IAD to RDU flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Washington Dulles International Airport to Raleigh-Durham International Airport · 225 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at IAD or RDU right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Washington (IAD) to Raleigh/Durham (RDU) arrived on time 83% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 1.3% were cancelled, and 5% arrived an hour or more late.
- United Airlines was the most punctual airline here (84% on time); Republic Airways was the least (81%).
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (88% on time); around 5pm did worst (78%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (88% on time) and Sunday the least (79%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (39%).
Which airline is most on time from IAD to RDU?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | 84% | 1.2% | 12 min | 4.8% | 1,083 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 81% | 1.8% | 16 min | 8.0% | 217 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 8am88%323 flights
- 12pm87%212 flights
- 1pm87%55 flights
- 3pm91%23 flights
- 5pm78%343 flights
- 10pm80%344 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday80%1.1% cancelled
- Tuesday88%1.6% cancelled
- Wednesday84%0.5% cancelled
- Thursday81%2.1% cancelled
- Friday84%0.0% cancelled
- Saturday86%2.0% cancelled
- Sunday79%2.1% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)39%
- Late-arriving aircraft32%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion16%
- Extreme weather12%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather59%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)24%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion18%
- Security0%
IAD to RDU: common questions
- How often are IAD to RDU flights on time?
- 83% 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 Raleigh/Durham cancelled?
- 1.3% of scheduled flights were cancelled (17 of 1,300).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 13 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 71 min behind schedule on average, and 5.3% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at IAD?
- Flights on this route spent 22 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: RDU to IAD — 86% 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: IAD → RDU, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.