Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Washington (IAD): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly DFW to IAD matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 89% on-time in January 2026 to just 67% in July 2025. Across the full period the route averages 78% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (90% vs 71%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 78%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 18 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.9%
- Flights/day
- 5.3
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 2h 56m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,172 mi
Best airline from DFW to IAD
3 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Airlinesmost reliable | 89% | 9 min | 1.8% | 165 |
| United Airlines | 84% | 15 min | 1.3% | 1,892 |
| American Airlines | 69% | 21 min | 2.7% | 1,594 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from DFW to IAD
Aim for departures around 5 a.m. (94% on-time); avoid 1 p.m. departures (58%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 78% | 16 min |
| Tuesdaybest | 85% | 14 min |
| Wednesday | 76% | 19 min |
| Thursday | 77% | 15 min |
| Friday | 79% | 15 min |
| Saturday | 75% | 24 min |
| Sunday | 73% | 20 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft50%
- Airline operations32%
- National airspace system13%
- Weather6%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from DFW to IAD delayed?
- 22% of DFW–IAD 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 18 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from DFW to IAD?
- Frontier Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 89%, based on 165 flights. 3 airlines flew DFW–IAD frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from DFW to IAD?
- Departures around 5 a.m. have the best record (94% on-time), while departures around 1 p.m. have the worst (58%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from DFW to IAD?
- The scheduled DFW–IAD flight time averages 2h 56m over 1,172 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 22% of the time.
- How often are DFW to IAD 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 DFW to IAD?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 67% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2026 at 89%. If your dates are flexible, that 22-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 3,664 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.