Washington (IAD) to Cleveland (CLE): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on IAD–CLE. March 2025 flights landed on schedule 95% of the time, but July 2025 dropped to 62% — a gap of 33 points. Across the full period the route averages 83% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (94% vs 79%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 83%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 13 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.0%
- Flights/day
- 2.7
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 1h 24m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 287 mi
Best airline from IAD to CLE
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 84% | 13 min | 0.4% | 1,125 |
| Republic Airways | 83% | 12 min | 2.2% | 550 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from IAD to CLE
Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (94% on-time); avoid 5 p.m. departures (75%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 86% | 11 min |
| Tuesday | 85% | 11 min |
| Wednesday | 85% | 11 min |
| Thursday | 78% | 14 min |
| Friday | 84% | 14 min |
| Saturdaybest | 88% | 12 min |
| Sunday | 81% | 15 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft41%
- Airline operations34%
- National airspace system18%
- Weather7%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from IAD to CLE delayed?
- 17% of IAD–CLE 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 13 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from IAD to CLE?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 84%, based on 1,125 flights. 2 airlines flew IAD–CLE frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from IAD to CLE?
- Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (94% on-time), while departures around 5 p.m. have the worst (75%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from IAD to CLE?
- The scheduled IAD–CLE flight time averages 1h 24m over 287 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
- How often are IAD to CLE flights cancelled?
- 1% 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 IAD to CLE?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 62% of arrivals on time. The best was March 2025 at 95%. If your dates are flexible, that 33-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 1,675 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.