Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): Delays & On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is a tale of two seasons: departures ran 88% on-time in October 2024 but sank to 67% in February 2025. Across the year it averages 76% against a national 78%, over roughly 390 departures a day to 105 destinations.
- Departures on-time
- 76%
- left <15 min late
- Avg dep delay
- 20 min
- Arrivals on-time
- 74%
- Cancelled
- 3.3%
- Destinations
- 105
- nonstop
- Airlines
- 12
Plan your departure from DCA
The choices most likely to improve your odds, based on this airport’s historical record.
- Best departure time
- Around 6 a.m.
- 92% on-time
- Best day to fly
- Saturday
- 81% on-time
- Cancellation risk
- 3.3%
- above the US average
Monthly on-time trend
Best time of day to depart from DCA
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 75% | 21 min |
| Tuesday | 78% | 17 min |
| Wednesday | 75% | 20 min |
| Thursday | 72% | 22 min |
| Friday | 72% | 23 min |
| Saturdaybest | 81% | 15 min |
| Sunday | 73% | 22 min |
Busiest routes from DCA
Where flights into DCA come from
| Route | Flights/12mo | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOS (Boston) → DCA | 9,071 | 76% | 19 min |
| ORD (Chicago) → DCA | 6,918 | 71% | 24 min |
| ATL (Atlanta) → DCA | 6,817 | 71% | 22 min |
| LGA (New York) → DCA | 4,816 | 73% | 18 min |
| MCO (Orlando) → DCA | 4,585 | 70% | 25 min |
| BNA (Nashville) → DCA | 4,305 | 75% | 18 min |
| MIA (Miami) → DCA | 3,962 | 74% | 18 min |
| DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → DCA | 3,309 | 74% | 18 min |
What causes delays at DCA
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT, weighted across routes departing DCA.
- Late-arriving aircraft50%
- Airline operations25%
- National airspace system19%
- Weather5%
Alternative airports near Washington
Other airports within 120 miles, compared on departure reliability.
| Airport | Distance | On-time departures | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| IAD — Washington Dulles International Airport | 23 mi | 83% | 15 min |
| BWI — Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport | 30 mi | 73% | 17 min |
| CHO — Charlottesville Albemarle Airport | 91 mi | 80% | 23 min |
| MDT — Harrisburg International Airport | 94 mi | 79% | 21 min |
| RIC — Richmond International Airport | 94 mi | 80% | 17 min |
Compare the airport-level record first, then check the exact route you plan to book.
Airline performance at DCA
| Airline | On-time departures | Avg delay | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 84% | 16 min | 13,209 |
| Frontier Airlines | 82% | 16 min | 2,075 |
| Republic Airways | 82% | 13 min | 53,839 |
| Envoy Air | 80% | 16 min | 9,097 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 79% | 20 min | 164 |
| Delta Air Lines | 79% | 20 min | 18,654 |
| Endeavor Air | 78% | 23 min | 1,132 |
| American Airlines | 78% | 20 min | 55,069 |
| Alaska Airlines | 76% | 16 min | 4,075 |
| JetBlue Airways | 74% | 23 min | 14,181 |
| Southwest Airlines | 72% | 18 min | 31,852 |
| PSA Airlines | 70% | 25 min | 79,928 |
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights delayed at DCA?
- 24% of departures from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport left 15+ minutes late between 2024-06 and 2026-05, with an average departure delay of 20 minutes. The national on-time average over the same period was 78%.
- What is the best time of day to depart from DCA?
- Flights scheduled around 6 a.m. depart on time 92% of the time at DCA, versus 63% around 6 p.m.. Booking before noon is the usual rule of thumb here.
- What is the worst month for delays at DCA?
- In this dataset, February 2025 was the weakest month at DCA, with 67% of departures on time.
- How often are flights cancelled at DCA?
- 3.3% of scheduled departures from DCA were cancelled in this period, compared with a national rate of 1.6%.
Popular route pages from this airport
Related guides
Based on 283,275 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.