STL to DCA flight delays & on-time performance
Nonstop flights from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport · 719 miles · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
No FAA-reported ground stops or delays at STL or DCA right now. Individual flights can still be delayed by the airline; check with your airline for your flight.
Key facts
- Flights from St. Louis (STL) to Washington (DCA) arrived on time 73% of the time in Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, worse than the 78% national average.
- 2.6% were cancelled, and 9% arrived an hour or more late.
- Republic Airways was the most punctual airline here (75% on time); Southwest Airlines was the least (73%).
- Departures scheduled around 8am did best (90% on time); around 7pm did worst (59%).
- Saturday was the most reliable day to fly (83% on time) and Sunday the least (66%).
- The largest source of delay minutes was late-arriving aircraft (38%).
Which airline is most on time from STL 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. | 75% | 5.0% | 21 min | 9.0% | 221 |
| American Airlines | 75% | 2.9% | 21 min | 7.1% | 175 |
| PSA AirlinesRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 74% | 4.7% | 31 min | 12.0% | 595 |
| Southwest Airlines | 73% | 1.4% | 17 min | 8.1% | 1,403 |
| Envoy AirRegional airline operating American Eagle flights. | 73% | 0.0% | 11 min | 4.5% | 22 |
Best time of day to fly
On-time arrival rate by scheduled departure hour (local time).
- 5am74%33 flights
- 6am84%296 flights
- 8am90%377 flights
- 9am80%139 flights
- 10am76%126 flights
- 12pm91%47 flights
- 1pm68%363 flights
- 3pm69%422 flights
- 5pm60%135 flights
- 6pm65%143 flights
- 7pm59%252 flights
Best day of the week
On-time arrival rate by day of departure.
- Monday69%3.7% cancelled
- Tuesday79%2.9% cancelled
- Wednesday79%1.6% cancelled
- Thursday69%1.3% cancelled
- Friday73%2.9% cancelled
- Saturday83%2.3% cancelled
- Sunday66%3.4% 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 aircraft38%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)35%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion23%
- Extreme weather3%
- Security1%
Why flights are cancelled
Share of cancellations by reason.
- Extreme weather75%
- Air traffic control & airport congestion19%
- Airline (crew, maintenance, cleaning, fueling)6%
- Security0%
STL to DCA: common questions
- How often are STL to DCA flights on time?
- 73% 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 St. Louis to Washington cancelled?
- 2.6% of scheduled flights were cancelled (63 of 2,416).
- How long are typical delays?
- Across all flights the average arrival delay was 21 min (early arrivals count as zero). Flights that were late arrived 74 min behind schedule on average, and 9.0% of flights were an hour or more late.
- How long is taxi time at STL?
- Flights on this route spent 14 min taxiing from the gate to takeoff on average.
Related routes
Return trip: DCA to STL — 73% on time
More flights from St. Louis
Data: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026 (12 months). Latest month published by BTS: July 2026. Route: STL → DCA, nonstop flights by US airlines that report to the DOT. How we calculate this.