American AirlinesAA46% on time
live
Direct flights from Philadelphia (PHL) to Washington (DCA): 7 nonstop departures observed each week across 1 airline. 46% of the last 13 operated flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule. The median arrival is 17 minutes late. No cancellations were recorded across the 13 tracked flights. The nonstop covers 192 km, an estimated 45 minutes in the air. Measured by Pro Flight Search from live flight boards at Philadelphia and Washington. Updated 18 August 2026 at 00:39 UTC.
PHL
Philadelphia
smooth · +4
DCA
Washington
smooth · +0
192 km · ~0h 45m est.
Runs rough · 1 airline · 7x weekly · nonstop
46% on time
of the last 13 operated PHL → DCA flights arrived within 15 minutes
Median arrival delay is +17 min. 0 of 13 tracked legs cancelled in the sample. Will a delayed flight be cancelled? →
Search live fares for this route →Median arrival+17 minacross the last 13 operated legs
Flight time~0h 45mestimated from route distance
Weekly departures7x1 direct airline on the leg
Cancelled0.0%recent route rate · 0 of 13
Current nonstop fares
PHL → DCA · one way · economy · 1 adult
TodayChecking…Direct airline fares
TomorrowChecking…Direct airline fares
In one weekChecking…Direct airline fares
The week
scheduled departures · origin local time06121824
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
American Airlines
Each mark is a scheduled departure at its origin-local time, observed operating in the last 7 days. Today is highlighted.
Who flies it
observed on the boards · 7 daysHistory
operated legs · board outcomesActual board outcomes rather than schedules, paired departure and arrival per flight and day.
Full board history, day by day →
Airports right now
live boardsWeather lens
Current conditions put the pressure at DCA: 48% odds of a 15+ minute delay and around +15 min expected when it bites, measured from this route's own weather-matched delay history. See live delays → · Weather risk by airport →
next sweep in 120s
How the Philadelphia to Washington route actually runs
Pro Flight Search tracks every published board update for nonstop PHL to DCA flights: schedules, estimates, gate pushes and actual departures. The verdict above comes from operated flights, so it reflects what this route does rather than what the timetable promises. Fares link straight to the operating airline with no markups.
Planning around a delay? Live airport delays · Weather delay risk map · Will a delayed flight be cancelled? · Do planes make up time in the air? · How we measure
Cite this data
Journalists, bloggers, and researchers may cite this page with attribution and a link to Pro Flight Search.
Suggested citation
Pro Flight Search — Philadelphia (PHL) to Washington (DCA) route reliability, measured from operated flights on official airport boards.
Canonical URL
How we measure this →
https://proflightsearch.com/search-flights/PHL-DCA
PHL to DCA questions
Is PHL–DCA running on time right now?
Smooth skies ahead. The departure side at PHL is the weaker end, route health score 96/100. The airports section above carries the live status and delay window at both ends.
How long is the flight from PHL to DCA?
Great-circle distance is 192 km. With typical jet cruise speed plus taxi, climb and descent, expect roughly 44–46 min gate-to-gate on this route.
How often does PHL–DCA fly?
American Airlines runs the route with about 14 flights a week (daily). Since one carrier owns the route, a single disruption tends to ripple through the day.
What does the route health score measure?
A blend of departure-side delay at PHL and arrival-side delay at DCA, computed from rolling delay windows (refreshed every 40 minutes) with a daily-rollup fallback. Current MVFR, IFR, or LIFR endpoint weather caps the score when flight rules can limit throughput. Higher is healthier: 100 means operations are clean at both ends.
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