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Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) delays and on-time record

Washington, Virginia KDCA #28 US airport by passengers

Live airport-wide delay programs from the FAA, the weather that causes them, and how each airline has actually performed at DCA.

FAA status
Ground delay program +1 Updated 4 min ago
Weather now
IFR 65°F Observed 1 h ago
Late departures
28.1%May 2026 to July 2026
Security line
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FAA delay status for DCA

  • Ground delay program low ceilings Average 33 minutes, maximum 1 hour and 29 minutes
  • Departure delays WX:Low Ceilings 16 minutes to 30 minutes (Increasing)

Source: FAA National Airspace System Status, checked 4 min ago. Airline-specific delays are not shown here.

Current conditions at DCA

IFR

65°F18°C

Low cloud or poor visibility. Airports slow arrivals and delays become more likely.

Wind
020° 12 mph
Visibility
3 mi
Clouds
OVC 600 ft
Ceiling
600 ft
Conditions
-RA BR
Pressure
29.94 inHg

METARMETAR KDCA 111752Z 02010KT 3SM -RA BR OVC006 18/17 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP137 P0003 60060 T01830172 10183 20172 58043

Source: NOAA Aviation Weather Center. Observed 1 h ago.

On-time performance at DCA

Based on 36,226 departures from May 2026 to July 2026. A flight counts as late when it leaves 15 or more minutes after schedule.

28.1%Departures late
28.0%Arrivals late
4.73%Cancelled
24.4 minAverage departure delay
On-time performance by airline at DCA
AirlineDeparturesLateCancelled
PSA Airlines 10,771 32.7% 7.62%
Republic Airways 6,659 21.5% 5.17%
American Airlines 6,511 23.9% 2.99%
Southwest Airlines 4,041 43.6% 2.92%
Delta Air Lines 2,508 23.3% 2.91%
United Airlines 1,896 21.0% 1.90%
JetBlue Airways 1,684 26.5% 5.40%
Envoy Air 1,314 20.5% 3.50%
Alaska Airlines 549 28.6% 0.55%
Frontier Airlines 245 14.3% 0.41%

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, On-Time Performance of reporting carriers. Smaller regional carriers and some airlines are not included.

Late departures by month

AprMayJunJul

How delays work at DCA

A ground stop holds flights bound for DCA at their origin airports. A ground delay program spaces arrivals out so the airport is not overloaded. Departure and arrival delay messages describe the average wait the FAA expects. None of these tell you whether your own flight is late, so always check your airline as well.

Local tips

  • Take the Metro. The station is on the Terminal 2 concourse level and it is the quickest way downtown.
  • Reserve Parking 2 at least 12 hours in advance if you are driving. The drive-up rate is $35 a day.
  • If you fly out of Terminal 1, plan extra time to walk to the Metro or take the free shuttle.
  • Keep a SmarTrip card or a contactless card ready at the Metro faregates, since they are your payment method.
  • The Metro station connects directly to the Terminal 2 concourse level, so Terminal 2 passengers have the shortest walk to the train.