DSM to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Des Moines International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 897 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DSM or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Des Moines (DSM) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 78% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, in line with the national average.
- 5.3% were cancelled, and 9% arrived an hour or more late.
- Envoy Air was the most punctual airline here (83% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (76%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (86% on time); around 2pm did worst (59%).
- Monday was the most reliable day to fly (80% on time) and Tuesday the least (74%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (36%).
Which airline is most on time from DSM to DCA?
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. | 83% | 3.8% | 13 min | 7.8% | 80 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 78% | 3.1% | 15 min | 9.2% | 228 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 76% | 6.9% | 30 min | 9.9% | 394 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am73%13 flights
- 6am86%317 flights
- 7am100%14 flights
- 12pm80%66 flights
- 1pm67%119 flights
- 2pm59%38 flights
- 3pm69%122 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday80%7.9% cancelled
- Tuesday74%4.0% cancelled
- Wednesday76%3.9% cancelled
- Thursday78%2.0% cancelled
- Friday79%5.8% cancelled
- Saturday78%4.3% cancelled
- Sunday80%8.9% 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 aircraft36%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)33%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion20%
- Extreme weather11%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather78%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion14%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)8%
- Security0%
DSM to DCA: common questions
- How often are DSM to DCA flights on time?
- 78% 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 Des Moines to Washington cancelled?
- 5.3% of scheduled flights were cancelled (37 of 702).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 23 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 100 min behind schedule on average, and 9.4% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DSM?
- Flights on this route spent 19 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to DSM — 73% on time
More flights from Des Moines
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: DSM → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.