PWM to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Portland International Jetport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 482 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at PWM 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 (PWM) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 75% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 3.7% were cancelled, and 11% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (83% on time); PSA Airlines was the least (70%).
- Departures scheduled around 5am did best (92% on time); around 2pm did worst (61%).
- Tuesday was the most reliable day to fly (78% on time) and Sunday the least (69%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (42%).
Which airline is most on time from PWM 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. | 83% | 8.3% | 14 min | 5.7% | 96 |
| American Airlines | 76% | 1.4% | 27 min | 9.8% | 656 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 70% | 6.4% | 32 min | 13.2% | 407 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am92%187 flights
- 6am87%176 flights
- 10am75%102 flights
- 11am81%61 flights
- 12pm70%193 flights
- 2pm61%76 flights
- 5pm64%341 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday72%7.7% cancelled
- Tuesday78%6.5% cancelled
- Wednesday76%1.8% cancelled
- Thursday73%1.2% cancelled
- Friday75%1.2% cancelled
- Saturday78%3.9% cancelled
- Sunday69%3.6% 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 aircraft42%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)37%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion19%
- Extreme weather1%
- Security1%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather77%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion14%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)9%
- Security0%
PWM to DCA: common questions
- How often are PWM to DCA flights on time?
- 75% 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?
- 3.7% of scheduled flights were cancelled (43 of 1,159).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 28 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 105 min behind schedule on average, and 10.6% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at PWM?
- Flights on this route spent 19 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to PWM — 69% 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: PWM → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.