DCA to MEM flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Frederick W. Smith International Airport · 762 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or MEM 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 Memphis (MEM) arrived on time 72% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 4.6% were cancelled, and 11% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (72% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (71%).
- Departures scheduled around 11am did best (81% on time); around 3pm did worst (64%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (79% on time) and Friday the least (65%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (55%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to MEM?
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 | 100% | 0.0% | 1 min | 0.0% | 5 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 80% | 0.0% | 19 min | 20.0% | 5 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 72% | 4.3% | 20 min | 12.2% | 491 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 71% | 5.0% | 21 min | 10.3% | 625 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am85%33 flights
- 8am76%314 flights
- 11am81%77 flights
- 1pm87%15 flights
- 2pm68%76 flights
- 3pm64%202 flights
- 4pm69%58 flights
- 8pm66%187 flights
- 9pm75%79 flights
- 10pm65%47 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday77%8.3% cancelled
- Tuesday79%3.6% cancelled
- Wednesday68%3.0% cancelled
- Thursday66%2.4% cancelled
- Friday65%5.4% cancelled
- Saturday72%4.9% cancelled
- Sunday76%4.7% 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 aircraft55%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)22%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion15%
- Extreme weather9%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather71%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion23%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)6%
- Security0%
DCA to MEM: common questions
- How often are DCA to MEM flights on time?
- 72% 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 Memphis cancelled?
- 4.6% of scheduled flights were cancelled (52 of 1,126).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 20 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 67 min behind schedule on average, and 11.1% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DCA?
- Flights on this route spent 27 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: MEM to DCA — 76% 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 → MEM, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.