CLT to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 331 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at CLT or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Charlotte (CLT) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 68% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 2.4% were cancelled, and 11% arrived an hour or more late.
- PSA Airlines was the most punctual airline here (73% on time); American Airlines was the least (67%).
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (78% on time); around 2pm did worst (55%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (77% on time) and Monday the least (58%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (38%).
Which airline is most on time from CLT 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 73% | 0.0% | 21 min | 8.9% | 270 |
| American Airlines | 67% | 2.6% | 24 min | 10.9% | 2,409 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am64%139 flights
- 8am78%221 flights
- 9am78%351 flights
- 11am78%164 flights
- 12pm66%150 flights
- 1pm52%50 flights
- 2pm55%163 flights
- 3pm74%71 flights
- 4pm59%207 flights
- 5pm63%88 flights
- 6pm63%347 flights
- 7pm63%32 flights
- 8pm61%322 flights
- 9pm77%58 flights
- 10pm70%315 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday58%2.6% cancelled
- Tuesday76%3.2% cancelled
- Wednesday75%0.8% cancelled
- Thursday64%0.8% cancelled
- Friday62%1.0% cancelled
- Saturday77%4.2% cancelled
- Sunday62%3.9% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft38%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion32%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)23%
- Extreme weather7%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather86%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)8%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion6%
- Security0%
CLT to DCA: common questions
- How often are CLT to DCA flights on time?
- 68% 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 Charlotte to Washington cancelled?
- 2.4% of scheduled flights were cancelled (63 of 2,679).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 23 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 68 min behind schedule on average, and 10.7% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at CLT?
- Flights on this route spent 27 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to CLT — 79% on time
More flights from Charlotte
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: CLT → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.