PlainFlights

Route · LAX → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Los Angeles to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), LAX to DCA (Los Angeles to Washington) ranks #1474 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84.3%
On-time
+5.3 pts
vs US avg
64 min
Delay when late
8,294
Flights
#1474 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.9%

Best Month

Nov 2024 90%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 69%

Distance

2,311 mi

Carriers

6

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 123 19 1 0 DL,AS,AA
Nov 2025 118 29 1 0 AA,AS,DL
Oct 2025 124 13 0 0 AA,AS,DL
Sep 2025 120 22 0 2 DL,AA,AS
Aug 2025 124 19 1 2 AA,AS,DL
Jul 2025 124 38 2 5 AA,AS,DL
Jun 2025 120 32 2 4 AA,AS,DL
May 2025 124 28 1 1 AA,AS,DL
Apr 2025 120 35 0 1 AA,AS,DL
Mar 2025 124 35 0 0 AA,AS,DL
Feb 2025 112 34 1 2 AA,AS,DL
Jan 2025 124 16 6 3 AA,AS,DL
Dec 2024 123 21 0 0 AA,AS,DL
Nov 2024 118 12 0 1 AS,DL,AA
Oct 2024 124 22 0 0 AS,DL,AA
Sep 2024 119 22 0 0 AA,AS,DL
Aug 2024 124 26 1 2 AA,AS,DL
Jul 2024 124 27 3 1 AA,AS,DL
Jun 2024 119 23 1 1 AA,AS,DL
May 2024 124 30 1 4 AA,AS,DL
Apr 2024 120 18 0 1 AA,AS,DL
Mar 2024 124 32 0 0 AA,AS,DL
Feb 2024 116 13 0 0 AA,AS,DL
Jan 2024 124 21 4 1 AA,AS,DL

LAX–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: January (87.9%) · weakest: July (80.4%)

80%82%84%86%88%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 83.8%

Strongest calendar month

January

87.9% on-time · ~119 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~120 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

80.4% on-time · ~118 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.9%

25 of 2,916 flights

Diversion Rate

1.1%

31 of 2,916 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

LAX - Los Angeles

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Los Angeles, CA.

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

Compare LAX vs DCA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among LAX departures

From LAX, this corridor sits with 39 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 80 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (40 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #1471 of 4927.

What the Data Says About LAX to DCA

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Los Angeles to Washington (LAX to DCA) running a 84.3% on-time rate over 8,294 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 64.2 minutes. The 2,311-mile corridor is served by 6 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.9% of 2,916 flights were cancelled, 1.1% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2024 posted the strongest performance at 90% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 69% - a 21-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, LAX–DCA peaks in January at 87.9% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~120 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 80.4%, a 7.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does LAX to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, LAX to DCA ranks #1474 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 LAX to DCA? ▼
Flights from Los Angeles to Washington have a 84.3% on-time rate based on 8,294 flights. The average delay is 64.2 minutes. The best recent month was Nov 2024 with 90% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for LAX to DCA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (25 of 2,916 flights) and 1.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from LAX to DCA? ▼
The flight distance from Los Angeles (LAX) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 2,311 miles. This route is served by 6 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from LAX to DCA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Nov 2024 (90% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (69% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

LAX Airport

Los Angeles
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 LAX–DCA data

LAX–DCA runs 5.3 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare LAX and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. LAX airport
  • If your dates flex, January (87.9% on-time) beats July (80.4%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84.3% 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.