PlainFlights

Route · IAD → ATL · 2020–2025 BTS data

Washington to Atlanta

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), IAD to ATL (Washington to Atlanta) ranks #324 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.2%
On-time
+5.2 pts
vs US avg
85 min
Delay when late
20,387
Flights
#324 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.4%

Best Month

Feb 2024 96%

Worst Month

May 2025 67%

Distance

534 mi

Carriers

39

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 321 88 8 2 DL,YX,F9,UA
Nov 2025 322 66 9 0 UA,DL,F9
Oct 2025 334 61 1 1 DL,UA,F9
Sep 2025 315 37 0 1 UA,DL,F9
Aug 2025 343 77 2 2 YX,F9,UA,DL
Jul 2025 353 104 15 4 DL,UA,F9
Jun 2025 351 111 11 3 DL,UA,YX,F9
May 2025 349 115 2 1 DL,UA,YX,F9
Apr 2025 318 64 4 0 DL,F9,UA
Mar 2025 315 63 2 0 DL,YX,UA,F9
Feb 2025 258 54 0 0 DL,UA,YX,F9
Jan 2025 272 74 14 0 DL,UA,F9
Dec 2024 308 65 0 0 DL,F9,UA
Nov 2024 290 21 1 0 UA,WN,DL,F9
Oct 2024 318 29 1 0 UA,DL
Sep 2024 305 52 1 0 UA,DL
Aug 2024 306 55 3 1 DL,UA
Jul 2024 294 84 16 0 DL,UA
Jun 2024 312 54 0 0 DL,UA
May 2024 279 56 4 2 DL,UA
Apr 2024 235 32 0 0 DL,UA
Mar 2024 209 26 0 0 DL,YX,UA
Feb 2024 206 9 1 0 DL,UA,YX
Jan 2024 222 35 3 1 DL,WN,YX,UA

IAD–ATL seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (89.3%) · weakest: July (76.6%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82.5%

Strongest calendar month

November

89.3% on-time · ~292 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~312 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

76.6% on-time · ~301 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.4%

98 of 7,135 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

18 of 7,135 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

IAD - Washington

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

IAD on-time profile

ATL - Atlanta

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Atlanta, GA.

ATL on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See IAD and ATL side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare IAD vs ATL

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among IAD departures

From IAD, this corridor sits with 42 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 58 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (14 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 2 below 75%). Destination: Atlanta · fleet on-time rank #1511 of 4927.

What the Data Says About IAD to ATL

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Washington to Atlanta (IAD to ATL) running a 84.2% on-time rate over 20,387 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 85.0 minutes. The 534-mile corridor is served by 39 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.4% of 7,135 flights were cancelled, 0.3% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 96% on-time, while May 2025 came in at just 67% - a 29-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, IAD–ATL peaks in November at 89.3% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~312 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 76.6%, a 12.7-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does IAD to ATL rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, IAD to ATL ranks #324 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 IAD to ATL? ▼
Flights from Washington to Atlanta have a 84.2% on-time rate based on 20,387 flights. The average delay is 85.0 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 96% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for IAD to ATL? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (98 of 7,135 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from IAD to ATL? ▼
The flight distance from Washington (IAD) to Atlanta (ATL) is approximately 534 miles. This route is served by 39 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from IAD to ATL? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (96% on-time). The worst was May 2025 (67% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

IAD Airport

Washington
ATL Airport

Atlanta
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 IAD–ATL data

IAD–ATL runs 5.2 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare IAD and ATL airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. IAD airport
  • If your dates flex, November (89.3% on-time) beats July (76.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.2% 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.