PlainFlights

Route · BDL → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Hartford to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), BDL to DCA (Hartford to Washington) ranks #1286 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

78.9%
On-time
-0.1 pts
vs US avg
86 min
Delay when late
9,243
Flights
#1286 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

4.0%

Best Month

Oct 2024 92%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 61%

Distance

313 mi

Carriers

21

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 130 51 7 0 YX,OH,AA
Nov 2025 136 49 4 0 OH,YX
Oct 2025 140 36 1 0 AA,OH,YX
Sep 2025 120 40 3 0 OH,YX,AA
Aug 2025 170 58 5 1 AA,YX,MQ,OH
Jul 2025 172 43 28 1 AA,OH,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 167 54 18 2 AA,OH,YX,MQ
May 2025 175 55 4 2 AA,OH,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 168 48 0 0 OH,AA
Mar 2025 172 53 8 1 AA,OH,YX
Feb 2025 158 61 19 1 AA,OH,YX
Jan 2025 169 41 19 0 AA,OH,YX
Dec 2024 157 38 3 0 AA,OH,YX
Nov 2024 166 29 0 0 MQ,YX,OH,AA
Oct 2024 177 15 0 0 MQ,YX,AA,OH
Sep 2024 171 24 0 0 YX,OH,AA,MQ
Aug 2024 167 42 9 1 AA,OH,YX
Jul 2024 169 49 10 0 AA,MQ,OH
Jun 2024 160 36 2 1 AA,MQ,OH
May 2024 170 45 1 0 AA,MQ,OH,YX
Apr 2024 161 33 0 0 AA,MQ,OH,YX
Mar 2024 165 30 1 0 AA,OH,YX
Feb 2024 157 18 3 0 AA,OH,YX
Jan 2024 155 43 10 1 AA,YX,OH

BDL–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (84.8%) · weakest: December (75.8%)

74%76%78%80%82%84%86% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 75.8%

Strongest calendar month

October

84.8% on-time · ~154 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~168 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

75.8% on-time · ~146 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

4.0%

155 of 3,852 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

11 of 3,852 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among BDL departures

From BDL, this corridor sits with 13 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 22 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (7 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 2 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #3538 of 4927.

What the Data Says About BDL to DCA

9,243 tracked flights put the BDL to DCA pairing (Hartford to Washington) at a 78.9% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 85.7 minutes on average. Across the 313-mile route and its 21 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 4.0% cancelled and 0.3% diverted (3,852 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 92% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 61% - a 31-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, BDL–DCA peaks in October at 84.8% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~168 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 75.8%, a 9.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does BDL to DCA rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, BDL to DCA ranks #1286 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 BDL to DCA?
Flights from Hartford to Washington have a 78.9% on-time rate based on 9,243 flights. The average delay is 85.7 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for BDL to DCA?
Over the last 24 months, 4.0% of flights on this route were cancelled (155 of 3,852 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from BDL to DCA?
The flight distance from Hartford (BDL) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 313 miles. This route is served by 21 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from BDL to DCA?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (92% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (61% 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 BDL–DCA data

BDL–DCA is mid-pack at 78.9% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare BDL and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. BDL airport
  • If your dates flex, October (84.8% on-time) beats December (75.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 78.9% 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.