FlightRecord

Washington (IAD) to New York (LGA): On-Time Performance

Data through May 2026

Delays are only half the story on IAD–LGA: 5.1% of its scheduled flights were outright cancelled, well above the US norm, so a backup plan matters more here than on most routes. When flights do go, 74% land on time, below the national average of 78%.

On-time
74%
arrived <15 min late
Avg delay
18 min
completed flights
Cancelled
5.1%
Flights/day
2.7
last 12 months
Duration
1h 27m
scheduled
Distance
228 mi

Monthly on-time trend

Monthly on-time percentage for IAD to LGA flights50%75%100%June 2024: 71% on-time (116 flights)71Jun 2024July 2024: 66% on-time (124 flights)66August 2024: 66% on-time (124 flights)66September 2024: 84% on-time (105 flights)84Sep 2024October 2024: 83% on-time (123 flights)83November 2024: 71% on-time (119 flights)71December 2024: 73% on-time (123 flights)73Dec 2024January 2025: 80% on-time (43 flights)80February 2025: 72% on-time (29 flights)72March 2025: 67% on-time (21 flights)67Mar 2025April 2025: 100% on-time (8 flights)100May 2025: 71% on-time (42 flights)71June 2025: 56% on-time (59 flights)56Jun 2025July 2025: 58% on-time (43 flights)58August 2025: 80% on-time (107 flights)80September 2025: 82% on-time (111 flights)82Sep 2025October 2025: 78% on-time (99 flights)78November 2025: 63% on-time (88 flights)63December 2025: 69% on-time (107 flights)69Dec 2025January 2026: 87% on-time (80 flights)87February 2026: 76% on-time (73 flights)76March 2026: 66% on-time (95 flights)66Mar 2026April 2026: 81% on-time (21 flights)81May 2026: 75% on-time (96 flights)75

Best time to fly from IAD to LGA

Aim for departures around 8 a.m. (83% on-time); avoid 12 p.m. departures (68%).

On-time percentage by scheduled departure hour, IAD to LGA8 a.m.: 83% on-time (348 flights)812 p.m.: 68% on-time (622 flights)125 p.m.: 69% on-time (479 flights)1710 p.m.: 78% on-time (502 flights)22scheduled departure hour

By day of week

DayOn-timeAvg delay
Monday73%18 min
Tuesday74%15 min
Wednesday72%17 min
Thursday67%24 min
Friday67%26 min
Saturdaybest87%9 min
Sunday74%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 aircraft25%
  • Airline operations18%
  • National airspace system53%
  • Weather5%

Frequently asked questions

How often are flights from IAD to LGA delayed?
26% of IAD–LGA 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.
What is the best time of day to fly from IAD to LGA?
Departures around 8 a.m. have the best record (83% on-time), while departures around 12 p.m. have the worst (68%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
How long is the flight from IAD to LGA?
The scheduled IAD–LGA flight time averages 1h 27m over 228 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 26% of the time.
How often are IAD to LGA flights cancelled?
5.1% 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 IAD to LGA?
June 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 56% of arrivals on time. The best was January 2026 at 87%. If your dates are flexible, that 31-point gap is worth planning around.

Based on 1,956 flights, 2024-062026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.