Memphis to Washington

What the Data Says About MEM to DCA

The Memphis to Washington corridor (MEM → DCA) covers roughly 762 miles and is served by 15 carriers, based on Bureau of Transportation Statistics reporting. Across 5,709 flights in the dataset, this route posts a 82.1% on-time rate with an average delay of 81.0 minutes when flights run late. Over the most recent 24 months of BTS data, 2,257 flights were recorded on this pairing — 65 cancelled (2.9%) and 14 diverted (0.6%). Those baseline metrics tell you what to expect before you book.

Having 15 carriers on the route matters: more carriers generally means more daily schedule options, competitive pricing, and redundancy when flights are cancelled. With 5,709 total flights analyzed, the 82.1% on-time figure is statistically meaningful rather than a small-sample fluke. The 81.0-minute average delay applies only to flights that actually ran late, so it is not the average wait across all departures — the majority of flights on this route depart on time under the BTS definition of a delay (15+ minutes past schedule).

Looking at recent months, Oct 2024 posted the best performance on this corridor at 95% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at 66% on-time — a 29-point gap between best and worst recent month. For travelers evaluating the MEM to DCA route, the combination of a 82.1% on-time rate, 81.0-minute average delay, 2.9% recent cancellation rate, and 15 available carriers is the concrete summary of what BTS data shows about reliability on this pairing.