PDX to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Portland International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 2,350 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at PDX or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Portland (PDX) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 86% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 0.3% were cancelled, and 3% arrived an hour or more late.
- Alaska Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 7am did best (91% on time); around 8am did worst (83%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (92% on time) and Friday the least (81%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was air traffic control & airport congestion (56%).
Which airline is most on time from PDX 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | 86% | 0.3% | 6 min | 2.8% | 363 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 7am91%120 flights
- 8am83%243 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday87%0.0% cancelled
- Tuesday92%0.0% cancelled
- Wednesday85%0.0% cancelled
- Thursday82%0.0% cancelled
- Friday81%0.0% cancelled
- Saturday88%0.0% cancelled
- Sunday84%1.9% 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 congestion56%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)40%
- Extreme weather2%
- Late-arriving aircraft2%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather100%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion0%
- Security0%
PDX to DCA: common questions
- How often are PDX to DCA flights on time?
- 86% 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 Portland to Washington cancelled?
- 0.3% of scheduled flights were cancelled (1 of 363).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 6 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 41 min behind schedule on average, and 2.8% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at PDX?
- Flights on this route spent 15 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to PDX — 72% on time
More flights from Portland
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: PDX → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.