DAY to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from James M. Cox Dayton International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 391 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DAY or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Dayton (DAY) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 71% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.6% were cancelled, and 15% arrived an hour or more late.
- PSA Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (85% on time); around 6pm did worst (33%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (81% on time) and Sunday the least (67%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (48%).
Which airline is most on time from DAY 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. | 71% | 3.6% | 34 min | 14.7% | 964 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am85%341 flights
- 7am81%17 flights
- 9am84%175 flights
- 10am75%139 flights
- 5pm30%22 flights
- 6pm33%77 flights
- 7pm49%183 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday76%5.3% cancelled
- Tuesday72%0.7% cancelled
- Wednesday68%4.6% cancelled
- Thursday72%2.0% cancelled
- Friday68%4.0% cancelled
- Saturday81%3.3% cancelled
- Sunday67%5.1% 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 aircraft48%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)22%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion20%
- Extreme weather9%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather77%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion17%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)3%
- Security3%
DAY to DCA: common questions
- How often are DAY to DCA flights on time?
- 71% 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 Dayton to Washington cancelled?
- 3.6% of scheduled flights were cancelled (35 of 964).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 34 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 116 min behind schedule on average, and 14.7% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DAY?
- Flights on this route spent 22 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to DAY — 65% on time
More flights from Dayton
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: DAY → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.