ATL to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 547 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at ATL or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Atlanta (ATL) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 70% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.2% were cancelled, and 10% arrived an hour or more late.
- PSA Airlines was the most punctual airline here (74% on time); Delta Air Lines was the least (68%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (93% on time); around 7pm did worst (53%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (78% on time) and Sunday the least (65%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was air traffic control & airport congestion (35%).
Which airline is most on time from ATL to DCA?
Ranked by on-time arrival rate. Regional airlines fly under their partner's brand (e.g. SkyWest for Delta Connection or United Express).
| Airline | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | 1 hr+ late | Flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 87% | 0.0% | 11 min | 2.6% | 39 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 74% | 7.5% | 35 min | 13.2% | 1,094 |
| Southwest Airlines | 72% | 1.5% | 20 min | 10.1% | 1,107 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 71% | 3.7% | 17 min | 6.7% | 454 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 69% | 3.0% | 21 min | 12.2% | 264 |
| Delta Air Lines | 68% | 2.4% | 20 min | 9.7% | 3,842 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am93%305 flights
- 7am86%479 flights
- 8am84%352 flights
- 9am83%465 flights
- 10am77%271 flights
- 11am80%653 flights
- 12pm79%85 flights
- 1pm68%470 flights
- 2pm66%159 flights
- 3pm58%391 flights
- 4pm62%813 flights
- 5pm60%486 flights
- 6pm58%358 flights
- 7pm53%392 flights
- 8pm60%590 flights
- 9pm65%493 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday70%3.6% cancelled
- Tuesday74%2.9% cancelled
- Wednesday71%1.8% cancelled
- Thursday66%1.3% cancelled
- Friday66%3.6% cancelled
- Saturday78%3.2% cancelled
- Sunday65%6.0% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Air traffic control & airport congestion35%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)31%
- Late-arriving aircraft29%
- Extreme weather5%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather57%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)24%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion19%
- Security0%
ATL to DCA: common questions
- How often are ATL to DCA flights on time?
- 70% of flights arrived less than 15 minutes late in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, compared with 78% for all US flights.
- How often are flights from Atlanta to Washington cancelled?
- 3.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled (216 of 6,800).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 22 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 70 min behind schedule on average, and 10.2% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at ATL?
- Flights on this route spent 21 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to ATL — 78% on time
More flights from Atlanta
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: ATL → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.