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Route · CLE → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Cleveland to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), CLE to DCA (Cleveland to Washington) ranks #1891 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

80.5%
On-time
+1.5 pts
vs US avg
98 min
Delay when late
6,696
Flights
#1891 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

4.6%

Best Month

Jun 2024 92%

Worst Month

Nov 2025 55%

Distance

310 mi

Carriers

17

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 119 45 9 0 OH,MQ
Nov 2025 137 61 5 0 MQ,OH,YX
Oct 2025 141 44 0 0 AA,OH,YX
Sep 2025 137 28 2 0 OH,YX
Aug 2025 137 31 6 0 OH
Jul 2025 134 29 28 0 OH
Jun 2025 133 45 23 1 OH,YX
May 2025 142 49 5 1 OH,YX
Apr 2025 137 27 3 0 OH,YX
Mar 2025 135 36 6 0 OH
Feb 2025 123 47 19 1 OH
Jan 2025 128 36 14 0 AA,OH,YX
Dec 2024 118 30 3 0 OH,YX
Nov 2024 131 19 1 1 YX,OH
Oct 2024 142 18 0 0 MQ,YX,OH
Sep 2024 134 22 0 1 YX,OH,MQ
Aug 2024 110 24 6 0 YX,OH
Jul 2024 111 22 2 0 OH,YX
Jun 2024 121 10 1 1 OH,YX
May 2024 123 15 0 0 F9,MQ,OH,YX
Apr 2024 109 23 0 0 MQ,OH,YX
Mar 2024 108 12 0 1 OH,YX
Feb 2024 103 13 0 0 OH,YX
Jan 2024 104 27 6 0 YX,OH

CLE–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (85.0%) · weakest: November (76.0%)

74%76%78%80%82%84%86% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 78.4%

Strongest calendar month

March

85.0% on-time · ~109 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

November

~121 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

November

76.0% on-time · ~121 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

4.6%

139 of 3,017 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

7 of 3,017 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

CLE - Cleveland

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Cleveland, OH.

CLE on-time profile

DCA - Washington

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.

DCA on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See CLE and DCA side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare CLE vs DCA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among CLE departures

From CLE, this corridor sits with 17 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 30 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (12 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #2909 of 4927.

What the Data Says About CLE to DCA

6,696 tracked flights put the CLE to DCA pairing (Cleveland to Washington) at a 80.5% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 98.0 minutes on average. Across the 310-mile route and its 17 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 4.6% cancelled and 0.2% diverted (3,017 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Jun 2024 posted the strongest performance at 92% on-time, while Nov 2025 came in at just 55% - a 36-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, CLE–DCA peaks in March at 85.0% on-time while November carries the heaviest traffic (~121 flights per month) ; the softest month is November at 76.0%, 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 CLE to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, CLE to DCA ranks #1891 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 CLE to DCA? ▼
Flights from Cleveland to Washington have a 80.5% on-time rate based on 6,696 flights. The average delay is 98.0 minutes. The best recent month was Jun 2024 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for CLE to DCA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 4.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (139 of 3,017 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from CLE to DCA? ▼
The flight distance from Cleveland (CLE) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 310 miles. This route is served by 17 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from CLE to DCA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jun 2024 (92% on-time). The worst was Nov 2025 (55% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

CLE Airport

Cleveland
DCA Airport

Washington
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 CLE–DCA data

CLE–DCA is mid-pack at 80.5% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare CLE and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. CLE airport
  • If your dates flex, March (85.0% on-time) beats November (76.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 80.5% 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.