Boston (BOS) to Washington (DCA): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on BOS–DCA. November 2024 flights landed on schedule 90% of the time, but February 2025 dropped to 54% — a gap of 36 points. Across the full period the route averages 76% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (87% vs 62%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 76%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 19 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 2.9%
- Flights/day
- 25
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 50m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 399 mi
Best airline from BOS to DCA
5 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Linesmost reliable | 84% | 11 min | 0.7% | 134 |
| Envoy Air | 83% | 11 min | 4.2% | 214 |
| American Airlines | 77% | 23 min | 2.8% | 4,289 |
| Republic Airways | 77% | 16 min | 3.2% | 8,023 |
| JetBlue Airways | 73% | 20 min | 2.7% | 6,064 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from BOS to DCA
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (92% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (52%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 75% | 20 min |
| Tuesday | 80% | 13 min |
| Wednesday | 79% | 16 min |
| Thursday | 73% | 21 min |
| Friday | 71% | 23 min |
| Saturdaybest | 84% | 15 min |
| Sunday | 73% | 21 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft39%
- Airline operations24%
- National airspace system34%
- Weather3%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from BOS to DCA delayed?
- 24% of BOS–DCA flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-06 and 2026-05. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 19 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from BOS to DCA?
- Delta Air Lines has the best on-time record on this route at 84%, based on 134 flights. 5 airlines flew BOS–DCA frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from BOS to DCA?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (92% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (52%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from BOS to DCA?
- The scheduled BOS–DCA flight time averages 1h 50m over 399 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 24% of the time.
- How often are BOS to DCA flights cancelled?
- 2.9% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from BOS to DCA?
- February 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 54% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 90%. If your dates are flexible, that 36-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 18,724 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.