DCA to MSP flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field · 931 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or MSP 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 Minneapolis (MSP) arrived on time 76% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 2.9% were cancelled, and 10% arrived an hour or more late.
- Delta Air Lines was the most punctual airline here (79% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (65%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (87% on time); around 8pm did worst (55%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (80% on time) and Thursday the least (71%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (40%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to MSP?
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 | 79% | 1.8% | 20 min | 8.8% | 1,698 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 77% | 4.6% | 17 min | 7.6% | 195 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 77% | 2.5% | 14 min | 5.1% | 162 |
| American Airlines | 73% | 2.4% | 19 min | 12.5% | 41 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 65% | 6.2% | 33 min | 16.2% | 504 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am87%365 flights
- 7am81%255 flights
- 8am79%70 flights
- 9am81%79 flights
- 10am72%151 flights
- 11am82%50 flights
- 12pm76%301 flights
- 1pm86%38 flights
- 2pm79%225 flights
- 3pm66%437 flights
- 6pm75%306 flights
- 7pm66%169 flights
- 8pm55%92 flights
- 10pm86%37 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday79%3.4% cancelled
- Tuesday80%2.4% cancelled
- Wednesday73%0.6% cancelled
- Thursday71%2.0% cancelled
- Friday74%3.2% cancelled
- Saturday80%3.1% cancelled
- Sunday75%6.3% 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 aircraft40%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)40%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion14%
- Extreme weather5%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather68%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)17%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion14%
- Security0%
DCA to MSP: common questions
- How often are DCA to MSP flights on time?
- 76% 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 Minneapolis cancelled?
- 2.9% of scheduled flights were cancelled (76 of 2,600).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 22 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 87 min behind schedule on average, and 9.9% 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: MSP 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 → MSP, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.