PlainFlights

Route · SEA → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

Seattle to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SEA to DCA (Seattle to Washington) ranks #2720 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

80.4%
On-time
+1.4 pts
vs US avg
64 min
Delay when late
4,424
Flights
#2720 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.9%

Best Month

Jun 2024 93%

Worst Month

Feb 2025 50%

Distance

2,329 mi

Carriers

3

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 93 13 2 1 DL,AS
Nov 2025 89 17 0 4 AS,DL
Oct 2025 93 12 0 0 AS,DL
Sep 2025 90 32 0 1 DL,AS
Aug 2025 93 20 2 1 AS,DL
Jul 2025 93 27 4 5 AS,DL
Jun 2025 90 27 0 4 AS,DL
May 2025 93 21 0 2 AS,DL
Apr 2025 90 15 0 0 DL,AS
Mar 2025 85 18 0 1 AS,DL
Feb 2025 56 28 3 2 AS
Jan 2025 62 7 3 1 AS
Dec 2024 62 10 0 0 AS
Nov 2024 59 6 0 0 AS
Oct 2024 62 9 0 0 AS
Sep 2024 60 13 0 0 AS
Aug 2024 62 15 0 0 AS
Jul 2024 62 18 0 0 AS
Jun 2024 60 4 1 1 AS
May 2024 62 16 0 0 AS
Apr 2024 60 16 0 0 AS
Mar 2024 62 12 0 0 AS
Feb 2024 58 13 0 0 AS
Jan 2024 62 18 0 0 AS

SEA–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: October (87.2%) · weakest: July (74.2%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 80.1%

Strongest calendar month

October

87.2% on-time · ~62 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

August

~67 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

July

74.2% on-time · ~62 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.9%

15 of 1,758 flights

Diversion Rate

1.3%

23 of 1,758 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

SEA - Seattle

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Seattle, WA.

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

Compare SEA vs DCA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SEA departures

From SEA, this corridor sits with 63 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 89 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (25 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 1 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #2999 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SEA to DCA

4,424 tracked flights put the SEA to DCA pairing (Seattle to Washington) at a 80.4% on-time rate, squarely in line with the wider network. Delays that do occur run 63.5 minutes on average. Across the 2,329-mile route and its 3 carriers, the trailing 24 months show 0.9% cancelled and 1.3% diverted (1,758 flights sampled).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Jun 2024 posted the strongest performance at 93% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 50% - a 43-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SEA–DCA peaks in October at 87.2% on-time while August carries the heaviest traffic (~67 flights per month) ; the softest month is July at 74.2%, a 13.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SEA to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SEA to DCA ranks #2720 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 SEA to DCA? ▼
Flights from Seattle to Washington have a 80.4% on-time rate based on 4,424 flights. The average delay is 63.5 minutes. The best recent month was Jun 2024 with 93% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SEA to DCA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (15 of 1,758 flights) and 1.3% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SEA to DCA? ▼
The flight distance from Seattle (SEA) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 2,329 miles. This route is served by 3 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SEA to DCA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Jun 2024 (93% on-time). The worst was Feb 2025 (50% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SEA Airport

Seattle
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 SEA–DCA data

SEA–DCA is mid-pack at 80.4% on-time; month and carrier mix move more than the corridor headline.

  • Compare SEA and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SEA airport
  • If your dates flex, October (87.2% on-time) beats July (74.2%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 80.4% 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.