DCA to VPS flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport · 789 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DCA or VPS 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 Valparaiso (VPS) arrived on time 76% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.8% were cancelled, and 6% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (85% on time); American Airlines was the least (72%).
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (83% on time); around 10am did worst (57%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (89% on time) and Thursday the least (68%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (58%).
Which airline is most on time from DCA to VPS?
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. | 85% | 8.1% | 7 min | 3.0% | 37 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 80% | 5.8% | 14 min | 5.4% | 156 |
| American Airlines | 72% | 1.1% | 17 min | 6.4% | 176 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 8am83%262 flights
- 10am57%70 flights
- 7pm68%32 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday76%5.8% cancelled
- Tuesday70%2.0% cancelled
- Wednesday82%5.8% cancelled
- Thursday68%1.9% cancelled
- Friday77%1.9% cancelled
- Saturday89%1.8% cancelled
- Sunday72%7.7% 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 aircraft58%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion22%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)19%
- Extreme weather1%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather64%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)21%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion14%
- Security0%
DCA to VPS: common questions
- How often are DCA to VPS 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 Valparaiso cancelled?
- 3.8% of scheduled flights were cancelled (14 of 369).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 15 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 58 min behind schedule on average, and 5.7% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DCA?
- Flights on this route spent 26 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: VPS to DCA — 70% 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 → VPS, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.