PlainFlights

Route · SDF → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Louisville to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SDF to DCA (Louisville to Washington) ranks #2436 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

84%
On-time
+5 pts
vs US avg
96 min
Delay when late
5,136
Flights
#2436 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

3.8%

Best Month

Oct 2024 90%

Worst Month

Jul 2024 67%

Distance

474 mi

Carriers

10

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 63 15 4 0 YX,OH
Nov 2025 84 20 5 0 OH,YX
Oct 2025 93 12 0 0 OH,YX
Sep 2025 90 16 1 0 OH,YX
Aug 2025 88 14 3 0 YX,OH
Jul 2025 88 18 11 1 OH,YX
Jun 2025 86 24 10 0 OH,YX
May 2025 90 21 5 0 AA,OH,YX
Apr 2025 78 20 1 0 OH,YX
Mar 2025 88 27 3 0 OH,YX
Feb 2025 81 26 12 0 OH,YX
Jan 2025 82 20 9 0 OH,YX
Dec 2024 68 16 2 1 OH,YX
Nov 2024 83 10 0 0 YX,OH
Oct 2024 89 9 0 0 MQ,YX,OH
Sep 2024 86 9 1 0 YX,OH,MQ
Aug 2024 87 21 1 1 YX,OH
Jul 2024 83 27 4 0 OH,YX
Jun 2024 81 15 0 1 OH,YX
May 2024 91 22 1 0 AA,MQ,OH,YX
Apr 2024 82 14 0 1 OH,YX
Mar 2024 89 10 0 0 OH,YX
Feb 2024 81 12 0 0 OH,YX
Jan 2024 80 17 4 0 YX,OH

SDF–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (88.7%) · weakest: June (79.0%)

75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81.1%

Strongest calendar month

October

88.7% on-time · ~82 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~93 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

79.0% on-time · ~86 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

3.8%

77 of 2,011 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

5 of 2,011 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

SDF - Louisville

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Louisville, KY.

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

Compare SDF vs DCA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SDF departures

From SDF, this corridor sits with 13 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 23 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (9 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #1588 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SDF to DCA

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Louisville to Washington (SDF to DCA) running a 84% on-time rate over 5,136 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 95.8 minutes. The 474-mile corridor is served by 10 carriers, and over the last 24 months 3.8% of 2,011 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Oct 2024 posted the strongest performance at 90% on-time, while Jul 2024 came in at just 67% - a 22-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SDF–DCA peaks in October at 88.7% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~93 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 79.0%, a 9.7-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SDF to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SDF to DCA ranks #2436 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 SDF to DCA? ▼
Flights from Louisville to Washington have a 84% on-time rate based on 5,136 flights. The average delay is 95.8 minutes. The best recent month was Oct 2024 with 90% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SDF to DCA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 3.8% of flights on this route were cancelled (77 of 2,011 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SDF to DCA? ▼
The flight distance from Louisville (SDF) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 474 miles. This route is served by 10 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SDF to DCA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Oct 2024 (90% on-time). The worst was Jul 2024 (67% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SDF Airport

Louisville
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 SDF–DCA data

SDF–DCA runs 5 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SDF and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SDF airport
  • If your dates flex, October (88.7% on-time) beats June (79.0%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 84% 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.