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Route · DCA → LAX · 2020–2025 BTS data

Washington to Los Angeles

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DCA to LAX (Washington to Los Angeles) ranks #1475 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82.8%
On-time
+3.8 pts
vs US avg
81 min
Delay when late
8,288
Flights
#1475 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.9%

Best Month

Oct 2024 92%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 57%

Distance

2,311 mi

Carriers

6

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 123 34 1 2 DL,AS,AA
Nov 2025 118 26 1 1 AA,AS,DL
Oct 2025 124 28 0 0 AA,AS,DL
Sep 2025 120 34 0 0 DL,AA,AS
Aug 2025 124 26 2 0 AA,AS,DL
Jul 2025 124 53 1 1 AA,AS,DL
Jun 2025 120 41 2 2 AA,AS,DL
May 2025 124 33 1 0 AA,AS,DL
Apr 2025 120 24 0 0 AA,AS,DL
Mar 2025 124 21 1 1 AA,AS,DL
Feb 2025 112 30 1 0 AA,AS,DL
Jan 2025 124 28 7 0 AA,AS,DL
Dec 2024 123 16 0 0 AA,AS,DL
Nov 2024 118 18 0 0 AS,DL,AA
Oct 2024 124 10 0 0 AS,DL,AA
Sep 2024 119 14 1 0 AA,AS,DL
Aug 2024 124 27 1 0 AA,AS,DL
Jul 2024 124 35 3 4 AA,AS,DL
Jun 2024 120 20 1 4 AA,AS,DL
May 2024 124 45 1 0 AA,AS,DL
Apr 2024 120 21 0 0 AA,AS,DL
Mar 2024 124 27 1 1 AA,AS,DL
Feb 2024 116 15 0 2 AA,AS,DL
Jan 2024 124 27 2 1 AA,AS,DL

DCA–LAX seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (87.6%) · weakest: July (78.2%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81%

Strongest calendar month

October

87.6% on-time · ~119 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~120 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

78.2% on-time · ~118 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.9%

27 of 2,917 flights

Diversion Rate

0.7%

19 of 2,917 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

LAX - Los Angeles

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Los Angeles, CA.

LAX on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DCA vs LAX

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: Los Angeles · fleet on-time rank #2026 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DCA to LAX

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Washington to Los Angeles (DCA to LAX) running a 82.8% on-time rate over 8,288 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 81.1 minutes. The 2,311-mile corridor is served by 6 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.9% of 2,917 flights were cancelled, 0.7% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 92% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 57% - a 35-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DCA–LAX peaks in October at 87.6% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~120 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 78.2%, a 9.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DCA to LAX rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DCA to LAX ranks #1475 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 LAX? ▼
Flights from Washington to Los Angeles have a 82.8% on-time rate based on 8,288 flights. The average delay is 81.1 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DCA to LAX? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (27 of 2,917 flights) and 0.7% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DCA to LAX? ▼
The flight distance from Washington (DCA) to Los Angeles (LAX) is approximately 2,311 miles. This route is served by 6 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DCA to LAX? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (92% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (57% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DCA Airport

Washington
LAX Airport

Los Angeles
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–LAX data

DCA–LAX runs 3.8 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 LAX airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DCA airport
  • If your dates flex, October (87.6% on-time) beats July (78.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 82.8% 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.