DCA to DSM flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Des Moines International Airport · 897 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or DSM 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 Des Moines (DSM) arrived on time 73% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 5.7% were cancelled, and 10% arrived an hour or more late.
- Envoy Air was the most punctual airline here (78% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (71%).
- Departures scheduled around 10am did best (85% on time); around 12pm did worst (62%).
- Monday was the most reliable day to fly (77% on time) and Thursday the least (67%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (46%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to DSM?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 78% | 3.8% | 15 min | 7.8% | 80 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 74% | 3.5% | 19 min | 10.0% | 228 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 71% | 7.4% | 24 min | 11.3% | 394 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 9am67%11 flights
- 10am85%93 flights
- 11am76%109 flights
- 12pm62%36 flights
- 1pm77%104 flights
- 7pm68%116 flights
- 8pm65%100 flights
- 9pm56%10 flights
- 10pm72%117 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday77%6.9% cancelled
- Tuesday77%2.9% cancelled
- Wednesday71%3.0% cancelled
- Thursday67%5.0% cancelled
- Friday72%5.8% cancelled
- Saturday73%6.4% cancelled
- Sunday74%9.9% 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 aircraft46%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)34%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion14%
- Extreme weather6%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather75%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion18%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)8%
- Security0%
DCA to DSM: common questions
- How often are DCA to DSM flights on time?
- 73% 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 Des Moines cancelled?
- 5.7% of scheduled flights were cancelled (40 of 702).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 21 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 76 min behind schedule on average, and 10.4% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DCA?
- Flights on this route spent 24 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DSM to DCA — 78% 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 → DSM, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.