IAH to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 1,208 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at IAH or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Houston (IAH) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 75% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 2% were cancelled, and 9% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (76% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (68%).
- Departures scheduled around 7am did best (93% on time); around 5pm did worst (57%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (80% on time) and Friday the least (72%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was air traffic control & airport congestion (38%).
Which airline is most on time from IAH 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. | 76% | 4.9% | 16 min | 7.2% | 513 |
| United Airlines | 76% | 0.7% | 17 min | 8.6% | 2,406 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 68% | 6.7% | 35 min | 16.2% | 360 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am87%250 flights
- 7am93%412 flights
- 9am80%461 flights
- 10am75%91 flights
- 11am69%184 flights
- 12pm81%190 flights
- 2pm74%302 flights
- 4pm66%406 flights
- 5pm57%234 flights
- 6pm66%363 flights
- 7pm67%306 flights
- 8pm89%39 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday75%2.6% cancelled
- Tuesday79%3.0% cancelled
- Wednesday75%0.8% cancelled
- Thursday73%0.8% cancelled
- Friday72%1.4% cancelled
- Saturday80%2.0% cancelled
- Sunday73%3.5% 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 congestion38%
- Late-arriving aircraft32%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)19%
- Extreme weather10%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather70%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion21%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)9%
- Security0%
IAH to DCA: common questions
- How often are IAH to DCA flights on time?
- 75% 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 Houston to Washington cancelled?
- 2.0% of scheduled flights were cancelled (66 of 3,279).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 19 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 72 min behind schedule on average, and 9.2% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at IAH?
- Flights on this route spent 22 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to IAH — 81% on time
More flights from Houston
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: IAH → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.