FlightRecord

Columbus (CMH) to Washington (DCA): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

The calendar drives reliability on CMH–DCA. October 2024 flights landed on schedule 91% of the time, but December 2025 dropped to 54% — a gap of 38 points. Across the full period the route averages 73% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (86% vs 62%), which matters most in the rough months.

On-time
73%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
20 min
completed flights
Cancelled
2.9%
Flights/day
5.6
last 12 months
Duration
1h 23m
scheduled
Distance
323 mi

Best airline from CMH to DCA

4 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.

AirlineOn-timeAvg delayCancelledFlights
Envoy Airmost reliable86%8 min1.3%675
Southwest Airlines73%19 min0.9%699
Republic Airways73%16 min2.6%1,790
PSA Airlines64%37 min6.6%850

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for CMH to DCA flights50%75%100%June 2024: 83% on-time (157 flights)83Jun 2024July 2024: 74% on-time (147 flights)74August 2024: 83% on-time (145 flights)83September 2024: 91% on-time (169 flights)91Sep 2024October 2024: 91% on-time (174 flights)91November 2024: 90% on-time (167 flights)90December 2024: 80% on-time (151 flights)80Dec 2024January 2025: 79% on-time (166 flights)79February 2025: 58% on-time (156 flights)58March 2025: 77% on-time (179 flights)77Mar 2025April 2025: 68% on-time (171 flights)68May 2025: 64% on-time (176 flights)64June 2025: 65% on-time (177 flights)65Jun 2025July 2025: 61% on-time (180 flights)61August 2025: 79% on-time (180 flights)79September 2025: 82% on-time (171 flights)82Sep 2025October 2025: 83% on-time (173 flights)83November 2025: 58% on-time (166 flights)58December 2025: 54% on-time (149 flights)54Dec 2025January 2026: 62% on-time (168 flights)62February 2026: 58% on-time (163 flights)58March 2026: 65% on-time (182 flights)65Mar 2026April 2026: 75% on-time (169 flights)75May 2026: 73% on-time (178 flights)73

Best time to fly from CMH to DCA

Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (90% on-time); avoid 8 p.m. departures (38%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, CMH to DCA5 a.m.: 90% on-time (50 flights)56 a.m.: 89% on-time (661 flights)68 a.m.: 74% on-time (38 flights)89 a.m.: 84% on-time (152 flights)910 a.m.: 79% on-time (269 flights)1011 a.m.: 85% on-time (102 flights)1112 p.m.: 77% on-time (594 flights)121 p.m.: 82% on-time (374 flights)132 p.m.: 52% on-time (281 flights)143 p.m.: 61% on-time (409 flights)154 p.m.: 70% on-time (177 flights)165 p.m.: 67% on-time (402 flights)176 p.m.: 61% on-time (273 flights)187 p.m.: 62% on-time (151 flights)198 p.m.: 38% on-time (70 flights)20scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday71%16 min
Tuesday76%15 min
Wednesday72%22 min
Thursday71%26 min
Friday69%21 min
Saturdaybest81%18 min
Sunday75%19 min

What causes delays on this route

Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.

  • Late-arriving aircraft37%
  • Airline operations17%
  • National airspace system40%
  • Weather6%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from CMH to DCA delayed?
27% of CMH–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 20 minutes.
Which airline is most reliable from CMH to DCA?
Envoy Air has the best on-time record on this route at 86%, based on 675 flights. 4 airlines flew CMH–DCA frequently enough to compare in this period.
What is the best time of day to fly from CMH to DCA?
Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (90% on-time), while departures around 8 p.m. have the worst (38%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from CMH to DCA?
The scheduled CMH–DCA flight time averages 1h 23m over 323 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 27% of the time.
How often are CMH 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 CMH to DCA?
December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 54% of arrivals on time. The best was October 2024 at 91%. If your dates are flexible, that 38-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 4,014 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.