PlainFlights

Route · PBI → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

West Palm Beach/Palm Beach to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PBI to DCA (West Palm Beach/Palm Beach to Washington) ranks #1443 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

75.3%
On-time
-3.7 pts
vs US avg
89 min
Delay when late
8,447
Flights
#1443 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.5%

Best Month

Oct 2024 89%

Worst Month

Jun 2025 60%

Distance

857 mi

Carriers

16

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 190 59 0 0 B6,AA
Nov 2025 169 50 2 0 AA,B6
Oct 2025 119 32 0 0 AA,B6
Sep 2025 96 34 1 0 AA,B6
Aug 2025 116 27 1 1 AA,OH,B6
Jul 2025 113 39 8 5 AA,B6,OH,YX
Jun 2025 112 45 1 1 AA,B6,OH,YX
May 2025 123 46 0 1 AA,B6
Apr 2025 181 38 0 0 YX,AA,B6
Mar 2025 188 50 1 3 AA,B6,OH,YX,MQ
Feb 2025 165 61 7 3 AA,B6,OH,YX,MQ
Jan 2025 168 28 10 1 AA,B6,OH,YX,MQ
Dec 2024 152 38 0 0 AA,B6,YX
Nov 2024 143 23 0 0 B6,AA
Oct 2024 118 13 5 0 B6,AA
Sep 2024 103 19 0 0 AA,B6
Aug 2024 114 31 3 1 AA,B6
Jul 2024 118 30 1 2 AA,B6
Jun 2024 118 20 4 1 AA,B6
May 2024 143 39 1 0 AA,B6,YX
Apr 2024 176 42 0 1 AA,B6
Mar 2024 179 53 1 0 AA,B6
Feb 2024 157 33 1 0 AA,B6,YX
Jan 2024 147 35 4 3 AA,B6,YX

PBI–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (82.2%) · weakest: May (71.7%)

70%75%80%85% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 73.2%

Strongest calendar month

October

82.2% on-time · ~105 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~157 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

May

71.7% on-time · ~135 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.5%

51 of 3,408 flights

Diversion Rate

0.7%

23 of 3,408 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

PBI - West Palm Beach/Palm Beach

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for West Palm Beach/Palm Beach, FL.

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

Compare PBI vs DCA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among PBI departures

From PBI, this corridor sits with 15 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 20 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (2 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 3 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #4430 of 4927.

What the Data Says About PBI to DCA

The West Palm Beach/Palm Beach to Washington corridor (PBI to DCA) posts a 75.3% on-time rate on the lower edge of the average band, based on 8,447 tracked flights. Late flights run 88.5 minutes behind on average. 16 carriers cover the 857-mile route; over the last 24 months, 51 of 3,408 flights were cancelled (1.5%) and 0.7% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 89% on-time, while Jun 2025 came in at just 60% - a 29-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PBI–DCA peaks in October at 82.2% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~157 flights per month) ; the softest month is May at 71.7%, a 10.5-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PBI to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PBI to DCA ranks #1443 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 PBI to DCA? ▼
Flights from West Palm Beach/Palm Beach to Washington have a 75.3% on-time rate based on 8,447 flights. The average delay is 88.5 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 89% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PBI to DCA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.5% of flights on this route were cancelled (51 of 3,408 flights) and 0.7% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PBI to DCA? ▼
The flight distance from West Palm Beach/Palm Beach (PBI) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 857 miles. This route is served by 16 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PBI to DCA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (89% on-time). The worst was Jun 2025 (60% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

PBI Airport

West Palm Beach/Palm Beach
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 PBI–DCA data

PBI–DCA is mid-pack at 75.3% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare PBI and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PBI airport
  • If your dates flex, October (82.2% on-time) beats May (71.7%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 75.3% 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.