Route · RDU → IAD · 2020–2025 BTS data
Raleigh/Durham to Washington
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), RDU to IAD (Raleigh/Durham to Washington) ranks #2060 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).
Data updated 2026-06-13
- 85.9%
- On-time
- +6.9 pts
- vs US avg
- 76 min
- Delay when late
- 6,032
- Flights
- #2060 of 4927
- Corpus placement
Cancelled
1.2%
Best Month
Oct 2024 96%
Worst Month
Apr 2024 78%
Distance
224 mi
Carriers
11
Monthly Performance
Recent 24 months of route data.
| Period | Flights | Delayed | Cancelled | Diverted | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 120 | 26 | 0 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Nov 2025 | 118 | 19 | 1 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Oct 2025 | 119 | 14 | 0 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Sep 2025 | 139 | 10 | 1 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Aug 2025 | 108 | 17 | 0 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Jul 2025 | 78 | 11 | 5 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Jun 2025 | 128 | 21 | 4 | 0 | UA,YX |
| May 2025 | 143 | 19 | 2 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Apr 2025 | 88 | 7 | 0 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Mar 2025 | 72 | 4 | 0 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Feb 2025 | 42 | 3 | 0 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Jan 2025 | 69 | 6 | 5 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Dec 2024 | 86 | 6 | 0 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Nov 2024 | 114 | 7 | 0 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Oct 2024 | 72 | 3 | 0 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Sep 2024 | 60 | 5 | 0 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Aug 2024 | 62 | 4 | 1 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Jul 2024 | 66 | 9 | 4 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Jun 2024 | 53 | 4 | 1 | 0 | UA |
| May 2024 | 73 | 15 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Apr 2024 | 69 | 15 | 0 | 0 | UA |
| Mar 2024 | 90 | 8 | 0 | 0 | YX,UA |
| Feb 2024 | 72 | 4 | 1 | 0 | UA,YX |
| Jan 2024 | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | YX,UA |
RDU–IAD seasonal on-time pattern
Best: February (90.4%) · weakest: July (79.6%)
Strongest calendar month
February
90.4% on-time · ~69 flights/mo
Busiest calendar month
October
~97 flights/mo avg
Weakest calendar month
July
79.6% on-time · ~83 flights/mo
Cancellation Rate
1.2%
25 of 2,078 flights
Diversion Rate
0.0%
0 of 2,078 flights
Explore origin & destination
On-time and delay data for the airports this route connects.
RDU - Raleigh/Durham
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Raleigh/Durham, NC.
RDU on-time profileIAD - Washington
Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.
IAD on-time profileCompare the two airports
See RDU and IAD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.
Compare RDU vs IADOrigin-hub reliability standing
Among RDU's stronger departures
RDU → IAD posts a 85.9% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 9 of 35 BTS-tracked routes leaving Raleigh/Durham. The same hub also shows 25 mid-band and 1 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #942 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).
Similar routes
Other BTS-tracked routes with comparable performance or trip length to RDU–IAD.
Routes with a similar on-time rate
What the Data Says About RDU to IAD
Raleigh/Durham to Washington (RDU to IAD) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.9% on-time rate across 6,032 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 75.5 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 224 miles and is served by 11 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 25 of 2,078 flights were cancelled (1.2%) and 0 diverted (0.0%).
The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 96% on-time, while Apr 2024 came in at just 78% - a 18-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.
On the multi-year calendar, RDU–IAD peaks in February at 90.4% on-time while October carries the heaviest traffic (~97 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 79.6%, a 10.8-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does RDU to IAD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
How often are flights delayed from RDU to IAD? ▼
What is the cancellation rate for RDU to IAD? ▼
How far is the flight from RDU to IAD? ▼
When is the best time to fly from RDU 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 RDU–IAD data
RDU–IAD runs 6.9 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.
- Compare RDU and IAD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. RDU airport
- If your dates flex, February (90.4% on-time) beats July (79.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
- 4 other routes post a similar 85.9% 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.