LAX to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 2,311 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at LAX or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 80% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 1.4% were cancelled, and 7% arrived an hour or more late.
- American Airlines was the most punctual airline here (81% on time); Alaska Airlines was the least (78%).
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (86% on time); around 12pm did worst (75%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (84% on time) and Friday the least (76%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (46%).
Which airline is most on time from LAX 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 81% | 1.2% | 13 min | 6.7% | 728 |
| Delta Air Lines | 81% | 2.2% | 20 min | 7.4% | 362 |
| Alaska Airlines | 78% | 0.8% | 15 min | 8.7% | 364 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am83%471 flights
- 8am86%255 flights
- 11am79%177 flights
- 12pm75%449 flights
- 1pm80%101 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday81%1.0% cancelled
- Tuesday83%1.4% cancelled
- Wednesday80%1.4% cancelled
- Thursday83%1.0% cancelled
- Friday76%0.5% cancelled
- Saturday84%1.5% cancelled
- Sunday76%2.9% 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)46%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion29%
- Late-arriving aircraft24%
- Security1%
- Extreme weather0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather55%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)35%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion10%
- Security0%
LAX to DCA: common questions
- How often are LAX to DCA flights on time?
- 80% 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 Los Angeles to Washington cancelled?
- 1.4% of scheduled flights were cancelled (20 of 1,454).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 15 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 74 min behind schedule on average, and 7.4% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at LAX?
- Flights on this route spent 18 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to LAX — 76% on time
More flights from Los Angeles
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: LAX → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.