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Route · SAN → IAD · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Diego to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SAN to IAD (San Diego to Washington) ranks #1948 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

87.3%
On-time
+8.3 pts
vs US avg
76 min
Delay when late
6,415
Flights
#1948 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

1.4%

Best Month

Oct 2025 95%

Worst Month

Oct 2024 71%

Distance

2,253 mi

Carriers

3

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 122 12 0 0 AS,UA
Nov 2025 115 17 0 1 UA,AS
Oct 2025 119 6 0 0 AS,UA
Sep 2025 119 6 1 1 UA,AS
Aug 2025 124 19 1 1 UA,AS
Jul 2025 122 26 0 2 AS,UA
Jun 2025 120 25 0 4 AS,UA
May 2025 124 23 0 0 AS,UA
Apr 2025 120 24 2 0 UA,AS
Mar 2025 124 18 0 1 AS,UA
Feb 2025 112 13 0 1 AS,UA
Jan 2025 124 15 1 2 AS,UA
Dec 2024 124 28 0 0 AS,UA
Nov 2024 118 11 0 0 UA,AS
Oct 2024 124 36 0 0 UA,AS
Sep 2024 119 24 1 0 UA,AS
Aug 2024 124 27 0 3 AS,UA
Jul 2024 124 34 2 2 AS,UA
Jun 2024 120 18 0 0 AS,UA
May 2024 146 13 1 0 AS,UA
Apr 2024 150 23 0 0 AS,UA
Mar 2024 155 15 0 0 AS,UA
Feb 2024 143 14 2 2 AS,UA
Jan 2024 143 13 32 1 AS,UA

SAN–IAD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: February (91.8%) · weakest: July (79.6%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 87.6%

Strongest calendar month

February

91.8% on-time · ~90 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~111 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

79.6% on-time · ~111 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

1.4%

43 of 3,035 flights

Diversion Rate

0.7%

21 of 3,035 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

SAN - San Diego

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for San Diego, CA.

SAN 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 SAN and IAD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare SAN vs IAD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SAN's stronger departures

SAN → IAD posts a 87.3% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 13 of 51 BTS-tracked routes leaving San Diego. The same hub also shows 34 mid-band and 4 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #575 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SAN to IAD

San Diego to Washington (SAN to IAD) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 87.3% on-time rate across 6,415 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 76.1 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 2,253 miles and is served by 3 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 43 of 3,035 flights were cancelled (1.4%) and 21 diverted (0.7%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2025 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Oct 2024 came in at just 71% - a 24-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SAN–IAD peaks in February at 91.8% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~111 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 79.6%, 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 SAN to IAD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SAN to IAD ranks #1948 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 SAN to IAD? ▼
Flights from San Diego to Washington have a 87.3% on-time rate based on 6,415 flights. The average delay is 76.1 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2025 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SAN to IAD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 1.4% of flights on this route were cancelled (43 of 3,035 flights) and 0.7% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SAN to IAD? ▼
The flight distance from San Diego (SAN) to Washington (IAD) is approximately 2,253 miles. This route is served by 3 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SAN to IAD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2025 (95% on-time). The worst was Oct 2024 (71% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SAN Airport

San Diego
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 SAN–IAD data

SAN–IAD runs 8.3 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SAN and IAD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SAN airport
  • If your dates flex, February (91.8% on-time) beats July (79.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 87.3% 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.