Washington (DCA) to Houston (HOU): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly DCA to HOU matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 92% on-time in February 2026 to just 58% in July 2024. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (91% vs 67%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 14 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.9%
- Flights/day
- 2.9
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 3h 28m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,218 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from DCA to HOU
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (91% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (61%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 81% | 14 min |
| Tuesday | 81% | 13 min |
| Wednesday | 79% | 13 min |
| Thursday | 80% | 10 min |
| Friday | 76% | 15 min |
| Saturdaybest | 82% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 71% | 22 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft51%
- Airline operations28%
- National airspace system19%
- Weather2%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from DCA to HOU delayed?
- 22% of DCA–HOU 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 14 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from DCA to HOU?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (91% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (61%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from DCA to HOU?
- The scheduled DCA–HOU flight time averages 3h 28m over 1,218 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are DCA to HOU flights cancelled?
- 1.9% 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 DCA to HOU?
- July 2024 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 58% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2026 at 92%. If your dates are flexible, that 34-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,094 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.