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Route · SFO → DCA · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Francisco to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SFO to DCA (San Francisco to Washington) ranks #2968 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

85.3%
On-time
+6.3 pts
vs US avg
61 min
Delay when late
3,834
Flights
#2968 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.3%

Best Month

Aug 2024 95%

Worst Month

Feb 2025 60%

Distance

2,442 mi

Carriers

3

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 93 12 0 0 AS,UA
Nov 2025 89 19 0 0 UA,AS
Oct 2025 93 20 0 0 AS,UA
Sep 2025 90 16 0 2 UA,AS
Aug 2025 93 19 0 0 UA,AS
Jul 2025 93 35 4 6 AS,UA
Jun 2025 89 20 0 3 AS,UA
May 2025 93 22 0 0 AS,UA
Apr 2025 90 8 0 0 UA,AS
Mar 2025 93 16 0 1 AS,UA
Feb 2025 72 29 0 4 AS,UA
Jan 2025 62 13 0 0 AS,UA
Dec 2024 62 12 0 0 AS,UA
Nov 2024 59 3 0 0 UA,AS
Oct 2024 61 8 0 0 UA,AS
Sep 2024 59 10 0 0 UA,AS
Aug 2024 62 3 0 1 AS,UA
Jul 2024 62 4 0 1 AS,UA
Jun 2024 60 5 0 0 AS,UA
May 2024 62 4 0 0 AS,UA
Apr 2024 60 5 0 1 AS,UA
Mar 2024 62 9 0 0 AS,UA
Feb 2024 58 5 0 0 AS,UA
Jan 2024 62 11 1 0 AS,UA

SFO–DCA seasonal on-time pattern

Best: April (88.4%) · weakest: May (81.7%)

80%82%84%86%88%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 86.4%

Strongest calendar month

April

88.4% on-time · ~62 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

May

~70 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

May

81.7% on-time · ~70 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.3%

5 of 1,779 flights

Diversion Rate

1.1%

19 of 1,779 flights

Explore origin & destination

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

SFO - San Francisco

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

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

Compare SFO vs DCA

Origin-hub reliability standing

Among SFO's stronger departures

SFO → DCA posts a 85.3% on-time rate, landing in the ≥85% band with 20 of 73 BTS-tracked routes leaving San Francisco. The same hub also shows 50 mid-band and 3 challenged departures · fleet-wide on-time rank #1135 of 4927 (highest on-time = #1).

What the Data Says About SFO to DCA

San Francisco to Washington (SFO to DCA) is one of the more dependable pairings in the BTS On-Time Performance dataset: a 85.3% on-time rate across 3,834 flights, with delays that do happen averaging 61.0 minutes. The corridor runs roughly 2,442 miles and is served by 3 carriers. Over the most recent 24 months, 5 of 1,779 flights were cancelled (0.3%) and 19 diverted (1.1%).

The monthly split is wide on this route: Aug 2024 posted the strongest performance at 95% on-time, while Feb 2025 came in at just 60% - a 35-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SFO–DCA peaks in April at 88.4% on-time while May carries the heaviest traffic (~70 flights per month) ; the softest month is May at 81.7%, a 6.7-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SFO to DCA rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SFO to DCA ranks #2968 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 SFO to DCA? ▼
Flights from San Francisco to Washington have a 85.3% on-time rate based on 3,834 flights. The average delay is 61.0 minutes. The best recent month was Aug 2024 with 95% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SFO to DCA? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.3% of flights on this route were cancelled (5 of 1,779 flights) and 1.1% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SFO to DCA? ▼
The flight distance from San Francisco (SFO) to Washington (DCA) is approximately 2,442 miles. This route is served by 3 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SFO to DCA? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Aug 2024 (95% on-time). The worst was Feb 2025 (60% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SFO Airport

San Francisco
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 SFO–DCA data

SFO–DCA runs 6.3 pts above the national 79% average; the remaining risk is month-to-month swing and carrier mix, not a weak headline rate.

  • Compare SFO and DCA airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SFO airport
  • If your dates flex, April (88.4% on-time) beats May (81.7%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 85.3% 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.