Route · ORF → IAD · 2020–2025 BTS data
Norfolk to Washington
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), ORF to IAD (Norfolk to Washington) ranks #2837 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 83.1%
- On-time
- +4.1 pts
- vs US avg
- 72 min
- Delay when late
- 4,171
- Flights
- #2837 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
2.0%
Best Month
Oct 2024 97%
Worst Month
Sep 2023 81%
Distance
157 mi
Carriers
9
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 77 | 13 | 1 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Nov 2025 | 65 | 8 | 4 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Oct 2025 | 37 | 5 | 0 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Sep 2025 | 69 | 2 | 0 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Aug 2025 | 84 | 5 | 1 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Jul 2025 | 43 | 6 | 5 | 1 | UA,YX |
| May 2025 | 48 | 7 | 2 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Apr 2025 | 66 | 4 | 0 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Mar 2025 | 46 | 9 | 0 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Jan 2025 | 43 | 11 | 1 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Dec 2024 | 49 | 8 | 0 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Nov 2024 | 86 | 4 | 0 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Oct 2024 | 77 | 2 | 1 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Sep 2024 | 38 | 6 | 0 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Aug 2024 | 34 | 6 | 1 | 0 | UA |
| Jul 2024 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Jun 2024 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | UA |
| May 2024 | 73 | 9 | 5 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Apr 2024 | 82 | 10 | 1 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Mar 2024 | 56 | 8 | 0 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Feb 2024 | 42 | 5 | 0 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Oct 2023 | 112 | 16 | 2 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Sep 2023 | 111 | 21 | 5 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Aug 2023 | 98 | 16 | 0 | 0 | UA,YX |
ORF–IAD seasonal on-time pattern
Best: November (90.6%) · weakest: July (76.2%)
Strongest calendar month
November
90.6% on-time · ~66 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
August
~78 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
July
76.2% on-time · ~65 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
2.0%
30 of 1,502 flights
Diversion Rate
0.1%
1 of 1,502 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
ORF - Norfolk
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Norfolk, VA.
ORF on-time profileIAD - Washington
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.
IAD on-time profileCompare the two airports
See ORF and IAD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare ORF vs IADOrigin-hub reliability standing
Mid-pack among ORF departures
From ORF, this corridor sits with 14 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 20 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (5 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #1922 of 4927.
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to ORF–IAD.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About ORF to IAD
Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Norfolk to Washington (ORF to IAD) running a 83.1% on-time rate over 4,171 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 72.3 minutes. The 157-mile corridor is served by 9 carriers, and over the last 24 months 2.0% of 1,502 flights were cancelled, 0.1% diverted.
The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 97% on-time, while Sep 2023 came in at just 81% - a 16-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, ORF–IAD peaks in November at 90.6% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~78 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 76.2%, a 14.4-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does ORF to IAD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from ORF to IAD? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for ORF to IAD? ▼
How far is the flight from ORF to IAD? ▼
When is the best time to fly from ORF to IAD? ▼
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 ORF–IAD data
ORF–IAD runs 4.1 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.
- Compare ORF and IAD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. ORF airport
- If your dates flex, November (90.6% on-time) beats July (76.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 83.1% 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.