FlightRecord

Washington (DCA) to Lansing (LAN): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

Washington (DCA) to Lansing (LAN) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 298 departures over the past year, roughly 6 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 67% arrived on time, noticeably below the national average of 78%. Cancellations are the bigger caveat: 4.4% of scheduled flights never departed.

On-time
67%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
31 min
completed flights
Cancelled
4.4%
Flights/day
0.82
last 12 months
Duration
1h 49m
scheduled
Distance
479 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for DCA to LAN flights50%75%100%June 2024: 76% on-time (25 flights)76Jun 2024July 2024: 60% on-time (26 flights)60August 2024: 62% on-time (26 flights)62September 2024: 92% on-time (26 flights)92Sep 2024October 2024: 81% on-time (26 flights)81November 2024: 96% on-time (24 flights)96December 2024: 73% on-time (16 flights)73Dec 2024January 2025: 58% on-time (22 flights)58February 2025: 48% on-time (24 flights)48March 2025: 54% on-time (26 flights)54Mar 2025April 2025: 64% on-time (26 flights)64May 2025: 72% on-time (26 flights)72June 2025: 42% on-time (26 flights)42Jun 2025July 2025: 60% on-time (26 flights)60August 2025: 58% on-time (26 flights)58September 2025: 77% on-time (26 flights)77Sep 2025October 2025: 82% on-time (27 flights)82November 2025: 74% on-time (24 flights)74December 2025: 26% on-time (20 flights)26Dec 2025January 2026: 68% on-time (22 flights)68February 2026: 54% on-time (24 flights)54March 2026: 57% on-time (25 flights)57Mar 2026April 2026: 73% on-time (26 flights)73May 2026: 77% on-time (26 flights)77

Best time to fly from DCA to LAN

Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (76% on-time); avoid 2 p.m. departures (63%).

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday65%37 min
Tuesday58%33 min
Wednesday68%24 min
Thursday64%30 min
Friday70%34 min
Sundaybest74%29 min

What causes delays on this route

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

  • Late-arriving aircraft54%
  • Airline operations24%
  • National airspace system12%
  • Weather10%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from DCA to LAN delayed?
34% of DCA–LAN 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 31 minutes.
What is the best time of day to fly from DCA to LAN?
Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (76% on-time), while departures around 2 p.m. have the worst (63%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from DCA to LAN?
The scheduled DCA–LAN flight time averages 1h 49m over 479 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 34% of the time.
How often are DCA to LAN flights cancelled?
4.4% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05 — several times the typical US rate, so consider earlier departures or backup options.
What is the worst month to fly from DCA to LAN?
December 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 26% of arrivals on time. The best was November 2024 at 96%. If your dates are flexible, that 69-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 591 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.