DCA to RDU flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Raleigh-Durham International Airport · 227 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or RDU 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 Raleigh/Durham (RDU) arrived on time 68% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 4.6% were cancelled, and 13% arrived an hour or more late.
- Envoy Air was the most punctual airline here (75% on time); American Airlines was the least (61%).
- Departures scheduled around 7am did best (89% on time); around 8pm did worst (52%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (77% on time) and Thursday the least (59%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (58%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to RDU?
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. | 75% | 2.4% | 20 min | 11.5% | 419 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 70% | 5.4% | 23 min | 12.5% | 499 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 65% | 5.4% | 24 min | 12.5% | 885 |
| American Airlines | 61% | 3.4% | 34 min | 18.5% | 207 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am89%68 flights
- 8am81%262 flights
- 10am93%42 flights
- 11am84%286 flights
- 1pm70%305 flights
- 2pm54%57 flights
- 3pm57%224 flights
- 4pm56%90 flights
- 5pm53%42 flights
- 6pm61%243 flights
- 7pm56%89 flights
- 8pm52%67 flights
- 9pm64%28 flights
- 10pm55%203 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday68%6.2% cancelled
- Tuesday70%4.5% cancelled
- Wednesday70%2.9% cancelled
- Thursday59%0.3% cancelled
- Friday70%6.8% cancelled
- Saturday77%5.3% cancelled
- Sunday64%6.4% 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 aircraft58%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)18%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion18%
- Extreme weather6%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather67%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion22%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)11%
- Security0%
DCA to RDU: common questions
- How often are DCA to RDU flights on time?
- 68% 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 Raleigh/Durham cancelled?
- 4.6% of scheduled flights were cancelled (92 of 2,010).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 24 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 71 min behind schedule on average, and 12.9% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DCA?
- Flights on this route spent 23 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: RDU to DCA — 62% 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 → RDU, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.