MEM to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Frederick W. Smith International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 762 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MEM or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Memphis (MEM) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 76% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.9% were cancelled, and 9% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (78% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (73%).
- Departures scheduled around 5am did best (92% on time); around 6pm did worst (65%).
- Monday was the most reliable day to fly (85% on time) and Friday the least (68%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (46%).
Which airline is most on time from MEM 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 100% | 0.0% | 0 min | 0.0% | 5 |
| American Airlines | 100% | 0.0% | 0 min | 0.0% | 4 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 78% | 2.4% | 16 min | 8.0% | 491 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 73% | 5.1% | 24 min | 9.2% | 625 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am92%37 flights
- 6am88%326 flights
- 9am82%33 flights
- 10am70%307 flights
- 1pm77%83 flights
- 5pm65%103 flights
- 6pm65%204 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday85%6.5% cancelled
- Tuesday83%3.6% cancelled
- Wednesday75%3.0% cancelled
- Thursday68%1.8% cancelled
- Friday68%3.0% cancelled
- Saturday72%3.3% cancelled
- Sunday79%5.9% cancelled
On-time trend by month
Why flights are late
Share of delay minutes by cause, as reported by airlines to the DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft46%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)24%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion23%
- Extreme weather7%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather66%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion27%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)7%
- Security0%
MEM to DCA: common questions
- How often are MEM to DCA flights on time?
- 76% 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 Memphis to Washington cancelled?
- 3.9% of scheduled flights were cancelled (44 of 1,125).
- 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 82 min behind schedule on average, and 8.6% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MEM?
- Flights on this route spent 17 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to MEM — 72% on time
More flights from Memphis
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: MEM → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.