Route · ORD → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data
Chicago to Washington
The ORD–DCA corridor (Chicago, IL → Washington, DC) runs ahead of the national average, served by 35 carriers across roughly 612 miles.
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 79%
- On-time
- +0 pts
- vs US avg
- 80 min
- Delay when late
- 33,643
- Flights
Cancelled
2.0%
Best Month
Nov 2024 86%
Worst Month
May 2024 59%
Distance
612 mi
Carriers
35
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 555 | 175 | 12 | 1 | YX,AA,MQ,UA,OO |
| Nov 2025 | 562 | 166 | 25 | 3 | OO,UA,MQ,AA,YX |
| Oct 2025 | 595 | 148 | 4 | 0 | AA,OO,UA,YX |
| Sep 2025 | 576 | 185 | 4 | 1 | UA,AA |
| Aug 2025 | 585 | 159 | 16 | 4 | AA,UA |
| Jul 2025 | 589 | 223 | 34 | 15 | AA,UA |
| Jun 2025 | 569 | 193 | 15 | 3 | AA,OO,UA |
| May 2025 | 555 | 160 | 3 | 5 | AA,UA,YX |
| Apr 2025 | 546 | 107 | 8 | 0 | UA,AA |
| Mar 2025 | 559 | 181 | 5 | 2 | AA,YX,UA |
| Feb 2025 | 510 | 192 | 18 | 4 | AA,OO,UA,YX |
| Jan 2025 | 557 | 88 | 29 | 3 | AA,YX,OO,UA |
| Dec 2024 | 519 | 102 | 1 | 1 | AA,OO,UA,YX |
| Nov 2024 | 527 | 72 | 1 | 0 | OO,YX,UA,AA |
| Oct 2024 | 549 | 82 | 0 | 1 | UA,OO,YX,AA |
| Sep 2024 | 524 | 93 | 0 | 3 | YX,UA,AA |
| Aug 2024 | 548 | 205 | 17 | 2 | AA,YX,OO,UA |
| Jul 2024 | 529 | 171 | 18 | 8 | AA,OO,UA,YX |
| Jun 2024 | 499 | 134 | 11 | 6 | AA,OO,UA |
| May 2024 | 500 | 203 | 9 | 3 | AA,YX,OO,UA |
| Apr 2024 | 460 | 121 | 1 | 1 | AA,OO,UA,YX |
| Mar 2024 | 498 | 102 | 1 | 1 | AA,YX,OO,UA |
| Feb 2024 | 490 | 79 | 1 | 0 | AA,OO,UA,YX |
| Jan 2024 | 511 | 139 | 29 | 5 | AA,YX,OO,UA |
Cancellation Rate
2.0%
262 of 12,912 flights
Diversion Rate
0.6%
72 of 12,912 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
ORD - Chicago
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Chicago, IL.
Origin airport →DCA - Washington
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.
Destination airport →Compare the two airports
See ORD and DCA side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Open comparison tool →Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to ORD–DCA.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About ORD to DCA
33,643 tracked flights put the ORD to DCA pairing (Chicago to Washington) at a 79% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 79.5 minutes on average. Across the 612-mile route and its 35 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 2.0% cancelled and 0.6% diverted (12,912 flights sampled).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Nov 2024 posted the strongest performance at 86% on-time, while May 2024 came in at just 59% - a 27-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often are flights delayed from ORD to DCA? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for ORD to DCA? ▼
How far is the flight from ORD to DCA? ▼
When is the best time to fly from ORD to DCA? ▼
Flight Guides
Tips and data-driven advice for choosing reliable routes.
Explore PlainFlights
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.
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.