San Francisco (SFO) to Washington (IAD): On-Time Performance
Data through May 2026
The calendar drives reliability on SFO–IAD. February 2026 flights landed on schedule 92% of the time, but July 2025 dropped to 65% — a gap of 27 points. Across the full period the route averages 83% on-time against a national 78%.
- On-time
- 83%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 11 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 0.6%
- Flights/day
- 7.8
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 11m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 2,418 mi
Best airline from SFO to IAD
2 airlines flew this route regularly between 2024-06 and 2026-05.
| Airline | On-time | Avg delay | Cancelled | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlinesmost reliable | 85% | 11 min | 0.6% | 5,181 |
| Alaska Airlines | 73% | 14 min | 0.4% | 568 |
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from SFO to IAD
Aim for departures around 6 a.m. (97% on-time); avoid 10 p.m. departures (79%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Mondaybest | 85% | 10 min |
| Tuesday | 84% | 9 min |
| Wednesday | 82% | 12 min |
| Thursday | 83% | 12 min |
| Friday | 84% | 11 min |
| Saturday | 84% | 13 min |
| Sunday | 82% | 12 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft42%
- Airline operations39%
- National airspace system19%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from SFO to IAD delayed?
- 17% of SFO–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 11 minutes.
- Which airline is most reliable from SFO to IAD?
- United Airlines has the best on-time record on this route at 85%, based on 5,181 flights. 2 airlines flew SFO–IAD frequently enough to compare in this period.
- What is the best time of day to fly from SFO to IAD?
- Departures around 6 a.m. have the best record (97% on-time), while departures around 10 p.m. have the worst (79%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from SFO to IAD?
- The scheduled SFO–IAD flight time averages 5h 11m over 2,418 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 17% of the time.
- How often are SFO to IAD flights cancelled?
- 0.6% 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 SFO to IAD?
- July 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 65% of arrivals on time. The best was February 2026 at 92%. If your dates are flexible, that 27-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 5,749 flights, 2024-06–2026-05. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-07-01.