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Route · JFK → IAD · 2020–2025 BTS data

New York to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), JFK to IAD (New York to Washington) ranks #2984 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82.6%
On-time
+3.6 pts
vs US avg
83 min
Delay when late
3,791
Flights
#2984 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.6%

Best Month

Oct 2024 98%

Worst Month

Aug 2024 58%

Distance

228 mi

Carriers

10

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Apr 2025 30 5 0 0 OO
Dec 2024 51 11 0 0 9E,OO
Nov 2024 60 7 0 0 OO,9E
Oct 2024 62 1 0 0 OO,9E
Sep 2024 60 4 0 0 OO,9E
Aug 2024 62 26 3 1 OO
Jul 2024 62 20 0 0 OO
Jun 2024 60 17 1 0 OO
May 2024 62 14 1 0 OO
Apr 2024 60 9 0 0 9E,OO,YX
Mar 2024 62 8 0 0 9E,YX,OO
Feb 2024 58 8 1 0 9E,OO
Jan 2024 56 16 2 0 9E,OO
Dec 2023 77 11 1 0 OO,YX,9E
Nov 2023 88 10 0 0 9E,OO
Oct 2023 70 14 0 0 9E,OO
Sep 2023 75 24 5 0 9E,OO
Aug 2023 62 9 1 0 9E,OO
Jul 2023 62 13 4 2 9E,OO
Jun 2023 64 16 1 0 9E,OO
May 2023 93 19 0 0 9E,OO
Apr 2023 99 28 4 0 OO,9E
Mar 2023 124 28 0 0 OO,9E
Feb 2023 112 20 2 0 9E,YX,OO

JFK–IAD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (87.2%) · weakest: July (75.3%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 84.2%

Strongest calendar month

September

87.2% on-time · ~75 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~97 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

75.3% on-time · ~70 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.6%

26 of 1,671 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

3 of 1,671 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

JFK - New York

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for New York, NY.

JFK on-time profile

IAD - Washington

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

IAD on-time profile

Compare the two airports

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

Compare JFK vs IAD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among JFK departures

From JFK, this corridor sits with 50 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 66 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (3 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 13 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #2109 of 4927.

What the Data Says About JFK to IAD

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show New York to Washington (JFK to IAD) running a 82.6% on-time rate over 3,791 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 83.0 minutes. The 228-mile corridor is served by 10 carriers, and over the last 24 months 1.6% of 1,671 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 98% on-time, while Aug 2024 came in at just 58% - a 40-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, JFK–IAD peaks in September at 87.2% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~97 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 75.3%, a 11.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does JFK to IAD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, JFK to IAD ranks #2984 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 JFK to IAD? ▼
Flights from New York to Washington have a 82.6% on-time rate based on 3,791 flights. The average delay is 83.0 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 98% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for JFK to IAD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.6% of flights on this route were cancelled (26 of 1,671 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from JFK to IAD? ▼
The flight distance from New York (JFK) to Washington (IAD) is approximately 228 miles. This route is served by 10 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from JFK to IAD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (98% on-time). The worst was Aug 2024 (58% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

JFK Airport

New York
IAD 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 JFK–IAD data

JFK–IAD runs 3.6 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare JFK and IAD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. JFK airport
  • If your dates flex, September (87.2% on-time) beats July (75.3%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 82.6% 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.