LGA to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from LaGuardia Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 214 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at LGA 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 (LGA) 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 11% arrived an hour or more late.
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (88% on time); around 8pm did worst (48%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (84% on time) and Thursday the least (64%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was air traffic control & airport congestion (42%).
Which airline is most on time from LGA 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. | 67% | 5.4% | 21 min | 10.7% | 4,719 |
| American Airlines | 61% | 4.2% | 45 min | 13.0% | 24 |
| Delta Air Lines | 54% | 3.5% | 38 min | 22.9% | 86 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 6am88%518 flights
- 7am67%374 flights
- 8am84%351 flights
- 9am79%190 flights
- 10am76%230 flights
- 11am79%470 flights
- 12pm65%209 flights
- 1pm64%141 flights
- 2pm58%511 flights
- 3pm55%83 flights
- 4pm51%173 flights
- 5pm58%656 flights
- 7pm52%465 flights
- 8pm48%150 flights
- 9pm59%300 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday66%9.8% cancelled
- Tuesday70%5.0% cancelled
- Wednesday65%3.7% cancelled
- Thursday64%3.5% cancelled
- Friday64%4.6% cancelled
- Saturday84%1.9% cancelled
- Sunday65%7.7% 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 congestion42%
- Late-arriving aircraft36%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)18%
- Extreme weather3%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Air traffic control & airport congestion40%
- Extreme weather38%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)22%
- Security0%
LGA to DCA: common questions
- How often are LGA 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 (259 of 4,829).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 21 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 61 min behind schedule on average, and 11.0% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at LGA?
- Flights on this route spent 33 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to LGA — 67% 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: LGA → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.