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Route · IND → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Indianapolis to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), IND to DCA (Indianapolis to Washington) ranks #1231 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.2%
On-time
+6.2 pts
vs US avg
69 min
Delay when late
9,545
Flights
#1231 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.6%

Best Month

Mar 2024 94%

Worst Month

Dec 2025 63%

Distance

500 mi

Carriers

17

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 150 56 3 1 YX,OH
Nov 2025 167 39 8 1 OH,YX
Oct 2025 178 38 1 0 AA,OH,YX,MQ
Sep 2025 172 34 2 0 MQ,OH,YX,AA
Aug 2025 171 36 3 0 YX,OH
Jul 2025 176 44 22 1 OH,YX
Jun 2025 173 46 7 1 AA,OH,YX
May 2025 186 36 3 1 AA,OH,YX,MQ
Apr 2025 166 32 1 1 MQ,OH,YX,AA
Mar 2025 176 30 5 1 OH,YX,MQ
Feb 2025 161 43 20 1 OH,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 168 28 14 0 OH,YX,MQ
Dec 2024 152 37 0 0 MQ,OH,YX
Nov 2024 164 22 0 0 YX,OH,AA
Oct 2024 173 18 0 1 YX,AA
Sep 2024 168 19 0 0 YX,AA
Aug 2024 171 27 4 0 AA,YX
Jul 2024 170 35 0 2 AA,OH,YX
Jun 2024 162 30 1 0 AA,YX
May 2024 177 30 1 1 OH,YX
Apr 2024 168 18 2 1 OH,YX
Mar 2024 165 10 0 0 OH,YX
Feb 2024 161 14 0 0 OH,YX
Jan 2024 163 16 7 1 YX,OH

IND–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (89.5%) · weakest: July (80.6%)

80%82%84%86%88%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 80.9%

Strongest calendar month

October

89.5% on-time · ~135 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

November

~161 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

80.6% on-time · ~135 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.6%

104 of 4,038 flights

Diversion Rate

0.3%

14 of 4,038 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

IND - Indianapolis

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Indianapolis, IN.

IND 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 IND and DCA side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare IND vs DCA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among IND's stronger departures

IND → DCA posts a 85.2% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 12 of 32 BTS-tracked routes leaving Indianapolis. The same hub also shows 20 mid-band and 0 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1152 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About IND to DCA

Indianapolis to Washington (IND to DCA) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.2% on-time rate across 9,545 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 68.8 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 500 miles and is served by 17 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 104 of 4,038 flights were cancelled (2.6%) and 14 diverted (0.3%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Mar 2024 posted the strongest performance at 94% on-time, while Dec 2025 came in at just 63% - a 31-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, IND–DCA peaks in October at 89.5% on-time while November carries the heaviest traffic (~161 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 80.6%, a 8.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does IND to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, IND to DCA ranks #1231 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 IND to DCA? ▼
Flights from Indianapolis to Washington have a 85.2% on-time rate based on 9,545 flights. The average delay is 68.8 minutes. The best recent month was Mar 2024 with 94% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for IND to DCA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (104 of 4,038 flights) and 0.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from IND to DCA? ▼
The flight distance from Indianapolis (IND) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 500 miles. This route is served by 17 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from IND to DCA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Mar 2024 (94% on-time). The worst was Dec 2025 (63% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

IND Airport

Indianapolis
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 IND–DCA data

IND–DCA runs 6.2 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare IND and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. IND airport
  • If your dates flex, October (89.5% on-time) beats July (80.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.2% 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.