Washington (DCA) to San Diego (SAN): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
Washington (DCA) to San Diego (SAN) is a thinner route than most in this dataset — 364 departures over the past year, roughly 7 a week — so treat these numbers as indicative rather than definitive. Of the flights that did operate, 69% arrived on time, noticeably below the national average of 78%.
- On-time
- 69%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 16 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.2%
- Flights/day
- 1.00
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 38m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,276 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from DCA to SAN
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Mondaybest | 76% | 12 min |
| Tuesday | 72% | 16 min |
| Wednesday | 65% | 19 min |
| Thursday | 70% | 17 min |
| Friday | 63% | 18 min |
| Saturday | 66% | 14 min |
| Sunday | 71% | 15 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Airline operations32%
- National airspace system58%
- Weather11%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from DCA to SAN delayed?
- 31% of DCA–SAN 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 16 minutes.
- How long is the flight from DCA to SAN?
- The scheduled DCA–SAN flight time averages 5h 38m over 2,276 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 31% of the time.
- How often are DCA to SAN flights cancelled?
- 1.2% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from DCA to SAN?
- February 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 46% of arrivals on time. The best was July 2026 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 47-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
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Related guides
Based on 500 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.