My trip

Plan a trip

Tell FlyerIntel where and when you are flying. It will show how that route actually performs at that time of day and on that day of the week, what both airports are doing right now, and when to get to the airport.

DCA → ATL

Washington to Atlanta · departing 5:50 PM

Route on-time rate
80.1%
21,172 flights analyzed
At 3–6 PM
73.0%
3,004 flights in this window
Cancellation rate
2.42%
Share of scheduled flights

DCA → ATL flights departing 3–6 PM arrive on time 73.0% of the time, against 80.1% across the whole day — your departure window is 7.1 points worse than average for this route.

Your slot

Add a date above to see how that hour has done on your day of the week, and what a nearby slot would change.

Other times on DCA → ATL

Time of day

On DCA → ATL, flights leaving 5–9 AM arrived on time 88.4% of the time, against 73.0% for those leaving 3–6 PM: 15.4 points more often.

  • 5–9 AM88.4%Best
  • 9 AM–12 PM85.6%
  • 12–3 PM79.6%
  • 3–6 PM73.0%Your time
  • 6–9 PM70.8%
  • 9 PM–5 AM55.8%

Day of week

  • Monday79.9%
  • Tuesday81.4%
  • Wednesday81.5%
  • Thursday80.0%
  • Friday77.2%
  • Saturday84.7%Best
  • Sunday76.6%

Bars start below the lowest figure so a real gap is visible; read the percentage, not the bar length. A time with too few flights to score is left unscored rather than guessed at.

Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · History describes what has happened on this route. It is not a prediction about your flight. Full route profile →

Which flight

Flights on DCA → ATL, the ones scheduled closest to 5:50 PM first.

Flights on DCA → ATL and their records
FlightUsually departsOn timeCancelled
DL455Delta Air LinesLive map9:00 AM530 min away84.2%2.09%
DL343Delta Air LinesLive map7:59 AM591 min away86.2%2.54%
DL330Delta Air LinesLive map6:59 AM651 min away89.1%1.96%
DL410Delta Air LinesLive map6:00 AM710 min away92.0%2.28%

Source: FlyerIntel analysis of US DOT BTS data · July 2023 – July 2026 · “Usually departs” is the scheduled time each flight number most often had over the period; airlines retime flights, so confirm the time on your booking. Flight numbers with fewer than 90 operations on this route are left out. This is history, not a forecast for your flight.

When to get to the airport

A starting point for DCA, not a promise about your day.

Recommended arrival
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

2h 20m before your 5:50 PM departure

How this was worked out

Standard domestic guidancePublished guidance · US airlines and the TSA commonly recommend arriving two hours before a domestic departure.+120 min
Peak departure hourFlyerIntel data · Your departure hour is among the busiest at DCA, so check-in, bag drop and security all queue at once.+20 min
What this does not include.
  • FlyerIntel cannot currently obtain live security wait times for DCA, so this figure does not account for the queue on the day.
  • It does not include your journey to the airport, parking, or a shuttle from a remote lot.
  • International departures, and travel with children, checked pets or special assistance, need more time.

Both airports right now

Departing · DCANo disruption reported

Aviation weather is not currently a factor.

Aviation weatherVFR
47°F · wind 10 kt

Minimal operational impact. Conditions are not a notable factor for operations right now.

Updated

Washington airport profile →

Arriving · ATLNo disruption reported

Aviation weather is not currently a factor.

Aviation weatherVFR
50°F · wind 16 kt

Minimal operational impact. Conditions are not a notable factor for operations right now.

Updated

Atlanta airport profile →

Source: NOAA Aviation Weather Center · Conditions describe the airfield, not your flight, and change quickly.

Other ways to make this journey

Airport pairings serving Washington to Atlanta.

Other ways to make this journey
RouteOn timeCancelledScore
DCA→ATL Washington to Atlanta your route80.1%2.42%59
BWI→ATL Baltimore to Atlanta78.7%1.53%64
IAD→ATL Washington to Atlanta80.0%1.55%62

Who flies this route

Performance by the carrier that actually operates the flight.

Who flies this route
CarrierFlightsOn timeCancelledMedian delay
Delta Air Lines11,80981.5%1.91%-10 min
Southwest Airlines4,06179.1%1.35%-5 min
PSA Airlines2,67072.9%5.84%-5 min
Republic Airways1,87983.8%3.03%-10 min
Envoy Air40179.1%3.24%-7 min
American Airlines35275.7%1.70%-8 min