Route · IAD → SAN · 2020–2025 BTS data
Washington to San Diego
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), IAD to SAN (Washington to San Diego) ranks #1962 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 85%
- On-time
- +6 pts
- vs US avg
- 68 min
- Delay when late
- 6,390
- Flights
- #1962 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
1.3%
Best Month
Aug 2025 91%
Worst Month
Feb 2025 71%
Distance
2,253 mi
Carriers
3
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 122 | 26 | 0 | 2 | AS,UA |
| Nov 2025 | 115 | 23 | 0 | 0 | UA,AS |
| Oct 2025 | 119 | 11 | 0 | 3 | AS,UA |
| Sep 2025 | 119 | 12 | 0 | 3 | UA,AS |
| Aug 2025 | 124 | 11 | 1 | 0 | UA,AS |
| Jul 2025 | 122 | 35 | 0 | 0 | AS,UA |
| Jun 2025 | 120 | 31 | 0 | 0 | AS,UA |
| May 2025 | 124 | 27 | 0 | 1 | AS,UA |
| Apr 2025 | 120 | 27 | 1 | 1 | UA,AS |
| Mar 2025 | 124 | 20 | 0 | 1 | AS,UA |
| Feb 2025 | 112 | 33 | 0 | 0 | AS,UA |
| Jan 2025 | 124 | 26 | 1 | 1 | AS,UA |
| Dec 2024 | 124 | 30 | 0 | 3 | AS,UA |
| Nov 2024 | 118 | 22 | 0 | 1 | UA,AS |
| Oct 2024 | 124 | 29 | 0 | 1 | UA,AS |
| Sep 2024 | 119 | 15 | 1 | 0 | UA,AS |
| Aug 2024 | 124 | 25 | 1 | 1 | AS,UA |
| Jul 2024 | 124 | 30 | 1 | 0 | AS,UA |
| Jun 2024 | 120 | 18 | 0 | 1 | AS,UA |
| May 2024 | 146 | 25 | 0 | 0 | AS,UA |
| Apr 2024 | 150 | 23 | 0 | 0 | AS,UA |
| Mar 2024 | 155 | 20 | 0 | 0 | AS,UA |
| Feb 2024 | 143 | 19 | 1 | 0 | AS,UA |
| Jan 2024 | 143 | 19 | 31 | 0 | AS,UA |
IAD–SAN seasonal on-time pattern
Best: September (91.3%) · weakest: July (78.9%)
Strongest calendar month
September
91.3% on-time · ~108 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
July
~111 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
July
78.9% on-time · ~111 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
1.3%
38 of 3,035 flights
Diversion Rate
0.6%
19 of 3,035 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 profileSAN - San Diego
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for San Diego, CA.
SAN on-time profileCompare the two airports
See IAD and SAN side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare IAD vs SANOrigin-hub reliability standing
Among IAD's stronger departures
IAD → SAN posts a 85% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 14 of 58 BTS-tracked routes leaving Washington. The same hub also shows 42 mid-band and 2 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1215 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to IAD–SAN.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About IAD to SAN
Washington to San Diego (IAD to SAN) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85% on-time rate across 6,390 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 68.1 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 2,253 miles and is served by 3 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 38 of 3,035 flights were cancelled (1.3%) and 19 diverted (0.6%).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Aug 2025 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 71% - a 21-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, IAD–SAN peaks in September at 91.3% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~111 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 78.9%, a 12.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does IAD to SAN rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from IAD to SAN? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for IAD to SAN? ▼
How far is the flight from IAD to SAN? ▼
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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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using IAD–SAN data
IAD–SAN runs 6 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 SAN airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. IAD airport
- If your dates flex, September (91.3% on-time) beats July (78.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 85% 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.
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.