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Route · MKE → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Milwaukee to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MKE to DCA (Milwaukee to Washington) ranks #2641 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.9%
On-time
+2.9 pts
vs US avg
86 min
Delay when late
4,594
Flights
#2641 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.4%

Best Month

Oct 2024 93%

Worst Month

Feb 2025 66%

Distance

634 mi

Carriers

10

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 106 35 1 0 YX,OH,WN
Nov 2025 110 28 3 0 OH,WN,YX
Oct 2025 116 28 0 0 OH,WN
Sep 2025 112 19 0 0 OH,WN
Aug 2025 115 21 1 0 WN,OH
Jul 2025 120 24 11 2 OH,WN
Jun 2025 116 33 7 4 OH,WN
May 2025 114 24 3 1 OH,WN
Apr 2025 112 19 3 0 OH,WN
Mar 2025 113 21 4 1 OH,WN
Feb 2025 94 32 8 0 OH,WN
Jan 2025 109 17 8 0 OH,WN
Dec 2024 107 15 0 1 OH,WN,YX
Nov 2024 110 10 0 0 WN,YX,OH
Oct 2024 116 8 0 0 WN,OH
Sep 2024 112 16 0 0 WN,OH
Aug 2024 118 18 2 1 WN,OH
Jul 2024 117 30 0 2 AA,OH,UA,WN,YX
Jun 2024 111 18 0 1 OH,WN
May 2024 119 20 0 0 OH,WN
Apr 2024 112 20 0 0 OH,WN
Mar 2024 114 19 0 0 OH,WN
Feb 2024 110 14 0 0 OH,WN
Jan 2024 113 28 15 0 WN,OH

MKE–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (87.5%) · weakest: December (74.4%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 74.4%

Strongest calendar month

April

87.5% on-time · ~70 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~87 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

74.4% on-time · ~81 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.4%

66 of 2,696 flights

Diversion Rate

0.5%

13 of 2,696 flights

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among MKE departures

From MKE, this corridor sits with 18 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 27 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (9 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #2406 of 4927.

What the Data Says About MKE to DCA

4,594 tracked flights put the MKE to DCA pairing (Milwaukee to Washington) at a 81.9% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 86.3 minutes on average. Across the 634-mile route and its 10 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.4% cancelled and 0.5% diverted (2,696 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 93% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 66% - a 27-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MKE–DCA peaks in April at 87.5% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~87 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 74.4%, a 13.1-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MKE to DCA rank among US routes by traffic?
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MKE to DCA ranks #2641 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 MKE to DCA?
Flights from Milwaukee to Washington have a 81.9% on-time rate based on 4,594 flights. The average delay is 86.3 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 93% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MKE to DCA?
Over the last 24 months, 2.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (66 of 2,696 flights) and 0.5% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MKE to DCA?
The flight distance from Milwaukee (MKE) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 634 miles. This route is served by 10 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from MKE to DCA?
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (93% on-time). The worst was Feb 2025 (66% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

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.

Using MKE–DCA data

MKE–DCA is mid-pack at 81.9% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare MKE and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MKE airport
  • If your dates flex, April (87.5% on-time) beats December (74.4%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 81.9% 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.