DCA to TPA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Tampa International Airport · 814 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or TPA 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 Tampa (TPA) arrived on time 74% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 2.5% were cancelled, and 11% arrived an hour or more late.
- Southwest Airlines was the most punctual airline here (78% on time); American Airlines was the least (72%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (97% on time); around 4pm did worst (47%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (80% on time) and Sunday the least (66%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (59%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to TPA?
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. | 92% | 0.0% | 4 min | 0.0% | 26 |
| Southwest Airlines | 78% | 2.1% | 15 min | 7.2% | 698 |
| American Airlines | 72% | 2.6% | 24 min | 12.5% | 1,519 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am97%155 flights
- 7am92%239 flights
- 8am81%299 flights
- 10am85%339 flights
- 12pm69%37 flights
- 1pm75%273 flights
- 2pm74%66 flights
- 3pm58%209 flights
- 4pm47%89 flights
- 6pm54%258 flights
- 7pm61%110 flights
- 8pm67%116 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday77%4.8% cancelled
- Tuesday80%3.0% cancelled
- Wednesday76%2.4% cancelled
- Thursday72%1.5% cancelled
- Friday71%0.6% cancelled
- Saturday78%1.2% cancelled
- Sunday66%3.4% 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 aircraft59%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)24%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion15%
- Extreme weather2%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather75%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion15%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)11%
- Security0%
DCA to TPA: common questions
- How often are DCA to TPA flights on time?
- 74% 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 Tampa cancelled?
- 2.5% of scheduled flights were cancelled (55 of 2,243).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 21 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 78 min behind schedule on average, and 10.7% 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: TPA to DCA — 75% 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 → TPA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.