If you want to know the total travel time to reach Detroit, you need to include time at the airports. Eventually, you'll be able to customize this itinerary to select other nearby airports and choose your preferred airline.
Tuesday, 12:33 pm: start in Toronto
drive for about 32 minutes
most airlines recommend you get to the airport at least 90 minutes before your flight, so arrive by 2:00 pm at the latest
1:05 pm: Lester B. Pearson International (YYZ)
if you need to check luggage, make sure you do it at least 30-60 minutes before departure, or in this case, by 2:30 pm
1:35 pm: get your boarding pass and go through TSA security
allow enough time for long security lines during busy travel seasons or holidays, and prepare for the wait time
2:35 pm: arrive at the gate
once you're ready to board, you can get something to eat in the airport or just relax near the gate
3:05 pm: prepare for boarding
check your boarding pass for your group number or listen to the gate agent as they announce boarding, some airlines require you to be in the boarding area 10-15 minutes before departure or risk losing your seat
3:20 pm: board Air Georgian flight
you can scroll down to view other airlines that fly this route
3:30 pm: this is your scheduled departure time
but remember flights can be delayed, so take that into account
it takes the plane an average of 15 minutes to taxi to the runway
3:45 pm: wheels up! take-off from YYZ
fly for about 55 minutes in the air
4:40 pm (local time): Detroit Metro Wayne County (DTW)
Detroit is the same time as Toronto
taxi on the runway for an average of 15 minutes to the gate
4:55 pm (local time): arrive at the gate at DTW
deboard the plane, and claim any baggage
if you're renting a car, check if you need to take a shuttle to car rental agency, otherwise you can ride in a cab, limo, or Uber for about 54 minutes to your destination
5:49 pm (local time): arrive in Detroit
Total travel time: 5 hours
How far is Detroit from Toronto? Here's the quick answer if you have a private jet and you can fly in the fastest possible straight line.
Flight distance: 206 miles or 331 km
Flight time: 55 minutes
Compare this to a whole day of commercial travel with the airports and waiting in line for security, which ends up taking a total of 5 hours, 16 minutes.
Flying private is roughly 5.8x faster, and saves you about 4.5 hours in your total travel time.
Because of the curvature of the Earth, the shortest distance is actually the "great circle" distance, or "as the crow flies" which is calculated using an iterative Vincenty formula.
This is a relatively short flight in a private plane, but you might be planning to book a commercial flight. In that case, your travel time would really need to include how many minutes to get to your local airport, wait for security, board and taxi on the runway, land at the other airport, and get to your destination. The flight itinerary at the top of the page takes into account all these factors to get a more accurate estimate of your actual flight time.
The most common route is YYZ to DTW, so that's what we used in the sample itinerary. However, you may want to explore travel alternatives, you could try one of these routes:
We picked Air Georgian for your main flight, but there are other airlines that you should check if you're looking for the cheapest flight, or you need a different schedule. Check the websites of these airlines:
Trippy has a ton of information that can help you plan your trip to Detroit, Michigan. Start by reading the Trippy page on where to stay in Detroit. A great place to eat might be Slows Bar-B-Q. Trippy members can suggest things to do in Detroit like Comerica Park. Check out some of the questions people have asked about Detroit like What is your favorite restaurant in Detroit? Click the button below to explore Detroit in detail.
The distance is the same either way if you're flying a straight line. But for a real trip, there can be plenty of differences so go ahead and check the reverse flight itinerary to fly from Detroit to Toronto, or go to the main page to calculate other flight times.
You can also compare the travel time if you were to drive instead. Get the full itinerary for a Toronto to Detroit road trip. Or if you're more interested in the distance, How far is it from Toronto to Detroit?
If you happen to know Toronto, don't forget to help other travelers and answer some questions about Toronto!