PlainFlights

Route · BOS → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Boston to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), BOS to DCA (Boston to Washington) ranks #13 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.6%
On-time
+2.6 pts
vs US avg
78 min
Delay when late
49,205
Flights
#13 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.3%

Best Month

Nov 2024 90%

Worst Month

Feb 2025 57%

Distance

399 mi

Carriers

16

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 689 205 8 0 B6,YX,AA,MQ
Nov 2025 736 187 22 6 MQ,AA,B6,YX
Oct 2025 773 211 18 1 AA,B6,YX
Sep 2025 762 230 14 3 YX,AA,B6
Aug 2025 741 129 12 1 AA,YX,B6
Jul 2025 750 179 80 4 AA,B6,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 746 212 25 4 AA,B6,YX
May 2025 800 236 9 3 AA,B6,DL,YX
Apr 2025 768 143 1 1 YX,AA,B6
Mar 2025 839 165 2 2 AA,B6,YX,MQ
Feb 2025 752 327 38 4 AA,B6,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 776 117 59 2 AA,B6,YX,MQ
Dec 2024 729 170 13 1 AA,B6,YX
Nov 2024 793 79 0 0 YX,B6,DL,AA
Oct 2024 912 95 3 1 DL,YX,B6,AA
Sep 2024 833 111 0 3 YX,AA,B6,DL
Aug 2024 814 222 50 2 AA,B6,DL,YX
Jul 2024 830 197 11 9 AA,B6,DL,YX
Jun 2024 807 169 14 1 AA,B6,DL,YX
May 2024 854 210 3 1 AA,B6,YX
Apr 2024 765 137 11 1 AA,B6,YX
Mar 2024 825 93 1 0 AA,B6,YX
Feb 2024 764 106 9 0 AA,B6,YX
Jan 2024 731 150 38 5 AA,B6,YX

BOS–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (85.7%) · weakest: July (77.0%)

76%78%80%82%84%86%88% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 80.3%

Strongest calendar month

November

85.7% on-time · ~729 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~789 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

77.0% on-time · ~654 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.3%

441 of 18,789 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

55 of 18,789 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among BOS departures

From BOS, this corridor sits with 49 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 60 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (6 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 5 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #2501 of 4927.

What the Data Says About BOS to DCA

49,205 tracked flights put the BOS to DCA pairing (Boston to Washington) at a 81.6% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 77.5 minutes on average. Across the 399-mile route and its 16 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.3% cancelled and 0.3% diverted (18,789 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2024 posted the strongest performance at 90% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 57% - a 34-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, BOS–DCA peaks in November at 85.7% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~789 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 77.0%, a 8.7-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does BOS to DCA rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, BOS to DCA ranks #13 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 BOS to DCA?
Flights from Boston to Washington have a 81.6% on-time rate based on 49,205 flights. The average delay is 77.5 minutes. The best recent month was Nov 2024 with 90% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for BOS to DCA?
Over the last 24 months, 2.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (441 of 18,789 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from BOS to DCA?
The flight distance from Boston (BOS) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 399 miles. This route is served by 16 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from BOS to DCA?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Nov 2024 (90% on-time). The worst was Feb 2025 (57% 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 BOS–DCA data

BOS–DCA is mid-pack at 81.6% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare BOS and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. BOS airport
  • If your dates flex, November (85.7% on-time) beats July (77.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 81.6% 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.