MSP to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 931 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at MSP or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Minneapolis (MSP) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 74% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3% were cancelled, and 9% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (77% on time); Envoy Air was the least (67%).
- Departures scheduled around 6am did best (85% on time); around 5pm did worst (58%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (81% on time) and Thursday the least (69%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling) (33%).
Which airline is most on time from MSP 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. | 77% | 4.1% | 13 min | 4.3% | 196 |
| Delta Air Lines | 76% | 1.9% | 16 min | 8.3% | 1,698 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 71% | 5.8% | 46 min | 13.3% | 504 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 67% | 4.3% | 22 min | 13.8% | 161 |
| American Airlines | 62% | 4.9% | 29 min | 17.9% | 41 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am74%30 flights
- 6am85%148 flights
- 7am84%443 flights
- 10am84%371 flights
- 11am76%105 flights
- 12pm72%191 flights
- 2pm75%360 flights
- 5pm58%306 flights
- 6pm63%286 flights
- 8pm70%337 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday79%2.9% cancelled
- Tuesday79%1.6% cancelled
- Wednesday72%1.2% cancelled
- Thursday69%1.5% cancelled
- Friday70%3.2% cancelled
- Saturday81%2.8% cancelled
- Sunday74%8.2% 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)33%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion30%
- Late-arriving aircraft29%
- Extreme weather8%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather65%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)19%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion16%
- Security0%
MSP to DCA: common questions
- How often are MSP 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 Minneapolis to Washington cancelled?
- 3.0% of scheduled flights were cancelled (79 of 2,600).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 22 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 81 min behind schedule on average, and 9.4% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at MSP?
- Flights on this route spent 20 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to MSP — 76% on time
More flights from Minneapolis
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: MSP → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.