MKE to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from General Mitchell International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 634 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MKE or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Milwaukee (MKE) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 74% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.4% were cancelled, and 10% arrived an hour or more late.
- Southwest Airlines was the most punctual airline here (74% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (74%).
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (91% on time); around 6pm did worst (45%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (81% on time) and Wednesday the least (70%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (44%).
Which airline is most on time from MKE 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 74% | 1.3% | 16 min | 8.1% | 680 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 74% | 5.6% | 37 min | 12.1% | 659 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 57% | 0.0% | 13 min | 0.0% | 7 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am84%52 flights
- 6am82%306 flights
- 7am95%21 flights
- 8am91%201 flights
- 9am89%110 flights
- 12pm67%301 flights
- 1pm33%19 flights
- 3pm64%81 flights
- 5pm58%153 flights
- 6pm45%73 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday78%4.4% cancelled
- Tuesday74%5.3% cancelled
- Wednesday70%1.0% cancelled
- Thursday74%1.5% cancelled
- Friday71%3.4% cancelled
- Saturday81%5.0% cancelled
- Sunday74%3.9% 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)44%
- Late-arriving aircraft32%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion22%
- Extreme weather2%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather74%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)13%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion13%
- Security0%
MKE to DCA: common questions
- How often are MKE to DCA flights on time?
- 74% 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 Milwaukee to Washington cancelled?
- 3.4% of scheduled flights were cancelled (46 of 1,346).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 26 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 96 min behind schedule on average, and 10.0% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MKE?
- Flights on this route spent 20 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to MKE — 77% on time
More flights from Milwaukee
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: MKE → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.