PDX to DCA flight delays
Portland, OR (PDX) Washington, VA (DCA) · 2,350 miles
726 flights · July 2024 – July 2026 · US Bureau of Transportation Statistics
81.22%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
0.14%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
45 min
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
9 min
Delay per flight
Averaged over every flight flown
What the record says about this route
The season swings this route hard. In April it ran 43.3 points more punctual than in February — a difference bigger than the one between the best and worst airlines on most routes. If the date is flexible, it is worth more than the carrier.
The two directions do not behave alike. DCA to PDX arrives on time 8.3 points less often than the outbound. Delay accumulates through the flying day, so whichever direction is scheduled later tends to carry the worse record — which is an argument for booking the morning departure if the choice exists.
Only Alaska Airlines flies this route in the published record, so there is no choice to weigh — the route's figures and the airline's are the same figures.
The Portland to Washington route sits close to the middle of the record — neither notably punctual nor notably late.
Which airline should you fly on this route?
Over July 2024 – July 2026, Alaska Airlines arrived on time most often on PDX to DCA. Flights ran closest to schedule in April and worst in February.
Every airline on PDX to DCA
Ranked by how many flights each one operated. A carrier with fewer than 100 flights in the period is listed but not graded.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | 726 | 81.22% | 0.14% | 45 min | B |
Month by month
Share of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, by month flown.
The return leg
DCA to PDX Washington back to Portland 72.92% on time DOther routes from Portland
Common questions
Are flights from Portland to Washington usually delayed?
81.22% of flights on the PDX to DCA route arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, so roughly 2 in every ten arrived late. That is better than the average route in this record.
Which airlines fly from Portland to Washington?
Only Alaska Airlines appears in the published record on this route, with 726 flights and 81.22% arriving on time.
How often are PDX to DCA flights cancelled?
0.14% of scheduled flights did not operate — about 1 in every thousand. That is in the normal range.
What is the best month to fly Portland to Washington?
April, when 93.3% of flights arrived on time. The worst was February at 50%.
When PDX to DCA flights are late, how late are they?
About 45 minutes on average across the flights that arrived more than 15 minutes behind schedule.
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on PDX to DCA during July 2024 – July 2026, as reported by the airlines to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "On time" is the federal definition: arriving at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
A route's record is a description of the past, not a forecast. Weather, air traffic control and the aircraft's earlier flights that day drive most delays, and none of them are predictable from a historical rate. What the record does tell you is whether this route runs late more often than others, and which carrier on it has the better history — which is the part you can actually act on when you book.
Cancellations are counted separately from delays because they are a different problem for a traveller: a late flight still gets you there. How the grade is calculated →