PlainFlights

Route · DCA → CHS · 2020–2025 BTS data

Washington to Charleston

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DCA to CHS (Washington to Charleston) ranks #1375 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

78.8%
On-time
-0.2 pts
vs US avg
73 min
Delay when late
8,767
Flights
#1375 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

3.5%

Best Month

Feb 2024 90%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 61%

Distance

444 mi

Carriers

24

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 144 56 5 0 YX,OH,AA,MQ
Nov 2025 143 42 3 0 MQ,OH,AA,YX
Oct 2025 151 36 1 0 AA,OH,YX
Sep 2025 145 42 0 0 OH,YX,AA
Aug 2025 149 39 6 0 AA,YX,OH
Jul 2025 150 50 12 1 AA,OH,YX
Jun 2025 150 48 7 0 AA,OH,YX,MQ
May 2025 180 56 2 0 AA,OH,YX
Apr 2025 176 41 0 0 OH,YX,AA
Mar 2025 176 39 4 0 AA,OH,YX
Feb 2025 160 49 29 0 OH,YX
Jan 2025 166 38 30 1 OH,YX
Dec 2024 144 23 5 0 AA,MQ,OH,YX
Nov 2024 139 15 0 0 MQ,YX,OH,AA
Oct 2024 151 24 0 0 MQ,YX,AA,OH
Sep 2024 147 23 1 0 YX,OH,AA,MQ
Aug 2024 154 38 8 0 AA,OH,YX
Jul 2024 154 45 9 0 AA,OH,YX
Jun 2024 150 15 0 0 AA,OH,YX
May 2024 154 40 0 0 AA,MQ,OH,YX
Apr 2024 145 37 0 2 AA,MQ,OH,YX
Mar 2024 149 30 0 0 AA,MQ,OH,YX
Feb 2024 141 14 1 0 MQ,OH,YX
Jan 2024 137 31 6 0 YX,OH

DCA–CHS seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (84.6%) · weakest: July (68.4%)

65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 76.6%

Strongest calendar month

October

84.6% on-time · ~148 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~150 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

68.4% on-time · ~132 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

3.5%

129 of 3,655 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

4 of 3,655 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

DCA - Washington

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

DCA on-time profile

CHS - Charleston

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Charleston, SC.

CHS on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DCA vs CHS

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among DCA departures

From DCA, this corridor sits with 77 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 91 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (4 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 10 below 75%). Destination: Charleston · fleet on-time rank #3573 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DCA to CHS

8,767 tracked flights put the DCA to CHS pairing (Washington to Charleston) at a 78.8% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 73.1 minutes on average. Across the 444-mile route and its 24 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 3.5% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (3,655 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 90% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 61% - a 29-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DCA–CHS peaks in October at 84.6% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~150 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 68.4%, a 16.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DCA to CHS rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DCA to CHS ranks #1375 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 DCA to CHS? ▼
Flights from Washington to Charleston have a 78.8% on-time rate based on 8,767 flights. The average delay is 73.1 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 90% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DCA to CHS? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 3.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (129 of 3,655 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DCA to CHS? ▼
The flight distance from Washington (DCA) to Charleston (CHS) is approximately 444 miles. This route is served by 24 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DCA to CHS? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (90% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (61% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DCA Airport

Washington
CHS Airport

Charleston
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 DCA–CHS data

DCA–CHS is mid-pack at 78.8% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DCA and CHS airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DCA airport
  • If your dates flex, October (84.6% on-time) beats July (68.4%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 78.8% 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.