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Route · DCA → CLE · 2020–2025 BTS data

Washington to Cleveland

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DCA to CLE (Washington to Cleveland) ranks #1895 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

78.4%
On-time
-0.6 pts
vs US avg
75 min
Delay when late
6,682
Flights
#1895 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

4.9%

Best Month

Mar 2024 94%

Worst Month

Jun 2025 59%

Distance

310 mi

Carriers

16

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 118 44 9 1 OH,MQ
Nov 2025 136 52 7 0 MQ,OH,YX
Oct 2025 141 49 0 0 AA,OH,YX
Sep 2025 137 23 3 0 OH,YX
Aug 2025 137 39 4 0 OH
Jul 2025 134 43 24 0 OH
Jun 2025 133 55 22 0 OH,YX
May 2025 142 44 6 0 OH,YX
Apr 2025 137 34 4 0 OH,YX
Mar 2025 135 35 8 0 OH
Feb 2025 123 39 22 0 OH
Jan 2025 128 36 15 0 AA,OH,YX
Dec 2024 117 33 3 0 OH,YX
Nov 2024 131 15 1 0 YX,OH
Oct 2024 142 18 0 1 MQ,YX,OH
Sep 2024 134 23 1 0 YX,OH,MQ
Aug 2024 110 28 8 0 YX,OH
Jul 2024 111 21 2 0 OH,YX
Jun 2024 121 13 2 0 OH,YX
May 2024 122 26 1 0 MQ,OH,YX
Apr 2024 109 21 0 0 MQ,OH,YX
Mar 2024 108 6 0 0 OH,YX
Feb 2024 103 17 0 0 OH,YX
Jan 2024 104 27 6 0 YX,OH

DCA–CLE seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (84.1%) · weakest: July (70.6%)

65%70%75%80%85% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 77%

Strongest calendar month

March

84.1% on-time · ~110 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

November

~121 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

70.6% on-time · ~99 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

4.9%

148 of 3,013 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

2 of 3,013 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

CLE - Cleveland

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

CLE on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DCA vs CLE

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: Cleveland · fleet on-time rank #3714 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DCA to CLE

The Washington to Cleveland corridor (DCA to CLE) posts a 78.4% on-time rate on the lower edge of the average band, based on 6,682 tracked flights. Late flights run 74.7 minutes behind on average. 16 carriers cover the 310-mile route; over the last 24 months, 148 of 3,013 flights were cancelled (4.9%) and 0.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Mar 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Jun 2025 came in at just 59% - a 36-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DCA–CLE peaks in March at 84.1% on-time while November carries the heaviest traffic (~121 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 70.6%, a 13.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DCA to CLE rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DCA to CLE ranks #1895 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 CLE? ▼
Flights from Washington to Cleveland have a 78.4% on-time rate based on 6,682 flights. The average delay is 74.7 minutes. The best recent month was Mar 2024 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DCA to CLE? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 4.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (148 of 3,013 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DCA to CLE? ▼
The flight distance from Washington (DCA) to Cleveland (CLE) is approximately 310 miles. This route is served by 16 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DCA to CLE? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Mar 2024 (94% on-time). The worst was Jun 2025 (59% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DCA Airport

Washington
CLE Airport

Cleveland
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–CLE data

DCA–CLE is mid-pack at 78.4% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DCA and CLE airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DCA airport
  • If your dates flex, March (84.1% on-time) beats July (70.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 78.4% 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.