PlainFlights

Route · DCA → PIT · 2020–2025 BTS data

Washington to Pittsburgh

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DCA to PIT (Washington to Pittsburgh) ranks #1588 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82.9%
On-time
+3.9 pts
vs US avg
77 min
Delay when late
7,807
Flights
#1588 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.8%

Best Month

Sep 2024 93%

Worst Month

Jun 2025 65%

Distance

204 mi

Carriers

17

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 104 31 6 0 YX,OH,MQ
Nov 2025 114 26 5 0 MQ,OH,YX
Oct 2025 139 34 1 0 AA,OH,YX
Sep 2025 118 12 0 0 OH,YX,AA
Aug 2025 132 25 3 0 AA,YX,MQ,OH
Jul 2025 115 26 14 0 AA,OH,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 116 41 5 0 AA,OH,YX,MQ
May 2025 146 28 4 1 AA,OH,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 145 28 0 0 MQ,OH,YX,AA
Mar 2025 140 31 2 0 OH,YX,MQ
Feb 2025 130 41 15 0 OH,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 136 25 14 0 OH,YX
Dec 2024 124 29 1 0 OH,YX
Nov 2024 136 22 0 0 YX,OH,AA
Oct 2024 142 13 0 0 YX,AA
Sep 2024 134 10 0 0 YX,OH,AA
Aug 2024 115 33 2 0 AA,YX,OH
Jul 2024 120 37 2 0 AA,OH,YX
Jun 2024 115 24 1 0 AA,MQ,OH,YX
May 2024 124 29 1 0 MQ,OH,YX
Apr 2024 142 21 1 1 MQ,OH,YX
Mar 2024 148 24 0 0 MQ,OH,YX
Feb 2024 140 20 0 0 MQ,OH,YX
Jan 2024 135 31 11 0 MQ,YX,OH

DCA–PIT seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (88.3%) · weakest: July (70.8%)

65%70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81.9%

Strongest calendar month

September

88.3% on-time · ~127 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~144 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

70.8% on-time · ~120 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.8%

88 of 3,110 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

2 of 3,110 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: Pittsburgh · fleet on-time rank #1977 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DCA to PIT

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Washington to Pittsburgh (DCA to PIT) running a 82.9% on-time rate over 7,807 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 76.9 minutes. The 204-mile corridor is served by 17 carriers, and over the last 24 months 2.8% of 3,110 flights were cancelled, 0.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Sep 2024 posted the strongest performance at 93% on-time, while Jun 2025 came in at just 65% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DCA–PIT peaks in September at 88.3% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~144 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 70.8%, a 17.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DCA to PIT rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DCA to PIT ranks #1588 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 PIT?
Flights from Washington to Pittsburgh have a 82.9% on-time rate based on 7,807 flights. The average delay is 76.9 minutes. The best recent month was Sep 2024 with 93% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DCA to PIT?
Over the last 24 months, 2.8% of flights on this route were cancelled (88 of 3,110 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DCA to PIT?
The flight distance from Washington (DCA) to Pittsburgh (PIT) is approximately 204 miles. This route is served by 17 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DCA to PIT?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Sep 2024 (93% on-time). The worst was Jun 2025 (65% 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–PIT data

DCA–PIT runs 3.9 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 PIT airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DCA airport
  • If your dates flex, September (88.3% on-time) beats July (70.8%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 82.9% 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.