PHX to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 1,979 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at PHX or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Phoenix (PHX) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 83% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 1.5% were cancelled, and 5% arrived an hour or more late.
- American Airlines is the only airline reporting nonstop flights on this route.
- Departures scheduled around 12am did best (90% on time); around 2pm did worst (71%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (89% on time) and Friday the least (77%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (39%).
Which airline is most on time from PHX 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 83% | 1.5% | 12 min | 4.7% | 1,086 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 12am90%96 flights
- 1am88%24 flights
- 8am83%238 flights
- 9am85%126 flights
- 12pm73%164 flights
- 1pm81%105 flights
- 2pm71%94 flights
- 11pm90%239 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday82%0.6% cancelled
- Tuesday83%2.6% cancelled
- Wednesday84%1.3% cancelled
- Thursday85%0.6% cancelled
- Friday77%1.9% cancelled
- Saturday89%1.3% cancelled
- Sunday81%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.
- Late-arriving aircraft39%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)37%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion23%
- Extreme weather1%
- Security0%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather88%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion13%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)0%
- Security0%
PHX to DCA: common questions
- How often are PHX to DCA flights on time?
- 83% 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 Phoenix to Washington cancelled?
- 1.5% of scheduled flights were cancelled (16 of 1,086).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 12 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 65 min behind schedule on average, and 4.7% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at PHX?
- Flights on this route spent 18 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to PHX — 83% on time
More flights from Phoenix
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: PHX → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.