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

No nonstop, and no clear pattern: the best connection reaches San Jose on time 86% of the time.

Best connections, one ticket

Ranked by chance you reach San Jose on time. Total trip = scheduled departure to arrival, layover included (San Jose is 3 h behind Dulles). Layovers up to 4 hours. Pick a connection for the details.


Alaska Details →	IAD 09:30 → SEA 12:16AS 361	2h 02m Seattle	SEA 14:18 → SJC 16:32AS 1366	10h 02m	99%	86%
Delta Details →	IAD 07:15 → SLC 09:52DL 432	1h 48m Salt Lake City	SLC 11:40 → SJC 12:38DL 1254	8h 23m	94%	84%
Delta Details →	IAD 06:00 → ATL 07:46DL 2127	1h 54m Atlanta	ATL 09:40 → SJC 11:36DL 809	8h 36m	96%	83%
Delta Details →	IAD 06:00 → MSP 07:55DL 3996 · flown by SkyWest	2h 10m Minneapolis	MSP 10:05 → SJC 12:05DL 2383	9h 05m	95%	83%
United Details →	IAD 06:30 → IAH 08:39UA 1935	1h 21m Houston	IAH 10:00 → SJC 12:03UA 1882	8h 33m	100%	79%
Delta Details →	IAD 07:00 → SEA 09:45DL 1015	2h 00m Seattle	SEA 11:45 → SJC 14:11DL 3789 · flown by SkyWest	10h 11m	94%	77%
United Details →	IAD 14:35 → DEN 16:29UA 1126	3h 01m Denver	DEN 19:30 → SJC 21:09UA 2745	9h 34m	99%	75%
Delta Details →	IAD 12:37 → ATL 14:34DL 1444	2h 34m Atlanta	ATL 17:08 → SJC 19:07DL 2136	9h 30m	96%	72%
Tight connection: often missed
United Details →	IAD 17:42 → ORD 18:50UA 2497	1h 08m Chicago	ORD 19:58 → SJC 22:43UA 481	8h 01m	60%	38%

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.

Afternoon and evening

ATL · 1h 05m · leaves 17:51 22%

ORD · 1h 08m · leaves 17:42 40%

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 1734 IAD 08:15 → LAX Delta DL 3822 LAX 14:32 → SJC Connection details →	3h 45m	10h 31m	98%	92%
United UA 325 IAD 07:00 → LAX Delta DL 3842 LAX 12:57 → SJC Connection details →	3h 31m	10h 19m	100%	90%
United UA 1689 IAD 13:10 → LAX Delta DL 3883 LAX 18:16 → SJC Connection details →	2h 34m	9h 25m	99%	87%

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