Boston to DC flights (BOS to DCA): delays, best airline and best time to fly
By Matt — Founder & Airline Pilot · Updated 15 October 2026
20.8% of 27,830 nonstop flights from Boston Logan (BOS) to Washington Reagan National (DCA) arrived 15 or more minutes late from January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS data). Republic Airways was the most on time at 18.2% late; JetBlue was the least, at 22.7%. The 05:00 departure was best, at 8.4% late.
Covers nonstop flights from Boston Logan (BOS) to Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) only. Flights from Boston to Washington Dulles (IAD) or Baltimore/Washington (BWI) are not included.
Most on-time airline BOS to DCA
Airlines on BOS to DCA, January 2023 to December 2025
| Airline | Delayed 15+ min | Cancelled | Completed flights | Scheduled flights | Months in data | Note |
|---|
| Republic Airways | 18.2% | 2.52% | 10,941 | 11,250 | 2023-01 to 2025-12 | |
| American Airlines | 22.4% | 2.16% | 6,098 | 6,253 | 2023-01 to 2025-12 | |
| JetBlue | 22.7% | 1.89% | 10,580 | 10,811 | 2023-01 to 2025-12 | |
Delta Air Lines (132 completed flights, Jun 2024 to May 2025) and Envoy Air (79 completed flights, 2025) also flew the route but are below the 300-flight floor, so they are not listed.
Best and worst time of day to fly BOS to DCA
Best departure hour 05:00 (8.4% late, 754 flights); worst 20:00 (40.5% late, 951 flights).
| Departure hour | Delayed 15+ min | Flights |
|---|
| 05:00 | 8.4% | 754 |
| 06:00 | 9.0% | 2,140 |
| 07:00 | 12.6% | 1,917 |
| 08:00 | 13.6% | 1,815 |
| 09:00 | 12.9% | 2,449 |
| 10:00 | 13.9% | 1,695 |
| 11:00 | 12.6% | 1,582 |
| 12:00 | 17.2% | 1,805 |
| 13:00 | 17.2% | 1,324 |
| 14:00 | 24.9% | 1,842 |
| 15:00 | 29.7% | 2,142 |
| 16:00 | 23.3% | 1,376 |
| 17:00 | 32.7% | 2,468 |
| 18:00 | 37.9% | 1,287 |
| 19:00 | 32.8% | 1,465 |
| 20:00 | 40.5% | 951 |
| 21:00 | 23.5% | 799 |
Best and worst month for BOS to DCA
Best month November (14.9% late); worst July (27.6% late).
| Month | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled |
|---|
| January | 18.8% | 2,308 | 4.54% |
| February | 25.2% | 2,327 | 2.59% |
| March | 15.6% | 2,609 | 0.87% |
| April | 17.6% | 2,413 | 0.82% |
| May | 21.4% | 2,537 | 0.59% |
| June | 23.0% | 2,258 | 2.7% |
| July | 27.6% | 2,160 | 6.13% |
| August | 23.5% | 2,234 | 3.28% |
| September | 23.4% | 2,280 | 1.8% |
| October | 16.7% | 2,460 | 0.85% |
| November | 14.9% | 2,222 | 0.98% |
| December | 24.0% | 2,022 | 1.51% |
BOS to DCA cancellations
2.2% of 28,532 scheduled BOS to DCA flights were cancelled, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS data). Worst month July (6.13%), best May (0.59%).
What stands out on BOS to DCA
Evening departures are the risk on this route: the 20:00 hour ran 40.5% late and 18:00 ran 37.9% late, against 8.4% for 05:00 and 9.0% for 06:00.
Like the southbound route, 2025 was much worse: 26.6% of flights arrived late, against 18.1% in 2023 and 18.3% in 2024.
American Airlines (22.4% late) and JetBlue (22.7%) were almost level on delays, and JetBlue cancelled the least, at 1.89% of scheduled flights.
Check your BOS to DCA flight today
Delay odds change with weather, air-traffic programs and your exact departure time. DelayGuard's prediction uses an ML model trained on BTS data (2023 to mid-2025) plus live weather and FAA information.
Check my BOS to DCA flight today →
BOS to DCA questions
- Which airline is most on time from Boston to DC?
- Republic Airways, with 18.2% of 10,941 BOS to DCA flights arriving 15+ minutes late (BTS data, Jan 2023 to Dec 2025). American Airlines was 22.4% late and JetBlue 22.7%.
- What is the best time of day to fly BOS to DCA?
- Early morning. The 05:00 departure hour had the lowest delay rate, 8.4% of 754 flights. The worst was 20:00, at 40.5% of 951 flights (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
- Which month has the most BOS to DCA delays?
- July, when 27.6% of flights arrived 15+ minutes late. November was the best month at 14.9% (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
- How often are BOS to DCA flights cancelled?
- 2.2% of 28,532 scheduled BOS to DCA flights were cancelled from January 2023 to December 2025, about 1 in 45. July was worst at 6.13% and May best at 0.59% (BTS data).
- Will my Boston to DC flight be delayed today?
- Check your flight on DelayGuard. The prediction comes from an ML model trained on BTS data (2023 to mid-2025), combined with live weather and FAA delay information. It gives a likelihood of delay, not a guarantee.
- Is JetBlue on time from Boston to DCA?
- JetBlue flights from BOS to DCA arrived 15+ minutes late 22.7% of the time across 10,580 flights, and 1.89% of its scheduled flights were cancelled, the lowest of the three main airlines (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
Sources and data window
Statistics: BTS data (US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, On-Time Reporting Carrier On-Time Performance), January 2023 to December 2025. A flight counts as delayed if it arrived 15 or more minutes late; delay rates use completed flights only (cancelled and diverted flights excluded); cancellation rates are cancelled ÷ scheduled. Hours with fewer than 200 flights and airlines with fewer than 300 flights are not shown. Predictions: ML model trained on BTS data (2023 to mid-2025). By Matt — Founder & Airline Pilot.