Dallas (DAL) to Washington (DCA): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
The calendar drives reliability on DAL–DCA. January 2025 flights landed on schedule 88% of the time, but July 2026 dropped to 46% — a gap of 42 points. Across the full period the route averages 69% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (86% vs 52%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 69%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 21 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.8%
- Flights/day
- 4.7
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 49m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,184 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from DAL to DCA
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (95% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (48%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 70% | 19 min |
| Tuesday | 77% | 16 min |
| Wednesday | 70% | 18 min |
| Thursday | 62% | 25 min |
| Friday | 61% | 27 min |
| Saturdaybest | 81% | 13 min |
| Sunday | 65% | 23 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 operations29%
- National airspace system28%
- Weather6%
- Security1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from DAL to DCA delayed?
- 31% of DAL–DCA flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 21 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from DAL to DCA?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (95% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (48%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from DAL to DCA?
- The scheduled DAL–DCA flight time averages 2h 49m over 1,184 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 31% of the time.
- How often are DAL to DCA flights cancelled?
- 1.8% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, slightly above the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from DAL to DCA?
- July 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 46% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2025 at 88%. If your dates are flexible, that 42-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Related guides
Based on 3,602 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.