ORF to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Norfolk International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 142 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at ORF or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Norfolk (ORF) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 66% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.3% were cancelled, and 17% arrived an hour or more late.
- Departures scheduled around 5am did best (92% on time); around 3pm did worst (33%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (82% on time) and Friday the least (60%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (39%).
Which airline is most on time from ORF 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. | 75% | 0.0% | 14 min | 0.0% | 4 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 66% | 3.1% | 38 min | 17.3% | 1,012 |
| Republic AirwaysRegional airline operating flights for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. | 52% | 12.5% | 23 min | 9.5% | 24 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am92%101 flights
- 6am89%260 flights
- 9am59%107 flights
- 10am68%122 flights
- 11am59%112 flights
- 2pm50%103 flights
- 3pm33%81 flights
- 5pm41%61 flights
- 6pm73%11 flights
- 7pm48%74 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday65%3.3% cancelled
- Tuesday63%2.0% cancelled
- Wednesday64%3.3% cancelled
- Thursday63%0.7% cancelled
- Friday60%3.3% cancelled
- Saturday82%5.8% cancelled
- Sunday67%4.7% 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 aircraft39%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion25%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)20%
- Extreme weather15%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather71%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion24%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)6%
- Security0%
ORF to DCA: common questions
- How often are ORF to DCA flights on time?
- 66% 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 Norfolk to Washington cancelled?
- 3.3% of scheduled flights were cancelled (34 of 1,040).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 37 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 108 min behind schedule on average, and 17.1% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at ORF?
- Flights on this route spent 28 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to ORF — 64% on time
More flights from Norfolk
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: ORF → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.