PlainFlights

Route · PDX → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Portland to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PDX to DCA (Portland to Washington) ranks #4195 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

79.7%
On-time
+0.7 pts
vs US avg
55 min
Delay when late
1,441
Flights
#4195 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.4%

Best Month

N/A

Worst Month

N/A

Distance

2,350 mi

Carriers

1

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 31 4 0 0 AS
Oct 2025 31 7 0 0 AS
Sep 2025 30 5 0 0 AS
Aug 2025 31 3 0 0 AS
Jul 2025 31 6 0 4 AS
Jun 2025 30 5 0 0 AS
May 2025 31 7 0 0 AS
Apr 2025 30 3 0 0 AS
Mar 2025 31 6 0 0 AS
Jan 2025 31 7 0 1 AS
Dec 2024 31 6 0 0 AS
Oct 2024 30 7 0 0 AS
Aug 2024 31 7 0 0 AS
Jul 2024 31 8 0 0 AS
Jun 2024 30 3 0 0 AS
May 2024 31 3 1 0 AS
Apr 2024 30 11 0 0 AS
Mar 2024 31 12 0 0 AS
Jan 2024 31 10 2 0 AS
Dec 2023 31 6 0 0 AS
Oct 2023 31 4 0 0 AS
Sep 2023 30 4 0 1 AS
Aug 2023 31 9 0 0 AS
Jul 2023 31 6 0 1 AS

PDX–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: May (87.1%) · weakest: April (72.5%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 79.4%

Strongest calendar month

May

87.1% on-time · ~31 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

January

~31 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

April

72.5% on-time · ~30 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.4%

3 of 737 flights

Diversion Rate

0.9%

7 of 737 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

PDX - Portland

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Portland, OR.

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

Compare PDX vs DCA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among PDX departures

From PDX, this corridor sits with 17 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 44 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (26 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #3280 of 4927.

What the Data Says About PDX to DCA

1,441 tracked flights put the PDX to DCA pairing (Portland to Washington) at a 79.7% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 54.5 minutes on average. Across the 2,350-mile route and its 1 carrier, the trailing 24 months show 0.4% cancelled and 0.9% diverted (737 flights sampled).

Monthly performance data for this route did not show a clear best/worst split in the sample window; review the monthly table above for period-by-period detail.

On the multi-year calendar, PDX–DCA peaks in May at 87.1% on-time while January carries the heaviest traffic (~31 flights per month) ; the softest month is April at 72.5%, a 14.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PDX to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PDX to DCA ranks #4195 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 PDX to DCA? ▼
Flights from Portland to Washington have a 79.7% on-time rate based on 1,441 flights. The average delay is 54.5 minutes.
What is the cancellation rate for PDX to DCA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (3 of 737 flights) and 0.9% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PDX to DCA? ▼
The flight distance from Portland (PDX) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 2,350 miles. This route is served by 1 carrier.

Airports on this route

PDX Airport

Portland
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 PDX–DCA data

PDX–DCA is mid-pack at 79.7% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare PDX and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PDX airport
  • If your dates flex, May (87.1% on-time) beats April (72.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 79.7% 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.