Cleveland (CLE) to Washington (IAD): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on CLE–IAD. October 2024 flights landed on schedule 100% of the time, but July 2025 dropped to 74% — a gap of 26 points. Across the full period the route averages 88% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (95% vs 81%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 88%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 10 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.0%
- Flights/day
- 2.7
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 20m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 287 mi
Best airline from CLE to IAD
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 90% | 9 min | 0.3% | 1,127 |
| Republic Airways | 84% | 12 min | 2.4% | 546 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from CLE to IAD
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (95% on-time); avoid 2 p.m. departures (75%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 88% | 12 min |
| Tuesday | 91% | 7 min |
| Wednesday | 87% | 12 min |
| Thursday | 90% | 8 min |
| Friday | 88% | 9 min |
| Saturdaybest | 92% | 8 min |
| Sunday | 81% | 15 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft55%
- Airline operations26%
- National airspace system18%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from CLE to IAD delayed?
- 12% of CLE–IAD 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 10 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from CLE to IAD?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 90%, based on 1,127 flights. 2 airlines flew CLE–IAD frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from CLE to IAD?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (95% on-time), while departures around 2 p.m. have the worst (75%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from CLE to IAD?
- The scheduled CLE–IAD flight time averages 1h 20m over 287 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 12% of the time.
- How often are CLE to IAD flights cancelled?
- 1% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from CLE to IAD?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 74% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 100%. If your dates are flexible, that 26-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,673 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.