DCA to DFW flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport · 1,192 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or DFW right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Washington (DCA) to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) arrived on time 78% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, in line with the national average.
- 3.1% were cancelled, and 8% arrived an hour or more late.
- American Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 5am did best (90% on time); around 7pm did worst (59%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (85% on time) and Sunday the least (73%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (43%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to DFW?
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 | 78% | 3.1% | 19 min | 7.6% | 3,301 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am90%165 flights
- 6am88%380 flights
- 7am89%240 flights
- 8am81%231 flights
- 9am81%129 flights
- 10am85%349 flights
- 11am82%344 flights
- 12pm79%63 flights
- 1pm77%272 flights
- 2pm73%108 flights
- 3pm78%288 flights
- 4pm63%66 flights
- 5pm63%305 flights
- 6pm62%246 flights
- 7pm59%115 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday79%4.2% cancelled
- Tuesday85%4.6% cancelled
- Wednesday78%1.9% cancelled
- Thursday79%0.9% cancelled
- Friday76%2.5% cancelled
- Saturday79%3.4% cancelled
- Sunday73%4.0% 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 aircraft43%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)32%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion18%
- Extreme weather6%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather85%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)14%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion1%
- Security0%
DCA to DFW: common questions
- How often are DCA to DFW flights on time?
- 78% 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 Washington to Dallas/Fort Worth cancelled?
- 3.1% of scheduled flights were cancelled (102 of 3,301).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 19 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 85 min behind schedule on average, and 7.6% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DCA?
- Flights on this route spent 21 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DFW to DCA — 73% on time
More flights from Washington
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: DCA → DFW, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.