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Route · DFW → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Dallas/Fort Worth to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), DFW to DCA (Dallas/Fort Worth to Washington) ranks #443 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

78.6%
On-time
-0.4 pts
vs US avg
72 min
Delay when late
17,801
Flights
#443 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.5%

Best Month

Jan 2025 86%

Worst Month

May 2024 58%

Distance

1,192 mi

Carriers

3

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 274 68 0 1 AA
Nov 2025 264 86 2 0 AA
Oct 2025 279 71 1 0 AA
Sep 2025 270 73 7 2 AA
Aug 2025 273 65 10 1 AA
Jul 2025 278 96 19 4 AA
Jun 2025 273 90 18 2 AA
May 2025 310 85 8 5 AA
Apr 2025 300 81 8 0 AA
Mar 2025 309 70 8 1 AA
Feb 2025 280 60 7 1 AA
Jan 2025 308 43 29 1 AA
Dec 2024 306 60 6 3 AA
Nov 2024 292 43 3 2 AA
Oct 2024 309 61 0 1 AA
Sep 2024 297 61 1 0 AA
Aug 2024 278 69 2 4 AA
Jul 2024 258 64 4 2 AA
Jun 2024 249 79 3 0 AA
May 2024 248 103 14 0 AA
Apr 2024 241 68 4 0 AA
Mar 2024 279 70 5 0 AA
Feb 2024 261 67 0 2 AA
Jan 2024 273 77 9 7 AA

DFW–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: January (82.7%) · weakest: June (72.9%)

70%75%80%85% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.7%

Strongest calendar month

January

82.7% on-time · ~260 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~264 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

72.9% on-time · ~230 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.5%

168 of 6,709 flights

Diversion Rate

0.6%

39 of 6,709 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among DFW departures

From DFW, this corridor sits with 113 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 183 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (13 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 57 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #3633 of 4927.

What the Data Says About DFW to DCA

17,801 tracked flights put the DFW to DCA pairing (Dallas/Fort Worth to Washington) at a 78.6% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 72.0 minutes on average. Across the 1,192-mile route and its 3 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.5% cancelled and 0.6% diverted (6,709 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Jan 2025 posted the strongest performance at 86% on-time, while May 2024 came in at just 58% - a 28-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, DFW–DCA peaks in January at 82.7% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~264 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 72.9%, a 9.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does DFW to DCA rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, DFW to DCA ranks #443 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 DFW to DCA?
Flights from Dallas/Fort Worth to Washington have a 78.6% on-time rate based on 17,801 flights. The average delay is 72.0 minutes. The best recent month was Jan 2025 with 86% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for DFW to DCA?
Over the last 24 months, 2.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (168 of 6,709 flights) and 0.6% were diverted.
How far is the flight from DFW to DCA?
The flight distance from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 1,192 miles. This route is served by 3 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from DFW to DCA?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jan 2025 (86% on-time). The worst was May 2024 (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 DFW–DCA data

DFW–DCA is mid-pack at 78.6% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare DFW and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. DFW airport
  • If your dates flex, January (82.7% on-time) beats June (72.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 78.6% 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.