DTW to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 405 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at DTW or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Detroit (DTW) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 69% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.9% were cancelled, and 11% arrived an hour or more late.
- PSA Airlines was the most punctual airline here (70% on time); Republic Airways was the least (64%).
- Departures scheduled around 9am did best (84% on time); around 7pm did worst (39%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (84% on time) and Sunday the least (64%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was air traffic control & airport congestion (37%).
Which airline is most on time from DTW 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. | 100% | 0.0% | 0 min | 0.0% | 2 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 70% | 6.0% | 36 min | 13.5% | 952 |
| Delta Air Lines | 69% | 2.6% | 19 min | 9.3% | 1,741 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 64% | 4.7% | 26 min | 14.9% | 276 |
| American Airlines | 25% | 0.0% | 156 min | 50.0% | 4 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am81%264 flights
- 7am80%386 flights
- 9am84%166 flights
- 10am83%506 flights
- 11am82%45 flights
- 1pm74%47 flights
- 2pm54%370 flights
- 3pm45%162 flights
- 5pm56%430 flights
- 7pm39%141 flights
- 9pm69%362 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday67%4.5% cancelled
- Tuesday74%4.7% cancelled
- Wednesday67%2.3% cancelled
- Thursday64%1.6% cancelled
- Friday64%4.4% cancelled
- Saturday84%3.2% 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.
- Air traffic control & airport congestion37%
- Late-arriving aircraft29%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)29%
- Extreme weather5%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather57%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)30%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion12%
- Security1%
DTW to DCA: common questions
- How often are DTW to DCA flights on time?
- 69% 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 Detroit to Washington cancelled?
- 3.9% of scheduled flights were cancelled (115 of 2,975).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 25 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 78 min behind schedule on average, and 11.2% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at DTW?
- Flights on this route spent 27 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to DTW — 76% on time
More flights from Detroit
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: DTW → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.