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Route · PHL → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Philadelphia to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PHL to DCA (Philadelphia to Washington) ranks #2014 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
82 min
Delay when late
6,247
Flights
#2014 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

2.0%

Best Month

Feb 2024 97%

Worst Month

Nov 2025 35%

Distance

119 mi

Carriers

11

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 61 31 1 0 YX,OH
Nov 2025 60 39 1 0 OH,YX
Oct 2025 92 20 0 0 OH,YX
Sep 2025 88 15 0 0 OH,YX
Aug 2025 66 15 1 0 YX,OH
Jul 2025 88 28 7 0 OH,YX
Jun 2025 104 30 8 0 AA,OH,YX
May 2025 93 22 2 1 OH,YX
Apr 2025 90 22 0 0 OH,YX
Mar 2025 93 16 1 0 OH,YX
Feb 2025 94 25 5 1 OH,YX
Jan 2025 119 26 6 0 OH,YX
Dec 2024 113 27 0 0 OH,YX
Nov 2024 110 11 0 0 YX,OH,AA
Oct 2024 126 12 0 0 YX,AA,OH
Sep 2024 144 17 0 0 YX,OH,AA
Aug 2024 132 28 5 0 OH,YX
Jul 2024 124 24 5 0 OH,YX
Jun 2024 118 19 2 0 OH,YX
May 2024 118 16 0 0 AA,OH,YX
Apr 2024 108 15 0 0 AA,OH,YX
Mar 2024 108 7 0 0 OH,YX
Feb 2024 107 3 2 0 OH,YX
Jan 2024 112 21 4 2 YX,OH

PHL–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (88.3%) · weakest: December (76.1%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 76.1%

Strongest calendar month

March

88.3% on-time · ~101 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~102 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

December

76.1% on-time · ~92 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

2.0%

50 of 2,468 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

4 of 2,468 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

PHL - Philadelphia

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Philadelphia, PA.

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

Compare PHL vs DCA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among PHL departures

From PHL, this corridor sits with 60 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 65 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (4 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #1923 of 4927.

What the Data Says About PHL to DCA

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Philadelphia to Washington (PHL to DCA) running a 83.1% on-time rate over 6,247 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 81.9 minutes. The 119-mile corridor is served by 11 carriers, and over the last 24 months 2.0% of 2,468 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Feb 2024 posted the strongest performance at 97% on-time, while Nov 2025 came in at just 35% - a 62-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PHL–DCA peaks in March at 88.3% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~102 flights per month) ; the softest month is December at 76.1%, a 12.2-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PHL to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PHL to DCA ranks #2014 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 PHL to DCA? ▼
Flights from Philadelphia to Washington have a 83.1% on-time rate based on 6,247 flights. The average delay is 81.9 minutes. The best recent month was Feb 2024 with 97% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PHL to DCA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 2.0% of flights on this route were cancelled (50 of 2,468 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PHL to DCA? ▼
The flight distance from Philadelphia (PHL) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 119 miles. This route is served by 11 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PHL to DCA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Feb 2024 (97% on-time). The worst was Nov 2025 (35% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

PHL Airport

Philadelphia
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 PHL–DCA data

PHL–DCA 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 PHL and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PHL airport
  • If your dates flex, March (88.3% on-time) beats December (76.1%) 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.

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.