DCA to MKE flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to General Mitchell International Airport · 634 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or MKE 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 Milwaukee (MKE) arrived on time 77% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 4.5% were cancelled, and 9% arrived an hour or more late.
- Southwest Airlines was the most punctual airline here (83% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (71%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (100% on time); around 4pm did worst (59%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (79% on time) and Thursday the least (74%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (52%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to MKE?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 83% | 14.3% | 15 min | 16.7% | 7 |
| Southwest Airlines | 83% | 2.1% | 10 min | 4.9% | 681 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 71% | 6.8% | 24 min | 12.4% | 659 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am100%79 flights
- 7am93%134 flights
- 9am96%91 flights
- 10am76%171 flights
- 11am69%67 flights
- 12pm83%101 flights
- 3pm73%283 flights
- 4pm59%44 flights
- 8pm59%22 flights
- 10pm67%308 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday77%6.9% cancelled
- Tuesday79%5.3% cancelled
- Wednesday79%2.4% cancelled
- Thursday74%4.0% cancelled
- Friday75%3.4% cancelled
- Saturday78%2.5% cancelled
- Sunday77%5.9% 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 aircraft52%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)33%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion12%
- Extreme weather3%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather72%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)15%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion13%
- Security0%
DCA to MKE: common questions
- How often are DCA to MKE flights on time?
- 77% 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 Milwaukee cancelled?
- 4.5% of scheduled flights were cancelled (60 of 1,347).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 17 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 69 min behind schedule on average, and 8.6% 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: MKE to DCA — 74% 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 → MKE, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.