PlainFlights

Route · DCA → IAH · 2020–2025 BTS data

Washington to Houston

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DCA to IAH (Washington to Houston) ranks #880 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.6%
On-time
+5.6 pts
vs US avg
85 min
Delay when late
12,340
Flights
#880 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.9%

Best Month

Feb 2024 94%

Worst Month

May 2024 66%

Distance

1,208 mi

Carriers

18

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 274 53 2 0 YX,OH,UA
Nov 2025 270 49 8 0 UA,YX
Oct 2025 291 36 0 0 UA,YX
Sep 2025 272 38 0 0 UA,YX
Aug 2025 207 35 2 1 UA
Jul 2025 207 51 5 1 UA
Jun 2025 193 62 4 2 UA
May 2025 206 42 2 1 UA
Apr 2025 202 23 0 1 UA
Mar 2025 196 19 0 0 UA
Feb 2025 176 34 2 0 UA
Jan 2025 176 33 20 2 UA
Dec 2024 180 35 0 1 UA
Nov 2024 196 18 0 0 UA
Oct 2024 182 15 1 1 UA
Sep 2024 171 24 4 0 UA
Aug 2024 170 28 4 0 UA
Jul 2024 167 57 17 0 UA
Jun 2024 160 33 5 2 OO,UA
May 2024 169 58 6 3 OO,UA
Apr 2024 176 32 2 0 OO,UA
Mar 2024 197 20 0 1 OO,UA
Feb 2024 193 11 1 0 OO,UA
Jan 2024 183 33 7 1 UA

DCA–IAH seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (89.4%) · weakest: July (75.9%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 84.5%

Strongest calendar month

October

89.4% on-time · ~193 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~193 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

75.9% on-time · ~158 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.9%

92 of 4,814 flights

Diversion Rate

0.4%

17 of 4,814 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

IAH - Houston

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Houston, TX.

IAH on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DCA vs IAH

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: Houston · fleet on-time rank #1357 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DCA to IAH

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Washington to Houston (DCA to IAH) running a 84.6% on-time rate over 12,340 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 84.5 minutes. The 1,208-mile corridor is served by 18 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.9% of 4,814 flights were cancelled, 0.4% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while May 2024 came in at just 66% - a 29-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DCA–IAH peaks in October at 89.4% on-time ; the softest month is July at 75.9%, 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 IAH rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DCA to IAH ranks #880 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 IAH? ▼
Flights from Washington to Houston have a 84.6% on-time rate based on 12,340 flights. The average delay is 84.5 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DCA to IAH? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (92 of 4,814 flights) and 0.4% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DCA to IAH? ▼
The flight distance from Washington (DCA) to Houston (IAH) is approximately 1,208 miles. This route is served by 18 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DCA to IAH? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (94% on-time). The worst was May 2024 (66% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DCA Airport

Washington
IAH Airport

Houston
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–IAH data

DCA–IAH runs 5.6 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare DCA and IAH airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DCA airport
  • If your dates flex, October (89.4% on-time) beats July (75.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.6% 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.