Phoenix (PHX) to Washington (DCA): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
When you fly PHX to DCA matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 95% on-time in August 2025 to just 74% in March 2026. Across the full period the route averages 85% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 85%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 10 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.2%
- Flights/day
- 3.0
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 4h 18m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,979 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from PHX to DCA
Aim for departures around 12 a.m. (94% on-time); avoid 12 p.m. departures (73%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 83% | 9 min |
| Tuesday | 85% | 10 min |
| Wednesday | 85% | 9 min |
| Thursdaybest | 87% | 9 min |
| Friday | 82% | 11 min |
| Saturday | 87% | 10 min |
| Sunday | 83% | 11 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft36%
- Airline operations40%
- National airspace system23%
- Weather1%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from PHX to DCA delayed?
- 16% of PHX–DCA 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 10 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from PHX to DCA?
- Departures around 12 a.m. have the best record (94% on-time), while departures around 12 p.m. have the worst (73%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from PHX to DCA?
- The scheduled PHX–DCA flight time averages 4h 18m over 1,979 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 16% of the time.
- How often are PHX to DCA flights cancelled?
- 1.2% 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 PHX to DCA?
- March 2026 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 74% of arrivals on time. The best was August 2025 at 95%. If your dates are flexible, that 20-point gap is worth planning around.
Explore related pages
More routes from PHX
Based on 2,176 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.