PlainFlights

Route · SEA → RDU · 2020–2025 BTS data

Seattle to Raleigh/Durham

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SEA to RDU (Seattle to Raleigh/Durham) ranks #2578 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

83.5%
On-time
+4.5 pts
vs US avg
53 min
Delay when late
4,707
Flights
#2578 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.7%

Best Month

Mar 2025 97%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 62%

Distance

2,354 mi

Carriers

3

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 73 15 1 0 DL,AS
Nov 2025 67 14 0 1 AS,DL
Oct 2025 64 8 0 0 AS,DL
Sep 2025 77 19 0 0 DL,AS
Aug 2025 88 29 2 0 AS,DL
Jul 2025 93 35 1 0 AS,DL
Jun 2025 90 25 0 0 AS,DL
May 2025 93 25 0 0 AS,DL
Apr 2025 69 11 0 0 AS,DL
Mar 2025 62 2 0 0 AS,DL
Feb 2025 52 4 0 0 AS,DL
Jan 2025 59 6 0 0 AS,DL
Dec 2024 76 18 0 0 AS,DL
Nov 2024 58 4 0 0 AS,DL
Oct 2024 62 11 0 0 AS,DL
Sep 2024 89 18 0 1 AS,DL
Aug 2024 93 23 0 1 AS,DL
Jul 2024 93 23 2 0 AS,DL
Jun 2024 90 20 0 0 AS,DL
May 2024 86 19 0 0 AS,DL
Apr 2024 68 16 0 0 AS,DL
Mar 2024 62 12 0 0 AS,DL
Feb 2024 56 8 0 0 AS,DL
Jan 2024 59 13 6 0 AS,DL

SEA–RDU seasonal on-time pattern

Best: March (89.6%) · weakest: August (78.6%)

75%80%85%90%95% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 81.1%

Strongest calendar month

March

89.6% on-time · ~61 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

July

~81 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

August

78.6% on-time · ~79 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.7%

12 of 1,779 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

3 of 1,779 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

RDU - Raleigh/Durham

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Raleigh/Durham, NC.

RDU on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See SEA and RDU side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare SEA vs RDU

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: Raleigh/Durham · fleet on-time rank #1769 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SEA to RDU

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show Seattle to Raleigh/Durham (SEA to RDU) running a 83.5% on-time rate over 4,707 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 52.8 minutes. The 2,354-mile corridor is served by 3 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.7% of 1,779 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Mar 2025 posted the strongest performance at 97% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 62% - a 34-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SEA–RDU peaks in March at 89.6% on-time while July carries the heaviest traffic (~81 flights per month) ; the softest month is August at 78.6%, a 11.0-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SEA to RDU rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SEA to RDU ranks #2578 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 RDU? ▼
Flights from Seattle to Raleigh/Durham have a 83.5% on-time rate based on 4,707 flights. The average delay is 52.8 minutes. The best recent month was Mar 2025 with 97% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SEA to RDU? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.7% of flights on this route were cancelled (12 of 1,779 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SEA to RDU? ▼
The flight distance from Seattle (SEA) to Raleigh/Durham (RDU) is approximately 2,354 miles. This route is served by 3 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SEA to RDU? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Mar 2025 (97% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (62% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SEA Airport

Seattle
RDU Airport

Raleigh/Durham
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–RDU data

SEA–RDU runs 4.5 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SEA and RDU airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SEA airport
  • If your dates flex, March (89.6% on-time) beats August (78.6%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 83.5% 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.