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

No clear winner: Southwest’s DCA → DAL flights land within a few points of 73% on time whatever the hour.

Nonstops


Southwest	DCA	DAL	3h 20m	73%	1.8%	1,733	Flying now

Best connections, one ticket

Most reliable Quickest (80%+ on time)

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


Delta Details →	DCA 06:00 → ATL 07:48DL 410	2h 27m Atlanta	ATL 10:15 → DAL 11:24DL 1115	6h 24m	99%	87%
Southwest Details →	DCA 06:15 → HOU 08:25WN 1432	3h 05m Houston	HOU 11:30 → DAL 12:40WN 22	7h 25m	100%	84%
Southwest Details →	DCA 07:35 → MKE 08:35WN 1450	1h 30m Milwaukee	MKE 10:05 → DAL 12:25WN 2939	5h 50m	93%	82%
Delta Details →	DCA 09:00 → ATL 10:52DL 455	3h 07m Atlanta	ATL 13:59 → DAL 15:03DL 512	7h 12m	98%	81%
Delta Details →	DCA 16:00 → ATL 17:57DL 360	3h 18m Atlanta	ATL 21:15 → DAL 22:34DL 1104	7h 34m	95%	75%
Delta Details →	DCA 12:17 → ATL 14:07DL 380	2h 31m Atlanta	ATL 16:38 → DAL 17:55DL 2780	6h 38m	97%	74%
Southwest Details →	DCA 06:55 → TPA 09:20WN 2739	3h 20m Tampa	TPA 12:40 → DAL 14:10WN 3847	8h 15m	100%	69%
Southwest Details →	DCA 06:00 → MCO 08:20WN 4580	1h 05m Orlando	MCO 09:25 → DAL 11:00WN 167	6h 00m	96%	69%
Tight connection: often missed
Delta Details →	DCA 13:42 → ATL 15:42DL 737	56m Atlanta	ATL 16:38 → DAL 17:55DL 2780	5h 13m	74%	56%
Southwest Details →	DCA 18:10 → HOU 20:35WN 2730	1h 25m Houston	HOU 22:00 → DAL 23:10WN 64	6h 00m	52%	32%
Southwest Details →	DCA 14:35 → STL 15:50WN 1461	1h 40m St Louis	STL 17:30 → DAL 19:10WN 1417	5h 35m	65%	23%

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

MCO · 1h 05m · leaves 06:00 4%

HOU · 1h 05m · leaves 06:15 10%

BNA · 1h 05m · leaves 06:10 11%

Afternoon and evening

ATL · 56m · leaves 13:42 26%

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.


American AA 3976 DCA 08:20 → ATL Delta DL 512 ATL 13:59 → DAL Connection details →	3h 32m	7h 52m	97%	83%
Southwest WN 194 DCA 11:45 → ATL Delta DL 2780 ATL 16:38 → DAL Connection details →	3h 03m	7h 10m	94%	72%
American AA 5268 DCA 07:30 → MCI Southwest WN 4759 MCI 13:00 → DAL Connection details →	3h 36m	8h 05m	99%	71%

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