How delayed is Washington, DC (DCA)?

Washington, DC has an on-time rate of 78.4%. The average delay is 15.4 min.

What causes delays at DCA?

The main delay causes at DCA are carrier issues (28.2%), weather (5.0%), NAS/air traffic control (20.5%), and late arriving aircraft (46.2%).

What is the best time to fly from DCA?

The best time to fly from DCA is at 6:00 with a 89.7% on-time rate. Oct is the best month with 84.8% on-time flights.

Washington, DC

Washington, DC, DC — DCA

On-Time Rate

78.4%

2019-2025

Avg Delay

15.4 min

when delayed

Cancel Rate

2.9%

flights cancelled

Total Flights

829,569

2019-2025

Best Month

Oct

84.8% on-time

Worst Month

Jul

70.3% on-time

Best Departure Time

6:00

89.7% on-time

12-Month On-Time Trend

Delay Causes

Best Time to Fly (By Hour)

Seasonal Pattern

Airlines at DCA

Airline	Flights	On-Time	Avg Delay
PSA Airlines	200,399	73.1%	N/A
Republic Airways	173,473	81.9%	N/A
American Airlines	165,952	78.5%	N/A
Southwest Airlines	95,407	79.3%	N/A
Delta Air Lines	54,371	84.4%	N/A
JetBlue Airways	52,110	75.1%	N/A
United Airlines	29,566	81.3%	N/A
Envoy Air	20,295	77.8%	N/A
Alaska Airlines	11,667	81.0%	N/A
Endeavor Air	8,915	82.3%	N/A

Most Delayed Routes

Destination	On-Time
DCA → SATSan Antonio, TX	52.9%
DCA → BTRBaton Rouge, LA	63.1%
DCA → CAKAkron, OH	65.0%
DCA → SANSan Diego, CA	66.1%
DCA → AUSAustin, TX	66.2%

Most Punctual Routes

Destination	On-Time
DCA → HYAHyannis, MA	86.7%
DCA → HHHHilton Head, SC	86.2%
DCA → PHXPhoenix, AZ	85.2%
DCA → TVCTraverse City, MI	85.1%
DCA → MSPMinneapolis, MN	84.9%

Was your flight from Washington, DC delayed?

You may be entitled to compensation of up to $700 per passenger for delayed or cancelled flights. Check your eligibility now.

Check Compensation

Data source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance dataset. Statistics are based on reported flight data from 2019 through November 2025 and are not real-time. See our data methodology for details.