Itineraries flown on 20+ days in the Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026 schedule · each leg’s record Aug 2025 – Jul 2026

No clear winner: American’s CID → DCA flights land within a few points of 3 in 4 on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops (seasonal or thin)


American	CID	DCA	2h 15m	75%	6.3%	363	Flying now

Best connections, one ticket

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

Ranked by chance you reach Washington on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (Washington is 1 h ahead of Cedar Rapids). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


United Details →	CID 05:30 → DEN 06:54UA 4716 · flown by SkyWest	2h 36m Denver	DEN 09:30 → DCA 14:59UA 789	8h 29m	97%	88%
United Details →	CID 06:30 → ORD 07:51UA 1499	2h 09m Chicago	ORD 10:00 → DCA 13:04UA 1381	5h 34m	93%	79%
American Details →	CID 05:17 → DFW 07:34AA 3473 · flown by Envoy	1h 16m Dallas-Fort Worth	DFW 08:50 → DCA 12:52AA 1177	6h 35m	95%	78%
Delta Details →	CID 06:46 → MSP 08:05DL 5248 · flown by Endeavor	2h 21m Minneapolis	MSP 10:26 → DCA 13:48DL 2983	6h 03m	93%	78%
Delta Details →	CID 05:45 → ATL 08:48DL 2518	2h 12m Atlanta	ATL 11:00 → DCA 12:42DL 737	5h 57m	96%	75%
American Details →	CID 06:00 → ORD 07:15AA 2475	3h 30m Chicago	ORD 10:45 → DCA 13:59AA 4809 · flown by Republic	6h 59m	96%	71%
American Details →	CID 06:17 → CLT 09:35AA 1039	1h 39m Charlotte	CLT 11:14 → DCA 12:59AA 5527 · flown by PSA	5h 41m	92%	71%
United Details →	CID 08:00 → ORD 09:23UA 656	1h 52m Chicago	ORD 11:15 → DCA 14:22UA 2668	5h 22m	100%	66%
Tight connection: often missed
Delta Details →	CID 12:09 → MSP 13:26DL 4899 · flown by Endeavor	1h 12m Minneapolis	MSP 14:38 → DCA 18:09DL 2963	5h 00m	71%	54%
United Details →	CID 14:33 → ORD 16:00UA 4691 · flown by SkyWest	1h 00m Chicago	ORD 17:00 → DCA 20:10UA 456	4h 37m	65%	36%
Delta Details →	CID 16:24 → MSP 17:39DL 4906 · flown by Endeavor	56m Minneapolis	MSP 18:35 → DCA 22:02DL 2962	4h 38m	54%	33%

Same layover, different day-part

How often the first flight arrives too late to connect (45 min minimum), for one-ticket layovers of 45–80 minutes.

Morning

DFW · 1h 16m · leaves 05:17 5%

Afternoon and evening

MSP · 56m · leaves 16:24 46%

Delays build through the day, so an afternoon first leg eats the layover. A short connection is fine early in the morning and a gamble later on.

Mixing airlines

One ticketMiss it and the airline rebooks you; bags go through. 45 min is enough.

Separate ticketsMiss it and you buy a new ticket. Re-check bags, clear security again: we require 90 min.


United UA 1499 CID 06:30 → ORD American AA 4809 ORD 10:45 → DCA Connection details →	2h 54m	6h 29m	93%	75%
American AA 2475 CID 06:00 → ORD United UA 1381 ORD 10:00 → DCA Connection details →	2h 45m	6h 04m	93%	73%
United UA 4595 CID 10:57 → ORD American AA 2769 ORD 14:55 → DCA Connection details →	2h 26m	6h 02m	93%	66%

Rank all connections, any airlines →

Regional partners count as the airline that sells them: SkyWest flying Delta Connection is one Delta ticket.

How these are worked out. Makes the connection: share of the last year’s flights where the first flight arrived with at least 45 minutes to spare (90 on separate tickets). Arrives on time: first flight not cancelled × connection made × second flight not cancelled and arriving within 15 minutes. Not yet counted: the second flight also leaving late (which helps), gate-to-gate distance at the hub, and rebooking after a missed connection.

About this data: US DOT on-time records, Aug 2025 – Jul 2026, all US airlines; regional flights count under the airline that sells them. Schedules (which flights and connections exist, and their times) are as of Jun 6 – Jul 31, 2026; seasonal flights outside that window aren’t ranked. Rebuilt monthly. JSON