Best time to fly Chicago to Washington
Every month pooled across the years on record, so "July" means July generally rather than one particular July. Full ORD to DCA record →
Best month
October
79.8% on time · 1,144 flights
Worst month
July
62.2% on time · 1,118 flights
| Month | Flights | On time | Cancelled | When late, by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,149 | 75.8% | 5.74% | 74 min |
| February | 1,039 | 65.7% | 2.31% | 67 min |
| March | 1,150 | 65.8% | 2.96% | 82 min |
| April | 1,113 | 75.7% | 2.34% | 82 min |
| May | 1,163 | 71.4% | 0.86% | 77 min |
| June | 1,207 | 68.5% | 2.98% | 97 min |
| July | 1,118 | 62.2% | 4.65% | 115 min |
| August | 1,133 | 66.7% | 2.91% | 85 min |
| September | 1,100 | 74.5% | 0.36% | 67 min |
| October | 1,144 | 79.8% | 0.35% | 55 min |
| November | 1,089 | 77.5% | 2.39% | 66 min |
| December | 1,074 | 73.8% | 1.21% | 73 min |
What a seasonal pattern can and cannot tell you
Months differ for reasons that repeat — summer thunderstorms in the American interior, winter fog and de-icing in northern Europe, school holidays filling every seat and leaving no slack in the schedule. Those are real and they come back each year.
What the pattern cannot do is forecast a particular flight. A quiet month has late days and a bad month has punctual ones. Treat this as a way to choose between two dates you are indifferent about, not as a promise.