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Route · ACK → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Nantucket to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ACK to DCA (Nantucket to Washington) ranks #4256 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

79.7%
On-time
+0.7 pts
vs US avg
74 min
Delay when late
1,353
Flights
#4256 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

4.4%

Best Month

Aug 2021 93%

Worst Month

Jul 2023 73%

Distance

405 mi

Carriers

3

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Sep 2025 34 12 0 0 YX,B6
Aug 2025 98 17 1 0 YX,B6
Jul 2025 96 24 11 1 B6,YX
Jun 2025 45 17 3 0 B6,YX
Sep 2024 35 6 0 0 YX,B6
Aug 2024 90 23 5 0 B6,YX
Jul 2024 97 24 3 1 B6,YX
Jun 2024 52 9 0 0 B6,YX
Sep 2023 37 6 3 0 B6,MQ,YX
Aug 2023 82 16 1 0 B6,MQ,YX
Jul 2023 98 26 8 3 B6,MQ,YX
Jun 2023 47 15 3 0 B6,MQ,YX
Sep 2022 41 9 0 0 YX,B6
Aug 2022 79 12 3 0 B6,YX
Jul 2022 90 13 3 2 YX,B6
Jun 2022 64 12 3 0 YX,B6
Aug 2021 57 4 3 2 YX,B6
Jul 2021 61 12 4 0 YX,B6
Jun 2021 43 6 1 0 YX,B6
Aug 2020 55 4 4 0 B6,YX
Jul 2020 52 8 0 0 B6,YX

Cancellation Rate

4.4%

59 of 1,353 flights

Diversion Rate

0.7%

9 of 1,353 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among ACK departures

From ACK, this corridor sits with 5 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 5 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (0 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #3246 of 4927.

What the Data Says About ACK to DCA

1,353 tracked flights put the ACK to DCA pairing (Nantucket to Washington) at a 79.7% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 73.9 minutes on average. Across the 405-mile route and its 3 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 4.4% cancelled and 0.7% diverted (1,353 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Aug 2021 posted the strongest performance at 93% on-time, while Jul 2023 came in at just 73% - a 20-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, ACK–DCA peaks in August at 83.5% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~82 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 76.5%, a 7.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does ACK to DCA rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, ACK to DCA ranks #4256 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1). That ordinal matches our busiest-routes listing (total_flights DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement for the exact sort basis.
How often are flights delayed from ACK to DCA?
Flights from Nantucket to Washington have a 79.7% on-time rate based on 1,353 flights. The average delay is 73.9 minutes. The best recent month was Aug 2021 with 93% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for ACK to DCA?
Over the last 24 months, 4.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (59 of 1,353 flights) and 0.7% were diverted.
How far is the flight from ACK to DCA?
The flight distance from Nantucket (ACK) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 405 miles. This route is served by 3 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from ACK to DCA?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Aug 2021 (93% on-time). The worst was Jul 2023 (73% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Using ACK–DCA data

ACK–DCA is mid-pack at 79.7% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare ACK and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ACK airport
  • If your dates flex, August (83.5% on-time) beats June (76.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 79.7% on-time rate; compare before you commit to this pairing. Similar routes

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers on this origin–destination pair, not any single flight or booking recommendation.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates this specific route's on-time performance and monthly trend, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.