Route · MDW → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data
Chicago to Washington
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MDW to DCA (Chicago to Washington) ranks #1009 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 79%
- On-time
- +0 pts
- vs US avg
- 59 min
- Delay when late
- 11,191
- Flights
- #1009 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
1.7%
Best Month
Feb 2024 95%
Worst Month
Feb 2025 60%
Distance
601 mi
Carriers
1
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 173 | 57 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Nov 2025 | 170 | 51 | 10 | 1 | WN |
| Oct 2025 | 181 | 57 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Sep 2025 | 176 | 38 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Aug 2025 | 181 | 43 | 1 | 1 | WN |
| Jul 2025 | 181 | 58 | 12 | 3 | WN |
| Jun 2025 | 176 | 56 | 3 | 1 | WN |
| May 2025 | 176 | 43 | 0 | 3 | WN |
| Apr 2025 | 173 | 26 | 1 | 0 | WN |
| Mar 2025 | 180 | 40 | 1 | 1 | WN |
| Feb 2025 | 156 | 63 | 2 | 0 | WN |
| Jan 2025 | 179 | 28 | 16 | 0 | WN |
| Dec 2024 | 172 | 33 | 2 | 0 | WN |
| Nov 2024 | 168 | 24 | 2 | 0 | WN |
| Oct 2024 | 182 | 29 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Sep 2024 | 176 | 21 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Aug 2024 | 181 | 38 | 1 | 1 | WN |
| Jul 2024 | 181 | 55 | 2 | 3 | WN |
| Jun 2024 | 174 | 39 | 0 | 1 | WN |
| May 2024 | 178 | 59 | 0 | 2 | WN |
| Apr 2024 | 171 | 22 | 0 | 1 | WN |
| Mar 2024 | 172 | 29 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Feb 2024 | 166 | 9 | 0 | 0 | WN |
| Jan 2024 | 178 | 46 | 19 | 0 | WN |
MDW–DCA seasonal on-time pattern
Best: April (84.5%) · weakest: July (71.9%)
Strongest calendar month
April
84.5% on-time · ~155 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
July
~166 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
July
71.9% on-time · ~166 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
1.7%
72 of 4,201 flights
Diversion Rate
0.4%
18 of 4,201 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
MDW - Chicago
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.
MDW on-time profileDCA - Washington
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.
DCA on-time profileCompare the two airports
See MDW and DCA side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare MDW vs DCAOrigin-hub reliability standing
Mid-pack among MDW departures
From MDW, this corridor sits with 51 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 69 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (0 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 18 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #3522 of 4927.
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to MDW–DCA.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About MDW to DCA
11,191 tracked flights put the MDW to DCA pairing (Chicago to Washington) at a 79% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 58.7 minutes on average. Across the 601-mile route and its 1 carrier, the trailing 24 months show 1.7% cancelled and 0.4% diverted (4,201 flights sampled).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 60% - a 35-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, MDW–DCA peaks in April at 84.5% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~166 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 71.9%, a 12.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does MDW to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from MDW to DCA? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for MDW to DCA? ▼
How far is the flight from MDW to DCA? ▼
When is the best time to fly from MDW to DCA? ▼
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 MDW–DCA data
MDW–DCA is mid-pack at 79% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.
- Compare MDW and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MDW airport
- If your dates flex, April (84.5% on-time) beats July (71.9%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 79% 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.