RDU to BWI flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport · 256 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at RDU or BWI right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Baltimore (BWI) arrived on time 86% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, better than the 78% national average.
- 2.2% were cancelled, and 4% arrived an hour or more late.
- Departures scheduled around 5am did best (98% on time); around 8pm did worst (63%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (93% on time) and Sunday the least (75%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (60%).
Which airline is most on time from RDU to BWI?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Airlines | 100% | 0.0% | 0 min | 0.0% | 3 |
| Southwest Airlines | 86% | 2.2% | 9 min | 3.6% | 1,788 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am98%89 flights
- 6am97%256 flights
- 8am91%137 flights
- 9am93%41 flights
- 10am91%126 flights
- 11am93%147 flights
- 12pm89%86 flights
- 1pm88%143 flights
- 2pm91%67 flights
- 3pm88%134 flights
- 4pm81%113 flights
- 5pm69%73 flights
- 6pm75%149 flights
- 7pm70%100 flights
- 8pm63%130 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday83%3.3% cancelled
- Tuesday87%2.0% cancelled
- Wednesday91%1.2% cancelled
- Thursday85%0.7% cancelled
- Friday90%2.1% cancelled
- Saturday93%1.6% cancelled
- Sunday75%4.5% 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 aircraft60%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)22%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion16%
- Extreme weather1%
- Security1%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather68%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion20%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)13%
- Security0%
RDU to BWI: common questions
- How often are RDU to BWI 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 Raleigh/Durham to Baltimore cancelled?
- 2.2% of scheduled flights were cancelled (40 of 1,791).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 9 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 55 min behind schedule on average, and 3.6% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at RDU?
- Flights on this route spent 11 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: BWI to RDU — 81% on time
More flights from Raleigh/Durham
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: RDU → BWI, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.