DC to Boston flights (DCA to BOS): delays, best airline and best time to fly
By Matt — Founder & Airline Pilot · Updated 15 October 2026
22.1% of 27,861 nonstop flights from Washington Reagan National (DCA) to Boston Logan (BOS) arrived 15 or more minutes late from January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS data). Republic Airways was the most on time at 16.3% late; American Airlines was the least, at 28.7%. The 06:00 departure was best, at 7.8% late.
Covers nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) to Boston Logan (BOS) only. Flights from Washington Dulles (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington (BWI) to Boston are not included.
Most on-time airline DCA to BOS
Airlines on DCA to BOS, January 2023 to December 2025
| Airline | Delayed 15+ min | Cancelled | Completed flights | Scheduled flights | Months in data | Note |
|---|
| Republic Airways | 16.3% | 2.56% | 10,945 | 11,245 | 2023-01 to 2025-12 | |
| JetBlue | 24.2% | 2.05% | 10,581 | 10,811 | 2023-01 to 2025-12 | |
| American Airlines | 28.7% | 2.14% | 6,123 | 6,260 | 2023-01 to 2025-12 | |
Delta Air Lines (132 completed flights, Jun 2024 to May 2025) and Envoy Air (80 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 DCA to BOS
Best departure hour 06:00 (7.8% late, 2,156 flights); worst 15:00 (33.4% late, 1,794 flights).
| Departure hour | Delayed 15+ min | Flights |
|---|
| 06:00 | 7.8% | 2,156 |
| 07:00 | 9.0% | 1,816 |
| 08:00 | 13.4% | 1,988 |
| 09:00 | 13.5% | 1,373 |
| 10:00 | 15.4% | 2,121 |
| 11:00 | 14.4% | 1,944 |
| 12:00 | 19.6% | 1,810 |
| 13:00 | 29.2% | 1,430 |
| 14:00 | 24.8% | 1,631 |
| 15:00 | 33.4% | 1,794 |
| 16:00 | 30.6% | 1,313 |
| 17:00 | 31.7% | 1,927 |
| 18:00 | 32.5% | 2,520 |
| 19:00 | 28.5% | 1,342 |
| 20:00 | 30.7% | 872 |
| 22:00 | 28.0% | 1,633 |
Best and worst month for DCA to BOS
Best month November (16.4% late); worst July (30.3% late).
| Month | Delayed 15+ min | Flights | Cancelled |
|---|
| January | 18.0% | 2,312 | 4.54% |
| February | 20.0% | 2,325 | 2.8% |
| March | 17.0% | 2,614 | 0.87% |
| April | 19.2% | 2,418 | 0.74% |
| May | 24.8% | 2,541 | 0.63% |
| June | 25.6% | 2,260 | 2.87% |
| July | 30.3% | 2,172 | 6.13% |
| August | 23.2% | 2,230 | 3.54% |
| September | 29.1% | 2,280 | 2.06% |
| October | 20.0% | 2,464 | 0.8% |
| November | 16.4% | 2,227 | 1.07% |
| December | 22.7% | 2,018 | 1.55% |
DCA to BOS cancellations
2.27% of 28,534 scheduled DCA to BOS flights were cancelled, January 2023 to December 2025 (BTS data). Worst month July (6.13%), best May (0.63%).
What stands out on DCA to BOS
Delays climbed sharply in 2025: 27.1% of DCA to BOS flights arrived late, against 19.7% in 2023 and 19.8% in 2024.
The route gets worse through the day. Morning departures from 06:00 to 11:00 ran 7.8% to 15.4% late; every departure hour from 15:00 to 20:00 ran 28.5% to 33.4% late.
July is the worst month for both problems: 30.3% of flights arrived late and 6.13% of scheduled flights were cancelled, the highest monthly cancellation rate on the route.
Check your DCA to BOS 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 DCA to BOS flight today →
DCA to BOS questions
- Which airline is most on time from DC to Boston?
- Republic Airways, with 16.3% of 10,945 DCA to BOS flights arriving 15+ minutes late (BTS data, Jan 2023 to Dec 2025). JetBlue was 24.2% late and American Airlines 28.7%.
- What is the best time of day to fly DCA to BOS?
- Early morning. The 06:00 departure hour had the lowest delay rate, 7.8% of 2,156 flights. The worst was 15:00, at 33.4% of 1,794 flights (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
- Which month has the most DCA to BOS delays?
- July, when 30.3% of flights arrived 15+ minutes late. November was the best month at 16.4% (BTS data, 2023 to 2025).
- How often are DCA to BOS flights cancelled?
- 2.27% of 28,534 scheduled DCA to BOS flights were cancelled from January 2023 to December 2025, about 1 in 44. July was worst at 6.13% and May best at 0.63% (BTS data).
- Will my DC to Boston 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.
- Does this page include flights from Dulles or Baltimore?
- No. These figures cover Reagan National (DCA) to Boston Logan (BOS) only. Washington Dulles (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington (BWI) flights to Boston are not included.
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.