JFK to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 213 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at JFK or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from New York (JFK) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 67% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 5.4% were cancelled, and 12% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (70% on time); JetBlue was the least (54%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (85% on time); around 3pm did worst (50%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (81% on time) and Thursday the least (57%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was air traffic control & airport congestion (43%).
Which airline is most on time from JFK 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. | 70% | 5.3% | 20 min | 10.2% | 2,075 |
| JetBlue | 54% | 5.8% | 39 min | 22.0% | 445 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am85%162 flights
- 8am81%372 flights
- 9am84%161 flights
- 11am82%33 flights
- 1pm51%50 flights
- 2pm51%174 flights
- 3pm50%232 flights
- 4pm74%140 flights
- 5pm66%219 flights
- 7pm43%40 flights
- 8pm51%145 flights
- 9pm65%716 flights
- 10pm73%55 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday71%6.6% cancelled
- Tuesday70%4.4% cancelled
- Wednesday65%4.1% cancelled
- Thursday57%3.4% cancelled
- Friday65%5.7% cancelled
- Saturday81%5.4% cancelled
- Sunday63%8.0% 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 congestion43%
- Late-arriving aircraft34%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)21%
- Extreme weather3%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Air traffic control & airport congestion43%
- Extreme weather38%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)20%
- Security0%
JFK to DCA: common questions
- How often are JFK to DCA flights on time?
- 67% 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 New York to Washington cancelled?
- 5.4% of scheduled flights were cancelled (136 of 2,520).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 24 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 69 min behind schedule on average, and 12.3% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at JFK?
- Flights on this route spent 36 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to JFK — 77% on time
More flights from New York
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: JFK → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.