EWR to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Newark Liberty International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 199 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at EWR or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Newark (EWR) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 64% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.9% were cancelled, and 9% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 11am did best (82% on time); around 3pm did worst (38%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (85% on time) and Sunday the least (56%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was air traffic control & airport congestion (60%).
Which airline is most on time from EWR 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 64% | 3.9% | 22 min | 8.6% | 279 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 11am82%22 flights
- 3pm38%58 flights
- 4pm68%147 flights
- 8pm71%46 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday58%7.3% cancelled
- Tuesday64%4.9% cancelled
- Wednesday65%2.4% cancelled
- Thursday60%0.0% cancelled
- Friday60%0.0% cancelled
- Saturday85%0.0% cancelled
- Sunday56%13.5% 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 congestion60%
- Late-arriving aircraft21%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)20%
- Extreme weather0%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather82%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion18%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Security0%
EWR to DCA: common questions
- How often are EWR to DCA flights on time?
- 64% 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 Newark to Washington cancelled?
- 3.9% of scheduled flights were cancelled (11 of 279).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 22 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 57 min behind schedule on average, and 8.6% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at EWR?
- Flights on this route spent 38 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to EWR — 90% on time
More flights from Newark
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: EWR → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.