Washington (DCA) to San Diego (SAN): On-Time Performance
Data through May 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, 66% arrived on time, noticeably below the national average of 78%.
- On-time
- 66%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 17 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.4%
- Flights/day
- 1.00
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 37m
- 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 | 72% | 13 min |
| Tuesday | 68% | 18 min |
| Wednesday | 64% | 20 min |
| Thursday | 69% | 17 min |
| Friday | 61% | 17 min |
| Saturday | 62% | 15 min |
| Sunday | 68% | 17 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Airline operations29%
- National airspace system60%
- Weather11%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from DCA to SAN delayed?
- 34% of DCA–SAN 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 17 minutes.
- How long is the flight from DCA to SAN?
- The scheduled DCA–SAN flight time averages 5h 37m over 2,276 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 34% of the time.
- How often are DCA to SAN flights cancelled?
- 1.4% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-06 and 2026-05, 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 March 2026 at 77%. If your dates are flexible, that 31-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 439 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.