PlainFlights

Route · DCA → LGA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Washington to New York

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DCA to LGA (Washington to New York) ranks #145 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

80%
On-time
+1 pts
vs US avg
79 min
Delay when late
28,869
Flights
#145 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

3.9%

Best Month

Sep 2024 90%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 58%

Distance

214 mi

Carriers

7

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 342 142 11 1 YX
Nov 2025 394 161 19 0 YX
Oct 2025 398 128 16 0 YX
Sep 2025 385 83 7 0 YX
Aug 2025 406 71 7 0 YX
Jul 2025 419 99 64 0 YX
Jun 2025 397 125 31 1 YX
May 2025 388 132 20 1 YX
Apr 2025 384 89 1 0 YX,AA
Mar 2025 389 90 3 0 AA,YX
Feb 2025 356 98 22 1 AA,YX
Jan 2025 370 66 31 1 AA,YX
Dec 2024 325 97 1 0 AA,YX
Nov 2024 366 73 0 0 YX,AA
Oct 2024 371 42 0 0 YX,AA
Sep 2024 356 35 0 1 YX,AA
Aug 2024 365 95 40 0 AA,YX
Jul 2024 370 105 16 0 AA,YX
Jun 2024 349 70 14 1 AA,YX
May 2024 372 100 8 0 AA,YX
Apr 2024 365 90 5 0 AA,YX
Mar 2024 384 68 1 0 AA,YX
Feb 2024 370 65 9 1 AA,YX
Jan 2024 351 72 22 0 AA,YX

DCA–LGA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (83.4%) · weakest: December (77.4%)

76%78%80%82%84% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 77.4%

Strongest calendar month

September

83.4% on-time · ~396 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~467 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

77.4% on-time · ~359 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

3.9%

348 of 8,972 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

8 of 8,972 flights

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: New York · fleet on-time rank #3136 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DCA to LGA

28,869 tracked flights put the DCA to LGA pairing (Washington to New York) at a 80% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 79.4 minutes on average. Across the 214-mile route and its 7 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 3.9% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (8,972 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2024 posted the strongest performance at 90% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 58% - a 32-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DCA–LGA peaks in September at 83.4% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~467 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 77.4%, a 6.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DCA to LGA rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DCA to LGA ranks #145 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 LGA?
Flights from Washington to New York have a 80% on-time rate based on 28,869 flights. The average delay is 79.4 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2024 with 90% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DCA to LGA?
Over the last 24 months, 3.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (348 of 8,972 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DCA to LGA?
The flight distance from Washington (DCA) to New York (LGA) is approximately 214 miles. This route is served by 7 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DCA to LGA?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2024 (90% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (58% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

Data source

Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data. Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods.

Using DCA–LGA data

DCA–LGA is mid-pack at 80% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DCA and LGA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DCA airport
  • If your dates flex, September (83.4% on-time) beats December (77.4%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 80% 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.