Route · BUF → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data
Buffalo to Washington
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), BUF to DCA (Buffalo to Washington) ranks #2366 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 78.1%
- On-time
- -0.9 pts
- vs US avg
- 95 min
- Delay when late
- 5,325
- Flights
- #2366 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
4.7%
Best Month
May 2024 90%
Worst Month
Feb 2025 53%
Distance
296 mi
Carriers
13
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 90 | 39 | 7 | 0 | YX,OH,MQ |
| Nov 2025 | 88 | 41 | 4 | 0 | MQ,OH,YX |
| Oct 2025 | 96 | 27 | 0 | 0 | OH,YX |
| Sep 2025 | 116 | 28 | 0 | 0 | OH,YX |
| Aug 2025 | 119 | 31 | 4 | 0 | YX,OH |
| Jul 2025 | 119 | 43 | 18 | 0 | OH,YX |
| Jun 2025 | 116 | 37 | 12 | 0 | OH,YX,MQ |
| May 2025 | 119 | 37 | 6 | 0 | OH,YX,MQ |
| Apr 2025 | 113 | 23 | 1 | 0 | MQ,OH,YX |
| Mar 2025 | 88 | 18 | 5 | 0 | OH,MQ |
| Feb 2025 | 92 | 43 | 18 | 1 | OH |
| Jan 2025 | 114 | 44 | 15 | 0 | OH |
| Dec 2024 | 101 | 33 | 2 | 1 | OH,YX |
| Nov 2024 | 90 | 12 | 0 | 1 | YX,OH |
| Oct 2024 | 119 | 13 | 0 | 0 | YX,OH |
| Sep 2024 | 116 | 24 | 0 | 1 | YX,OH |
| Aug 2024 | 114 | 25 | 4 | 2 | AA,YX,OH |
| Jul 2024 | 115 | 38 | 3 | 0 | AA,OH |
| Jun 2024 | 107 | 31 | 1 | 0 | AA,OH,YX |
| May 2024 | 89 | 9 | 1 | 1 | YX |
| Apr 2024 | 86 | 9 | 0 | 0 | YX |
| Mar 2024 | 88 | 9 | 0 | 0 | OH,YX |
| Feb 2024 | 83 | 10 | 0 | 0 | OH,YX |
| Jan 2024 | 86 | 21 | 15 | 0 | YX,OH |
BUF–DCA seasonal on-time pattern
Best: October (83.6%) · weakest: January (71.0%)
Strongest calendar month
October
83.6% on-time · ~96 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
October
~96 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
January
71.0% on-time · ~93 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
4.7%
116 of 2,464 flights
Diversion Rate
0.3%
7 of 2,464 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
BUF - Buffalo
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Buffalo, NY.
BUF on-time profileDCA - Washington
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.
DCA on-time profileCompare the two airports
See BUF and DCA side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare BUF vs DCAOrigin-hub reliability standing
Mid-pack among BUF departures
From BUF, this corridor sits with 12 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 19 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (6 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #3801 of 4927.
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to BUF–DCA.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About BUF to DCA
The Buffalo to Washington corridor (BUF to DCA) posts a 78.1% on-time rate on the lower edge of the average band, based on 5,325 tracked flights. Late flights run 95.0 minutes behind on average. 13 carriers cover the 296-mile route; over the last 24 months, 116 of 2,464 flights were cancelled (4.7%) and 0.3% diverted.
The monthly split is wide on this route: May 2024 posted the strongest performance at 90% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 53% - a 37-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, BUF–DCA peaks in October at 83.6% on-time ; the softest month is January at 71.0%, a 12.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does BUF to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from BUF to DCA? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for BUF to DCA? ▼
How far is the flight from BUF to DCA? ▼
When is the best time to fly from BUF to DCA? ▼
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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using BUF–DCA data
BUF–DCA is mid-pack at 78.1% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.
- Compare BUF and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. BUF airport
- If your dates flex, October (83.6% on-time) beats January (71.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 78.1% 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.
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.