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Route · SFO → IAD · 2020–2025 BTS data

San Francisco to Washington

According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking (BTS On-Time Performance total flights), SFO to IAD (San Francisco to Washington) ranks #767 of 4927 tracked domestic routes by total flights (most flights = #1).

Data updated 2026-06-13

82.9%
On-time
+3.9 pts
vs US avg
65 min
Delay when late
13,278
Flights
#767 of 4927
Corpus placement

Cancelled

0.9%

Best Month

Apr 2025 91%

Worst Month

Jul 2025 66%

Distance

2,419 mi

Carriers

3

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of route data.

Period Flights Delayed Cancelled Diverted Carriers
Dec 2025 245 33 0 0 UA
Nov 2025 229 32 1 0 UA
Oct 2025 247 27 1 0 UA
Sep 2025 206 39 0 0 UA
Aug 2025 254 51 3 0 UA,AS
Jul 2025 267 92 2 1 AS,UA
Jun 2025 275 83 0 3 AS,UA
May 2025 273 72 1 1 AS,UA
Apr 2025 286 27 0 0 UA,AS
Mar 2025 229 40 0 0 AS,UA
Feb 2025 174 23 0 1 UA
Jan 2025 191 22 3 0 AS,UA
Dec 2024 260 51 1 0 AS,UA
Nov 2024 258 29 0 1 UA,AS
Oct 2024 267 28 0 0 UA,AS
Sep 2024 244 26 1 0 UA,AS
Aug 2024 248 29 4 3 AS,UA
Jul 2024 249 45 2 0 AS,UA
Jun 2024 241 41 0 0 AS,UA
May 2024 242 45 0 1 AS,UA
Apr 2024 228 44 0 0 AS,UA
Mar 2024 213 51 1 0 AS,UA
Feb 2024 152 33 1 0 UA
Jan 2024 155 44 28 1 AS,UA

SFO–IAD seasonal on-time pattern

Best: November (88.1%) · weakest: June (74.5%)

70%75%80%85%90% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 82%

Strongest calendar month

November

88.1% on-time · ~181 flights/mo

Busiest calendar month

March

~201 flights/mo avg

Weakest calendar month

June

74.5% on-time · ~185 flights/mo

Cancellation Rate

0.9%

49 of 5,633 flights

Diversion Rate

0.2%

12 of 5,633 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

IAD - Washington

Full on-time, delay-cause, and seasonal performance for Washington, DC.

IAD on-time profile

Compare the two airports

See SFO and IAD side by side on delays, cancellations, and reliability.

Compare SFO vs IAD

Origin-hub reliability standing

Mid-pack among SFO departures

From SFO, this corridor sits with 50 other 75–85% on-time routes out of 73 tracked departures, not the hub's reliability leaders (20 at ≥85%) and not the softest ( 3 below 75%). Destination: Washington · fleet on-time rank #2010 of 4927.

What the Data Says About SFO to IAD

Bureau of Transportation Statistics records show San Francisco to Washington (SFO to IAD) running a 82.9% on-time rate over 13,278 tracked flights, on the stronger end of a typical domestic pairing. When flights do run late, the average delay is 65.3 minutes. The 2,419-mile corridor is served by 3 carriers, and over the last 24 months 0.9% of 5,633 flights were cancelled, 0.2% diverted.

The monthly split is wide on this route: Apr 2025 posted the strongest performance at 91% on-time, while Jul 2025 came in at just 66% - a 25-point swing worth factoring into travel timing.

On the multi-year calendar, SFO–IAD peaks in November at 88.1% on-time while March carries the heaviest traffic (~201 flights per month) ; the softest month is June at 74.5%, a 13.6-point swing that repeats because the corridor's weather and holiday mix stays stable year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does SFO to IAD rank among US routes by traffic? ▼
According to PlainFlights' route traffic ranking, SFO to IAD ranks #767 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 IAD? ▼
Flights from San Francisco to Washington have a 82.9% on-time rate based on 13,278 flights. The average delay is 65.3 minutes. The best recent month was Apr 2025 with 91% on-time.
What is the cancellation rate for SFO to IAD? ▼
Over the last 24 months, 0.9% of flights on this route were cancelled (49 of 5,633 flights) and 0.2% were diverted.
How far is the flight from SFO to IAD? ▼
The flight distance from San Francisco (SFO) to Washington (IAD) is approximately 2,419 miles. This route is served by 3 carriers.
When is the best time to fly from SFO to IAD? ▼
The best recent month for on-time performance was Apr 2025 (91% on-time). The worst was Jul 2025 (66% on-time). Consider booking during months with historically better performance.

Airports on this route

SFO Airport

San Francisco
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 SFO–IAD data

SFO–IAD runs 3.9 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 IAD airport profiles: delay causes and top routes differ even on the same corridor. SFO airport
  • If your dates flex, November (88.1% on-time) beats June (74.5%) on this corridor. Seasonal chart
  • 4 other routes post a similar 82.9% 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.