PlainFlights

Route · EWR → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Newark to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), EWR to DCA (Newark to Washington) ranks #3370 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.4%
On-time
+6.4 pts
vs US avg
62 min
Delay when late
2,829
Flights
#3370 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

3.3%

Best Month

Oct 2023 97%

Worst Month

Mar 2025 73%

Distance

199 mi

Carriers

5

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 31 10 1 0 YX
Nov 2025 31 21 1 0 YX
Oct 2025 45 13 0 0 YX
Jun 2025 53 11 1 0 YX
May 2025 40 9 6 0 YX
Apr 2025 32 3 3 0 YX
Mar 2025 52 14 0 0 YX
Jan 2025 33 2 3 0 YX
Dec 2024 31 6 0 2 YX
Nov 2024 30 1 0 0 YX
Oct 2023 99 3 0 0 YX
Sep 2023 58 4 5 0 YX
Aug 2023 32 4 2 0 YX
Jul 2023 36 8 6 0 YX
Jun 2023 36 13 6 0 YX
May 2023 147 6 0 0 YX
Apr 2023 124 19 5 0 YX
Mar 2023 114 16 1 0 YX
Feb 2023 80 8 2 0 YX
Jan 2023 110 13 4 0 YX,UA
Dec 2022 116 13 1 0 YX
Nov 2022 197 23 5 2 YX
Oct 2022 69 13 1 0 YX
Sep 2022 33 5 0 0 YX

EWR–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (92.1%) · weakest: June (80.6%)

80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81.9%

Strongest calendar month

September

92.1% on-time · ~50 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

February

~107 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

80.6% on-time · ~45 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

3.3%

53 of 1,629 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

4 of 1,629 flights

Explore origin & destination

On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.

EWR - Newark

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Newark, NJ.

EWR on-time profile

DCA - Washington

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.

DCA on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare EWR vs DCA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among EWR's stronger departures

EWR → DCA posts a 85.4% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 5 of 74 BTS-tracked routes leaving Newark. The same hub also shows 60 mid-band and 9 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1086 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About EWR to DCA

Newark to Washington (EWR to DCA) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.4% on-time rate across 2,829 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 62.3 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 199 miles and is served by 5 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 53 of 1,629 flights were cancelled (3.3%) and 4 diverted (0.2%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2023 posted the strongest performance at 97% on-time, while Mar 2025 came in at just 73% - a 24-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, EWR–DCA peaks in September at 92.1% on-time while February carries the heaviest traffic (~107 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 80.6%, a 11.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does EWR to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, EWR to DCA ranks #3370 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 EWR to DCA? ▼
Flights from Newark to Washington have a 85.4% on-time rate based on 2,829 flights. The average delay is 62.3 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2023 with 97% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for EWR to DCA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 3.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (53 of 1,629 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from EWR to DCA? ▼
The flight distance from Newark (EWR) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 199 miles. This route is served by 5 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from EWR to DCA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2023 (97% on-time). The worst was Mar 2025 (73% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

EWR Airport

Newark
DCA Airport

Washington
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 EWR–DCA data

EWR–DCA runs 6.4 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare EWR and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. EWR airport
  • If your dates flex, September (92.1% on-time) beats June (80.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.4% 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.