DCA to LGA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to LaGuardia Airport · 214 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or LGA 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 New York (LGA) arrived on time 67% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 5.9% were cancelled, and 13% arrived an hour or more late.
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (87% on time); around 7pm did worst (47%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (81% on time) and Thursday the least (60%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was air traffic control & airport congestion (46%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to LGA?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 89% | 3.5% | 8 min | 4.9% | 85 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 66% | 5.9% | 26 min | 13.6% | 4,723 |
| American Airlines | 52% | 4.2% | 39 min | 26.1% | 24 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am87%469 flights
- 7am85%152 flights
- 8am78%543 flights
- 9am85%84 flights
- 10am80%261 flights
- 11am81%451 flights
- 12pm60%181 flights
- 1pm60%471 flights
- 2pm58%339 flights
- 3pm72%54 flights
- 5pm51%557 flights
- 6pm49%190 flights
- 7pm47%466 flights
- 8pm54%301 flights
- 10pm69%294 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday68%10.2% cancelled
- Tuesday70%5.8% cancelled
- Wednesday64%4.4% cancelled
- Thursday60%4.3% cancelled
- Friday67%4.3% cancelled
- Saturday81%2.3% cancelled
- Sunday63%8.5% 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 congestion46%
- Late-arriving aircraft31%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)18%
- Extreme weather4%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Air traffic control & airport congestion43%
- Extreme weather35%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)22%
- Security0%
DCA to LGA: common questions
- How often are DCA to LGA flights on time?
- 67% 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 New York cancelled?
- 5.9% of scheduled flights were cancelled (284 of 4,832).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 26 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 76 min behind schedule on average, and 13.5% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DCA?
- Flights on this route spent 29 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: LGA to DCA — 67% 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 → LGA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.