PlainFlights

Route · DCA → ORD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Washington to Chicago

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DCA to ORD (Washington to Chicago) ranks #80 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.8%
On-time
+4.8 pts
vs US avg
89 min
Delay when late
33,634
Flights
#80 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.1%

Best Month

Feb 2024 91%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 68%

Distance

612 mi

Carriers

33

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 555 141 8 1 YX,AA,MQ,UA,OO
Nov 2025 563 145 29 0 OO,UA,MQ,AA,YX
Oct 2025 597 144 4 0 AA,OO,UA,YX
Sep 2025 577 136 2 0 MQ,UA,AA
Aug 2025 584 130 17 3 AA,UA
Jul 2025 590 191 37 3 AA,UA
Jun 2025 568 158 17 0 AA,OO,UA
May 2025 556 141 5 0 AA,UA
Apr 2025 546 106 7 2 UA,AA
Mar 2025 559 100 8 0 AA,YX,UA
Feb 2025 509 100 17 0 AA,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2025 557 65 34 0 AA,YX,OO,UA
Dec 2024 520 88 0 0 AA,OO,UA,YX
Nov 2024 528 64 0 0 OO,YX,UA,AA
Oct 2024 548 55 0 2 UA,OO,YX,AA
Sep 2024 524 69 0 0 UA,AA
Aug 2024 550 145 17 2 AA,YX,OO,UA
Jul 2024 528 141 20 2 AA,OO,UA,YX
Jun 2024 500 124 7 0 AA,OO,UA
May 2024 500 139 10 2 AA,YX,OO,UA
Apr 2024 460 83 1 0 AA,OO,UA,YX
Mar 2024 499 61 0 0 AA,YX,OO,UA
Feb 2024 491 45 2 0 AA,OO,UA,YX
Jan 2024 510 111 27 1 AA,YX,OO,UA

DCA–ORD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (87.5%) · weakest: July (75.9%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 85.4%

Strongest calendar month

October

87.5% on-time · ~483 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~508 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

75.9% on-time · ~468 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.1%

269 of 12,919 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

18 of 12,919 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

ORD - Chicago

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.

ORD on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DCA vs ORD

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: Chicago · fleet on-time rank #1644 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DCA to ORD

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Washington to Chicago (DCA to ORD) running a 83.8% on-time rate over 33,634 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 89.4 minutes. The 612-mile corridor is served by 33 carriers, and over the last 24 months 2.1% of 12,919 flights were cancelled, 0.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 68% - a 23-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DCA–ORD peaks in October at 87.5% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~508 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 75.9%, a 11.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DCA to ORD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DCA to ORD ranks #80 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 ORD? ▼
Flights from Washington to Chicago have a 83.8% on-time rate based on 33,634 flights. The average delay is 89.4 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DCA to ORD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (269 of 12,919 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DCA to ORD? ▼
The flight distance from Washington (DCA) to Chicago (ORD) is approximately 612 miles. This route is served by 33 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DCA to ORD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (91% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (68% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DCA Airport

Washington
ORD Airport

Chicago
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–ORD data

DCA–ORD runs 4.8 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 ORD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DCA airport
  • If your dates flex, October (87.5% on-time) beats July (75.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.8% 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.