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Route · DCA → RDU · 2020–2025 BTS data

Washington to Raleigh/Durham

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DCA to RDU (Washington to Raleigh/Durham) ranks #883 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.4%
On-time
+2.4 pts
vs US avg
77 min
Delay when late
12,310
Flights
#883 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

3.0%

Best Month

Feb 2024 92%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 65%

Distance

227 mi

Carriers

31

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 160 55 3 0 YX,OH,AA,MQ
Nov 2025 163 43 6 0 MQ,OH,AA,YX
Oct 2025 178 50 1 0 AA,OH,YX
Sep 2025 172 53 1 0 OH,YX,AA
Aug 2025 163 51 4 0 AA,YX,MQ,OH
Jul 2025 144 41 24 0 AA,OH,YX,MQ
Jun 2025 146 50 15 0 AA,OH,YX,MQ
May 2025 171 47 5 0 AA,OH,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 171 28 0 0 MQ,OH,YX,AA
Mar 2025 176 31 2 0 AA,OH,YX,MQ
Feb 2025 158 44 15 0 AA,OH,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 169 28 17 0 OH,YX,MQ
Dec 2024 222 45 1 0 9E,AA,MQ,OH,YX
Nov 2024 232 42 0 0 MQ,YX,OH,9E,AA
Oct 2024 232 27 0 0 YX,AA,9E,OH
Sep 2024 220 32 4 2 YX,OH,9E,AA
Aug 2024 229 68 13 0 AA,MQ,YX,9E,OH
Jul 2024 230 80 10 0 9E,AA,MQ,OH,YX
Jun 2024 224 55 1 2 9E,AA,MQ,OH,YX
May 2024 235 61 4 0 9E,AA,MQ,OH,YX
Apr 2024 221 55 3 1 9E,AA,MQ,OH,YX
Mar 2024 228 43 0 0 9E,AA,MQ,OH,YX
Feb 2024 226 19 0 0 9E,AA,MQ,OH,YX
Jan 2024 226 41 11 1 9E,AA,MQ,YX,OH

DCA–RDU seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (85.5%) · weakest: July (72.0%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81.2%

Strongest calendar month

October

85.5% on-time · ~203 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~234 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

72.0% on-time · ~182 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

3.0%

140 of 4,696 flights

Diversion Rate

0.1%

6 of 4,696 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

RDU - Raleigh/Durham

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Raleigh/Durham, NC.

RDU on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare DCA vs RDU

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: Raleigh/Durham · fleet on-time rank #2576 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DCA to RDU

12,310 tracked flights put the DCA to RDU pairing (Washington to Raleigh/Durham) at a 81.4% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 76.8 minutes on average. Across the 227-mile route and its 31 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 3.0% cancelled and 0.1% diverted (4,696 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 92% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 65% - a 26-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DCA–RDU peaks in October at 85.5% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~234 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 72.0%, 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 RDU rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DCA to RDU ranks #883 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 RDU? ▼
Flights from Washington to Raleigh/Durham have a 81.4% on-time rate based on 12,310 flights. The average delay is 76.8 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 92% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DCA to RDU? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 3.0% of flights on this route were cancelled (140 of 4,696 flights) and 0.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DCA to RDU? ▼
The flight distance from Washington (DCA) to Raleigh/Durham (RDU) is approximately 227 miles. This route is served by 31 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DCA to RDU? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (92% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (65% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

DCA Airport

Washington
RDU Airport

Raleigh/Durham
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–RDU data

DCA–RDU is mid-pack at 81.4% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DCA and RDU airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DCA airport
  • If your dates flex, October (85.5% on-time) beats July (72.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 81.4% 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.