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Route · CMH → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Columbus to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), CMH to DCA (Columbus to Washington) ranks #1190 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.5%
On-time
+4.5 pts
vs US avg
69 min
Delay when late
9,836
Flights
#1190 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.4%

Best Month

Oct 2024 92%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 55%

Distance

323 mi

Carriers

21

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 149 67 5 0 YX,OH,WN,MQ
Nov 2025 166 68 6 0 MQ,OH,WN,YX
Oct 2025 173 29 0 0 OH,WN,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 171 31 0 0 MQ,OH,WN,YX
Aug 2025 180 38 2 0 WN,YX,MQ,OH
Jul 2025 180 61 19 2 OH,WN,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 177 57 14 0 OH,WN,YX,MQ
May 2025 176 62 4 0 OH,WN,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 171 54 2 0 MQ,OH,WN,YX
Mar 2025 179 40 2 1 OH,WN,YX,MQ
Feb 2025 156 58 17 1 OH,WN,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 166 33 11 0 OH,WN,YX,MQ
Dec 2024 151 29 1 1 MQ,OH,WN,YX
Nov 2024 167 16 0 1 MQ,WN,YX,OH
Oct 2024 174 14 0 1 MQ,WN,YX,OH
Sep 2024 169 15 0 0 WN,YX,MQ
Aug 2024 145 25 2 0 MQ,WN,YX,OH
Jul 2024 147 38 2 0 OH,WN,YX
Jun 2024 157 27 0 0 MQ,OH,WN,YX
May 2024 159 35 0 2 MQ,OH,WN,YX
Apr 2024 147 21 0 1 MQ,OH,WN,YX
Mar 2024 146 15 0 0 MQ,WN,YX
Feb 2024 151 17 0 0 MQ,OH,WN,YX
Jan 2024 161 23 8 0 MQ,WN,YX,OH

CMH–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (88.0%) · weakest: July (77.1%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 77.4%

Strongest calendar month

September

88.0% on-time · ~133 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

February

~163 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

77.1% on-time · ~133 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.4%

95 of 3,918 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

10 of 3,918 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

CMH - Columbus

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

CMH 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 CMH and DCA side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare CMH vs DCA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among CMH departures

From CMH, this corridor sits with 19 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 33 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (13 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #1749 of 4927.

What the Data Says About CMH to DCA

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Columbus to Washington (CMH to DCA) running a 83.5% on-time rate over 9,836 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 69.4 minutes. The 323-mile corridor is served by 21 carriers, and over the last 24 months 2.4% of 3,918 flights were cancelled, 0.3% diverted.

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 55% - a 37-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, CMH–DCA peaks in September at 88.0% on-time while February carries the heaviest traffic (~163 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 77.1%, a 10.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does CMH to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, CMH to DCA ranks #1190 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 CMH to DCA? ▼
Flights from Columbus to Washington have a 83.5% on-time rate based on 9,836 flights. The average delay is 69.4 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for CMH to DCA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (95 of 3,918 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from CMH to DCA? ▼
The flight distance from Columbus (CMH) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 323 miles. This route is served by 21 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from CMH to DCA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (92% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (55% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

CMH Airport

Columbus
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 CMH–DCA data

CMH–DCA runs 4.5 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare CMH and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. CMH airport
  • If your dates flex, September (88.0% on-time) beats July (77.1%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.5% 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.