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Route · PHL → IAD · 2020–2025 BTS data

Philadelphia to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), PHL to IAD (Philadelphia to Washington) ranks #4700 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.4%
On-time
+6.4 pts
vs US avg
101 min
Delay when late
758
Flights
#4700 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

4.1%

Best Month

Oct 2020 96%

Worst Month

Aug 2021 70%

Distance

135 mi

Carriers

6

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Nov 2025 50 3 5 0 YX
Feb 2022 75 15 3 0 YV,YX,UA
Jan 2022 61 7 11 0 UA,YV,YX
Dec 2021 32 5 0 0 UA,YV
Oct 2021 87 10 3 0 UA,YV,YX
Sep 2021 88 15 1 0 YV,YX
Aug 2021 93 28 1 0 YV,YX
Jul 2021 61 13 5 0 YV,YX
Jan 2021 46 1 1 0 YX
Oct 2020 52 2 0 0 YV
Aug 2020 62 5 1 0 YV
Jul 2020 51 7 0 0 YV

PHL–IAD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (94.0%) · weakest: August (78.7%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebJulAugSepOctNovDec 84.4%

Strongest calendar month

November

94.0% on-time · ~50 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

September

~88 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

August

78.7% on-time · ~78 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

4.1%

31 of 758 flights

Diversion Rate

0.0%

0 of 758 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

IAD - Washington

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.

IAD on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See PHL and IAD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare PHL vs IAD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among PHL's stronger departures

PHL → IAD posts a 85.4% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 4 of 65 BTS-tracked routes leaving Philadelphia. The same hub also shows 60 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1095 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About PHL to IAD

Philadelphia to Washington (PHL to IAD) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.4% on-time rate across 758 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 100.5 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 135 miles and is served by 6 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 31 of 758 flights were cancelled (4.1%) and 0 diverted (0.0%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2020 posted the strongest performance at 96% on-time, while Aug 2021 came in at just 70% - a 26-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, PHL–IAD peaks in November at 94.0% on-time while September carries the heaviest traffic (~88 flights per month) ; the softest month is August at 78.7%, a 15.3-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PHL to IAD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, PHL to IAD ranks #4700 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 IAD? ▼
Flights from Philadelphia to Washington have a 85.4% on-time rate based on 758 flights. The average delay is 100.5 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2020 with 96% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for PHL to IAD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 4.1% of flights on this route were cancelled (31 of 758 flights) and 0.0% were diverted.
How far is the flight from PHL to IAD? ▼
The flight distance from Philadelphia (PHL) to Washington (IAD) is approximately 135 miles. This route is served by 6 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from PHL to IAD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2020 (96% on-time). The worst was Aug 2021 (70% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

PHL Airport

Philadelphia
IAD 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–IAD data

PHL–IAD runs 6.4 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 IAD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. PHL airport
  • If your dates flex, November (94.0% on-time) beats August (78.7%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.4% 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.