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Route · MSP → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Minneapolis to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), MSP to DCA (Minneapolis to Washington) ranks #806 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82.5%
On-time
+3.5 pts
vs US avg
74 min
Delay when late
12,999
Flights
#806 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.0%

Best Month

Oct 2024 91%

Worst Month

Feb 2025 59%

Distance

931 mi

Carriers

36

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 213 72 3 1 DL,YX,OH,MQ
Nov 2025 207 52 4 2 DL,MQ,OH,YX
Oct 2025 224 45 2 0 AA,OH,YX,DL
Sep 2025 216 35 0 3 OH,DL,YX,AA
Aug 2025 203 54 4 1 YX,OH,DL
Jul 2025 203 69 15 6 OH,YX,DL
Jun 2025 195 64 8 3 OH,YX,DL
May 2025 199 47 4 0 OH,YX,DL,MQ
Apr 2025 194 41 1 0 DL,OH
Mar 2025 201 55 5 1 OH,DL
Feb 2025 185 76 7 1 OH,DL
Jan 2025 208 31 10 2 AA,OH,YX,DL
Dec 2024 203 62 0 2 AA,DL,OH,YX
Nov 2024 197 29 0 0 YX,DL,OH,AA
Oct 2024 197 18 0 0 DL,YX,OH
Sep 2024 195 20 1 1 YX,OH,DL
Aug 2024 211 54 6 3 DL,OH
Jul 2024 212 62 16 4 DL,OH,YX
Jun 2024 201 58 3 4 DL,OH
May 2024 201 44 0 0 DL,OH
Apr 2024 171 23 0 0 AA,DL,OH,OO
Mar 2024 177 36 2 0 AA,DL,MQ,OH,OO
Feb 2024 166 23 0 0 DL,MQ,OH
Jan 2024 173 35 6 3 9E,DL,OH

MSP–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (89.5%) · weakest: July (76.6%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 76.7%

Strongest calendar month

September

89.5% on-time · ~186 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

October

~193 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

76.6% on-time · ~182 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.0%

97 of 4,752 flights

Diversion Rate

0.8%

37 of 4,752 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

MSP - Minneapolis

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Minneapolis, MN.

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

Compare MSP vs DCA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among MSP departures

From MSP, this corridor sits with 57 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 99 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (42 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 0 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #2156 of 4927.

What the Data Says About MSP to DCA

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Minneapolis to Washington (MSP to DCA) running a 82.5% on-time rate over 12,999 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 74.2 minutes. The 931-mile corridor is served by 36 carriers, and over the last 24 months 2.0% of 4,752 flights were cancelled, 0.8% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 59% - a 32-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, MSP–DCA peaks in September at 89.5% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~193 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 76.6%, a 12.9-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does MSP to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, MSP to DCA ranks #806 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 MSP to DCA? ▼
Flights from Minneapolis to Washington have a 82.5% on-time rate based on 12,999 flights. The average delay is 74.2 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for MSP to DCA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.0% of flights on this route were cancelled (97 of 4,752 flights) and 0.8% were diverted.
How far is the flight from MSP to DCA? ▼
The flight distance from Minneapolis (MSP) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 931 miles. This route is served by 36 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from MSP to DCA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (91% on-time). The worst was Feb 2025 (59% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

MSP Airport

Minneapolis
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 MSP–DCA data

MSP–DCA runs 3.5 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare MSP and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. MSP airport
  • If your dates flex, September (89.5% on-time) beats July (76.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 82.5% 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.